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2004 Supreme(Cal) 289

High Court Of Calcutta
Pravendu Narayan Sinha
BISHNU SINGH - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF WEST BENGAL - Respondent
C. R. R.  18  Of  2004
Decided On : 04/23/2004

Advocates Appeared:
DEBATOSH KHAN, S.MALLICK

A Court of Sessions, upon receiving a supplementary charge sheet, can take cognizance of offenses revealed from the materials on record, including those under the Arms Act, even if the case was initially committed for a different offense.

Headnote:

ARMS ACT, 1959 - Sections 25(1b)(a)/27 - Supplementary Charge Sheet - Cognizance by Magistrate - Framing of Charge by Sessions Court - Legality - Limitation for Challenging Order Framing Charge.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner was charged under Sections 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and later, a supplementary charge sheet was filed under Sections 25(1b)(a)/27 of the Arms Act, 1959. The petitioner challenged the framing of charges under the Arms Act by the Sessions Court, arguing that the Magistrate did not commit the case under the Arms Act and that the Sessions Court lacked jurisdiction to take cognizance of the offense.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the Magistrate could take cognizance on the basis of a supplementary charge sheet, as provided under Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The Court further held that the Sessions Court had jurisdiction to take cognizance of all offenses revealed from the materials on record, including the offenses under the Arms Act, and that the framing of charges under the Arms Act was proper.

Issues: 1. Whether a Magistrate can take cognizance on the basis of a supplementary charge sheet? 2. Whether the Sessions Court had jurisdiction to take cognizance of offenses under the Arms Act based on a supplementary charge sheet? 3. Whether the framing of charges under the Arms Act by the Sessions Court was proper?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. Section 173(8) of the CrPC allows for further investigation and submission of supplementary reports after a final report has been submitted under Section 173(2). 2. A Court of Sessions takes cognizance of offenses, not just the accused, when a case is committed to it under Section 193 read with Section 209 of the CrPC. 3. The Sessions Court can take cognizance of all offenses revealed from the materials on record, including those added through a supplementary charge sheet.

Final Decision: The High Court dismissed the revision petition, holding that the framing of charges under Sections 25(1b)(a)/27 of the Arms Act, 1959 by the Sessions Court was proper and that the challenge to the order framing the charges was barred by limitation.

( 1 ) THIS revisional application under Section 402 read with Section 482 of the code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter referred to as the Code) has been preferred by the petitioner praying for quashing the orders dated 3. 3. 03 and 19. 9. 03 passed by the learned Judge, 6th Bench, City Sessions Court, Calcutta in Sessions Case No. 85/01 thereby framing charge under Sections 25/27 of arms ACT, 1959 against the petitioner and rejecting his application under Section 231 (2)of the Code for deferring cross-examination of P. W. 3 till examination of four other witnesses.

( 2 ) LEARNED Advocate for the petitioner contended that against the petitioner charge sheet under Section 302/34 of the Indian penal Code (hereinafter referred to as the I. P. C.) was filed after completing investigation and on 10. 10. 01 learned additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (hereinafter referred to as ACMM) after taking cognizance of offence under Section 302/34 of Indian Penal Code, transferred the case to learned Metropolitan Magistrate, 8th Court for disposal. Copies were supplied to the accused on 19. 11. 01 and thereafter the learned magistrate committed the case to the Court of Sessions i. e. , before the learned chief Judge, City Sessions Court, Calcutta, learned Chief Judge, City Sessions court, Calcutta. Learned Chief Judge transferred the case to the learned Judge, 6th Bench, City Sessions Court, Calcutta and the learned Judge on 30. 1. 02 framed charge under Section 302/34 of Indian Penal Code, against the petitioner. Subsequently, a supplementary charge sheet under Sections 25/27 of the Arms act was filed before the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, 8th Court and the learned Magistrate sent the supplementary charge sheet to the learned trial court. The original charge sheet was submitted on 10. 10. 01 and the supplementary charge sheet was filed on 15. 5. 02 i. e. , after expiry of 90 days from the date of arrest of accused. Charge sheet submitted under Section 25/ 27 of the ARMS ACT, 1959 is independent charge under specific Act and it is triable by magistrate.

( 3 ) HE further contended that the Court of Sessions cannot take cognizance of any offence unless the case is committed to the Court of Sessions. Learned metropolitan Magistrate, 8th Court did not commit the case under Sections 25/ 27 of the ARMS ACT, 1959 on the basis of supplementary charge sheet. Accordingly, sessions Court cannot take cognizance of offence under Sections 25/27 of arms ACT, 1959 and framing of charge against the petitioner under the said sections by order dated 3. 3. 03 is bad in law and should be set aside. The learned Sessions judge has, therefore, no jurisdiction to take cognizance for alleged offence under sections 25/27 of the ARMS ACT, 1959 and framing of charge under these sections should be set aside.

( 4 ) LEARNED Advocate appearing for the State contended that at this belated stage the order dated 3. 3. 03 framing charge under Sections 25/27 of the Arms act cannot be challenged and it is hit by limitation. The order dated 19. 9. 03 is the rejection of prayer of accused under Section 231 of the Code and challenging the said order the petitioner moved this Court and in it cleverly inserted the order dated 3. 3. 03. After moving this Court against rejection of application under section 231 of the Code, the petitioner cannot challenge the order dated 3. 3. 03 regarding framing of charge under Sections 25/27 of the ARMS ACT, 1959. There is no bar for submitting supplementary charge sheet and on the basis of supplementary charge sheet learned Magistrate is empowered to take cognizance. A case cannot be committed twice and so when the case under section 302/34 was already committed to the Court of Sessions learned magis*rate rightly forwarded the supplementary charge sheet to Court of sessions. There is no illegality in the order and the revisional application should be dismissed.

( 5 ) I have duty considered the submissions made by the learned Advocates







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