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2000 Supreme(Cal) 589

High Court Of Calcutta
RANJAN KUMAR MAZUMDER
CHANDI CHARAN MAHATO - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondent
C. R. R.  2574  Of  1997
Decided On : 11/29/2000

The High Court can quash criminal proceedings under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure only when the FIR or complaint does not disclose any offence or is otherwise frivolous, vexatious, or oppressive.

Headnote:

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE - SECTION 482 - QUASHING OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - CONDITIONS: HIGH COURT CAN QUASH CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS ONLY WHEN THE FIR OR COMPLAINT DOES NOT DISCLOSE ANY OFFENCE OR IS OTHERWISE FRIVOLOUS, VEXATIOUS OR OPPRESSIVE.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, a member of a political party, was accused of murder and theft. He filed a petition to quash the criminal proceedings against him, arguing that he was falsely implicated due to political rivalry. The FIR alleged that the petitioner was part of a gang that dragged the victim from his room and later found him dead with head and throat injuries.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the FIR and other materials on record established a prima facie case against the petitioner regarding his involvement in the crime. The court held that there was no justification for quashing the criminal proceedings against the petitioner.

Issues: Whether the criminal proceedings against the petitioner should be quashed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the High Court has the power to quash criminal proceedings under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure only when the FIR or complaint does not disclose any offence or is otherwise frivolous, vexatious, or oppressive. In this case, the FIR and other materials on record established a prima facie case against the petitioner, so the court found no reason to quash the proceedings.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the petitioner's application to quash the criminal proceedings against him.

R. K. MAZUMDER, J.

( 1 ) -THE instant Criminal revisional application under section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is at the instance of the petitioner Shri Chandicharan Mahato and this is for quashing the investigational proceeding arising out of Jhalda P. S. Case No. 102/96 dated 3. 9. 96 under sections 302/380/34 of the Indian Penal Code (G. R. Case No. 1095/96) now pending before the learned Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Purulia.

( 2 ) THE case of the petitioner was in brief that on 3. 9. 96 a complaint was lodged against him with the Officer-in-Charge, Jhalda P. S. , Purulia by the de facto complainant-informant Shri Monojitananda Avadhut to the effect that on 2. 9. 96 at about 9 P. M. when he was going from Singhghare to Metala in Purulia and reached near the Ananda Marg School, he saw that some persons were dragging the victim Shri Jyotirindra Avadhut from his room. It was also alleged by him that by the flash of Torch light lit by the criminals he could recognise the petitioner in the said gang of criminals. Thereupon the petitioner took shelter by the side of a wall and from that place he could see that the criminals dragged the victim towards the east. After sometime the complainant and some others rushed towards the east and found that the deed body of the victim was lying on the ground with head and throat injuries. Thereafter the complainant rushed to the room of the victim and found that some articles like tape recorder, cycle etc. belonging to the victim were missing. On the basis of such complaint the police started Jhalda P. S. Case No. 102 dated 3. 9. 96 under sections 302/380/34 of the Indian Penal Code against the petitioner and some others. According to the petitioner he was a member of a particular political party and hence he has been falsely implicated in this case by the rival political group and hence the criminal proceeding started against him as arose out of the Jhalda P. S. Case No. 102 dated 3. 9. 96 under sections 302/380/34 of the IPC should be quashed.

( 3 ) I have had the opportunity of hearing learned counsels for all the parties in the matter at length.

( 4 ) THE only question requiring consideration in this case was whether the criminal investigation started against the petitioner by the Jhalda Police should be quashed, or not.

( 5 ) AT the time of hearing learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently submitted that his client has been falsely implicated in this case as he belonged to a rival political party. It was also submitted by him that the instant criminal case was started only out of grudge and that the petitioner had no hand in the incident of alleged murder of the victim. In that connection it was also submitted by him that the petitioner was even granted anticipatory bail by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-in-Charge, Purulia in Misc. Case No. 86 of 1997. He, therefore, urged upon this Court for quashing the instant criminal proceeding against the petitioner.

( 6 ) LEARNED counsel for the State submitted on the other hand, that the petitioner was specifically named in the FIR by the de facto complainant-informant and hence there was prima facie evidence against the petitioner, who could not, therefore, be let off from this case by way of quashing the instant Criminal Proceeding against him as prayed for by the petitioner. He further submitted that the instant Criminal proceeding could not be quashed simply on the ground that the petitioner was granted anticipatory bail by the learned Court of Sessions.

( 7 ) LEARNED counsel for the de facto-complainant-informant submitted that when the name of the petitioner figured in the written complaint lodged by his client, there was no question of quashing the instant proceeding against the petitioner.

( 8 ) IT appears from the FIR lodged by the de facto complainant information with the Jhalda P. S. that on the night of occurrence the de facto complainant-informant found that some criminals were dragging the victim



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