HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
S. K. Sen, Amaresh Roy
CHITTARANJAN DAS - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF WEST BENGAL - Respondent
Criminal Revn. 1434 Of 1960
Decided On : APRIL 18, 1962
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE - SECTION 190(1)(B) - POLICE REPORT - COMPLAINT - DISTINCTION - PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED - SECTION 207-A OR 208 - INTERPRETATION.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner was accused of kidnapping a girl and was convicted at a Sessions trial. A supplementary charge-sheet was submitted before the Presidency Magistrate, who refused to take cognizance, for want of territorial jurisdiction. The High Court upheld the order of the Presidency Magistrate. Thereafter, instead of filing a charge-sheet, the police filed an application purporting to be a petition of complaint before the Police Magistrate, Alipore, against the petitioner and three others. The Magistrate took cognizance and directed issue of warrants against the accused. The accused asked for copies of the statements and documents on which the prosecution wanted to rely, contending that the application filed on 29th February, 1960, by Inspector Bamdeb Das was virtually a report after investigation under Section 173 of the Code. The learned Magistrate by his order dated 22nd July, 1960, rejected the prayer. The petitioner filed a revisional application to the High Court.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court held that the application filed by Inspector Bamdeb Das before the Police Magistrate, Alipore is a report submitted by a police officer after full investigation under Chapter XIV; hence the petitioner is entitled to copies, free of cost of the statements and documents mentioned in Sub-section (4) of Section 173 of the Code.
Issues: Whether the application filed by Inspector Bamdeb Das before the Police Magistrate, Alipore is a police report under Section 173 of the Code or a complaint.
Ratio Decidendi: A complaint for the purpose of proceedings governed by the Criminal Procedure Code is defined in section 4 (1) (h) of the Code, as follows:-"complaint" means the allegation made orally or in writing to a Magistrate, with a view to his taking action under this Code, that some person whether known or unknown has committed an offence, but it does not include the report of a police officer.
Final Decision: Rule made absolute; the learned Magistrate will follow the procedure laid down in Section 207-A of the Code, and will see that the petitioner has got copies free of cost of the statements and documents on which the prosecution seeks to rely.
( 1 ) THIS revisional application is directed against an order of Shri S. C. Choudhury, Magistrate, 1st Class, Alipore, rejecting the petitioner's application for supply of copies, free of cost of statements of witnesses and documents on which the prosecution proposes to rely.
( 2 ) THE facts are briefly as follows: On 6th June, 1959, an Information was lodged at Khardah Police Station that 8 girl aged about 15 years named Sandhyarani Das Gupta, was missing from the house of her mother at 317, Ghola Government Colony for refugees. A copy of the Information was sent to the Enforcement Branch of Police, Calcutta, and the girl was recovered from the house of Ganesh Dey, within the jurisdiction of Tollygunge P. S. , and her statement was recorded on 11th June, 1959, by the officer-in-charge, Tollygunge P. S. A copy of the statement was sent to the Enforcement Branch, Calcutta, and was treated as the F. I. R. , and Inspector Bamdeb Das of the Enforcement Branch investigated the case. According to the conclusion reached by the Inspector, there was a conspiracy entered into by Manibala alias Maniprova Mazumdar of 83a, Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, Ganesh Dey of Tollygunge Police Station, Chittaranjan Das of 29a, Kailash Bose Street, Calcutta, and others, in pursuance of which the girl was kidnapped from her mother's house at Ghola within Barrackpore Subdivision and brought to Manibala's house at 88a, Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, and taken on several occasions by. Ganesh Dey to the house of Chittaranjan Das at 29a, Kailash Bose Street, where Chittaranjan Das committed rape on her, after promising to find employment for her. Chittarajan Das was an officer employed in the Relief and Rehabilitation Department at an office at Tollygunge, and Ganesh Dey was a peon employed at the same office. Inspector Bamdeb Das, through the officer-in-charge, Amherst Street Police station (29a, Kailash Bose Street being within the jurisdiction of Amherst Street Police Station) submitted a charge-sheet on 1st September, 1959, against Chittaranjan Das and others in respect of charges under sections 376, 376/109, 366 and 120b/366 I. P. C. before the Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate, Calcutta. The learned Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate after perusal of the case diary refused to take cognizance of the offences under sections 366 and 1208/ 366 I. P. C. , as the offences appeared to have been committed outside his jurisdiction; he took cognisance of the charges under Section 376 and 376/109 I. P. C. , and it may be mentioned that Chittaranjan Das and Ganesh Dey have been convicted at a Sessions trial of charges under Section 376 and Section 376/109 I. P. C. respectively.
( 3 ) A supplementary charge-sheet in respect of the charges under Sections 366a and 1203/366 I. P. C. was submitted before the Presidency Magistrate, Sri N. K. Sen who was holding the commitment Inquiry in respect of the charges under Sections 376 and 376/109 I. P. C. , but the Presidency Magistrate by an order dated 5th October, 1959, refused to take cognisance, for want of territorial Jurisdiction. The High Court was moved against that order, but a Bench of this Court by an order dated 19th January, 1960 (in Cr. Rev. No. 1415 of 1959) upheld the order ot the Presidency Magistrate, observing that the prosecution might very well file a charge-sheet before the Magistrate having territorial jurisdiction over the offence.
( 4 ) THEREAFTER, instead of filing a charge-sheet, inspector Bamdeb Das on 29th February, 1960, filed an application purporting to be a petition of complaint in respect of charges under section 366 and 120b/366 I. P. C. , before the Police Magistrate Alipore, against the petitioner Chittaranjan Das and three others. The Magistrate took cognisance and directed issue of warrants against the accused. After the appearance of the accused, the accused asked Tor copies of the statements and documents on which the prosecution wanted to rely, contending that the applica
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