IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
ALOK KUMAR PANDEY, J.
Criminal Appeal (SJ) No. 1358 of 2025
(13.11.2025)
Lakshman Mahto @ Chandan Kumar Sinha ... Appellant
vs.
State of Bihar & Anr. ... Respondents
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – Section 3(1)(r)(s) and 3(2)(v)(a) – Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 302, 341, 323, 307, 504 and 506/34 – Murder, wrongful confinement, hurt, attempt to murder, insult and criminal intimidation – Common intention – Cognizance and summoning order – In impugned order no reason has been assigned by concerned Court while differing from opinion of Investigating Officer – Investigating Officer after making due inquiry has given clean chit to appellant and co-accused whereas charge-sheet has been submitted against co-accused but Trial Court took cognizance against all accused persons including appellant – Concerned court has not differentiated between accused who have been charge sheeted and accused against whom clean chit has been given by Investigating Officer – Concerned court, at the time of differing from opinion of Investigating Officer, is required to assign succinct reason – Impugned order is non-speaking order and such order is nullity – Cognizance order quashed and matter remanded to concerned Court to pass appropriate order against those who have not been sent up for trial. (Paras 8 and 9)
Alok Kumar Pandey, J.—Heard learned counsel for the appellant, learned Special Public Prosecutor for the State and learned counsel for the Informant.
2. The present appeal is directed against the order dated 24.02.2025 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge – VI cum Special Judge, SC/ST Court, Nalanda at Biharsharif in connection with Special SC/ST Case No. 136 of 2023 arising out of Noorsarai P.S. Case No. 301 of 2023 (suppl.) registered under 341, 323, 307, 504, 506/34 of the IPC, later on Section 302 of IPC was added, and Section 3(1)(r)(s), 3(2)(v)(a) of SC/ST Act whereby and whereunder summons have been issued against the appellant after taking cognizance under Sections 341, 323, 302, 504, 506/34 of the IPC and Section 3(1) (r)(s), 3(2)(v) of SC/ST Act against the appellant.
3. The prosecution story, in brief, informant alongwith his father was working in agricultural field and the four accused persons including the appellant were grazing their buffaloes near the said agricultural field. When the buffalo of accused persons entered in the agricultural filed of informant, then, informant’s father went and tried to stop the buffaloes from entering the said field. Meanwhile, all accused persons stated abusing the informant by using caste name and when the same was protested, then, co-accused Daroga Mahto assaulted the informant’s father upon his head by means of khanti attached with lathi as result of which informant’s father sustained injury. Thereafter, all the accused persons started assaulting the informant’s father by means of lathi as a result of which he became unconscious. It is alleged that on raising alarm, nearby people started gathering due to which all the accused persons ran away.
4. On the basis of written statement of informant, Special SC/ST Case No. 136 of 2023 arising out of Noorsarai P.S. Case No. 301 of 2023 has been registered under Section 341, 323, 307, 504, 506/34 of the IPC and Section 3(1)(r)(s), 3(2)(v)(a) of SC/ST Act. Later on Section 302 was added.
5. Learned counsel for the appellant submits that the occurrence took place on 01.07.2023 and FIR was lodged on 05.07.2023 i.e. after delay of about four days and the reason of delay has not been explained. He further submits that there is no specific allegation against the appellant. He further submits that in the present case, supplementary charge sheet no. 194 of 2024 has been submitted against some of the accused persons but appellant and co-accused Pappu Mahto were not sent up for trial but the learned trial court has taken cognizance against the appellant while differing from the opinion of Investigating Officer but no reasoning has been cited by the learned trial court. In this way, the order of the cognizance passed by the concerned court is not justified and legal.
6. Learned counsel for the appellant has relied upon decision of S.M. Mahtab Ahmed vs. State of Bihar reported in 2016 (4) PLJR 508 in which at para 8 and 9 of the said decision it has been held as follows:—
8. Besides hearing learned counsel for the parties, I have also perused the materials available on record including the Lower Court Record After going through the record. it is evident that the complaint petition was thoroughly investigated by Investigating agency and thereafter, it was found that it was not a case of criminal offence, rather the investigating officer had noticed that it was a civil dispute Accordingly petitioner's name was not included in column no. 11 of the charge sheet. Meaning thereby that petitioner was not forwarded as accused in the case and final report was submitted. So far as point, which has been raised by the learned counsel for the complainant that even in business transaction, there can be case of criminal offence, this Court is in agreement with his submission, but in the present case, the case was investigated thoroughly by the statutory investigating agency and no sufficient material was found to forward the petitioner to face trial and his
The trial court must provide reasons for differing from the investigating officer's findings; failure to do so renders the cognizance order null and void.
Cognizance orders must be supported by clear reasoning when differing from the investigative officer's findings, or they risk being deemed nullities.
Cognizance of offences under specific laws requires a prima facie case, evaluated without delving into merits or defence arguments, and sufficient evidence can maintain charges.
Cognizance under the SC/ST Act cannot be sustained if the informant is not a member of Scheduled Caste or if the involvement is merely circumstantial related to civil disputes.
The appeal's outcome highlighted the necessity for a reasoned order when a trial court differs from an investigator's findings.
The court affirmed the need for sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused at pre-trial, highlighting that mere allegations warrant trial initiation under applicable laws.
A prima facie case must be established at the cognizance stage, particularly under the SC/ST Act, focusing on whether allegations, even if taken at face value, constitute an offense.
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