High Court Of Calcutta
Before Mr. Justice Pravendu Narayan Sinha
ASEMA BEGAM ALIAS ASEMA KHATOON ALIAS ASEMA BIBI - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF WEST BENGAL - Respondent
C. R. R 1270 Of 2004
Decided On : 05/04/2007
INVESTIGATION - POLICE REPORT - FURTHER INVESTIGATION - REINVESIGATION - DISTINCTION - CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS - QUASHING - POWER OF MAGISTRATE - SCOPE - SECTION 173(8) OF THE CR. P. C.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioners sought to quash a criminal proceeding and set aside an order of the S.D.J.M. taking cognizance of an offence. The case arose from a counter-case to another incident where the petitioners' husband was allegedly assaulted. The police submitted a final report in the form of FRT in the counter-case, finding no basis for the alleged incident. The de facto complainant filed a 'naraji' petition challenging the FRT, and the magistrate directed "reinvestigation." After reinvestigation, the police submitted a charge sheet, and the magistrate took cognizance of the offense.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the magistrate's order directing "reinvestigation" was a mistake and should have been "further investigation" under Section 173(8) of the Cr. P. C. The court clarified that "reinvestigation" is not permissible under the Cr. P. C., and the police have the authority to conduct further investigation and submit supplementary reports. The court also held that the magistrate's order taking cognizance on the subsequent police report was competent and not bad in law.
Issues: 1. Whether the magistrate's order directing "reinvestigation" was legal. 2. Whether the police had the power to conduct further investigation after submitting a final report. 3. Whether the magistrate could take cognizance on the basis of the subsequent police report.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the word "reinvestigation" used by the magistrate was in fact a direction for "further investigation." The court clarified that "reinvestigation" is not permissible under the Cr. P. C., and the police have the authority to conduct further investigation and submit supplementary reports. 2. The court held that the police have the power to cause further investigation and submit further report or supplementary report after conducting "further investigation" suo motu. "further investigation" may be done also on the strength of the order of the learned Magistrate. During "further investigation" police may cause investigation, if new materials comes to light before the police during investigation or, if it is found that during earlier investigation certain omissions were made which were vital for which "further investigation" was necessary. 3. The court held that the magistrate has the power to take cognizance over such report and taking of cognizance cannot be regarded as bad in law.
Final Decision: The revisional application was dismissed.
( 2 ) MR. Joymalya Bagchi, the learned Advocate for the petitioner submitted that concerning incident dated 5. 3. 1998 there were case and counter case. The Balagarh P. S. Case No. 28 dated 5. 3. 98 was registered on the basis of written complaint/f. I. R. lodged by Badsha Hossain, husband of the petitioner as the accused persons seriously assaulted the husband of the petitioner and made attempt to murder him. After completing investigation in the said case charge-sheet has been submitted under sections 148,149, 448, 325, 326, 341 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (in short the I. P. C.) against several accused persons including Ansar Ali, the de facto complainant of Balagarh PS. Case No. 29 dated 5. 3. 98. In the counter case being Balagarh P. S. Case No. 29 dated 5. 3. 98 the alleged offences were under Sections 147,148,149,341 and 325 of the I. P. C. and it was the allegation of de facto complainant Ansar Ali that his wife Sakina bibi was seriously assaulted by Badsha Hossain and others. The Balagarh p. S. Case No. 29 dated 5. 3. 98 after investigation ended in FRT, i. e. the police after investigation found that there was no basis into the alleged incident and charge-sheet was not submitted, and the police officer also submitted a prayer to initiate a proceeding under Section 211 of the I. P. C. against the de facto complainant. The de facto-complainant filed a 'naraji' petition challenging the said FRT and over such application the teamed magistrate directed "reinvestigation". After reinvestigation the police has submitted charge-sheet in the said case. At present both the Balagarh p. S. Case No. 28 dated 5. 3. 98 and Balagarh P. S. Case No. 29 dated 5. 3. 98 are pending in the Court of the learned Assistant Sessions Judge for trial.
( 3 ) MR. Bagchi further submitted that the order of the learned magistrate directing "reinvestigation" was bad in law and there is gulf of difference between the words "reinvestigation" and the words "further investigation". Provisions of Section 173 (8) of the Cr. P. C. prescribes further investigation in appropriate cases and there is no scope of reinvestigation within that section. "reinvestigation" connotes fresh or new investigation whereas "further investigation" indicates additional, supplemental report after such further investigation. Scope of further investigation is limited and it is only additional over any new point or over any point which was not considered during earlier investigation. But "reinvestigation" indicates fresh investigation, and that is why the Parliament in its wisdom did not incorporate the word "reinvestigation" within the Section 173 of the cr. P. C. The learned Magistrate acted illegally by passing the order for "reinvestigation" on the basis of 'naraji' petition filed by the de facto complainant in connection with Balagarh P. S. Case No. 29 dated 5. 3. 98. It is not legally permissible for a Magistrate to direct "reinvestigation". When after further investigation supplementary report is filed the learned magistrate has to consider the report submitted on the basis of further investigation and at the same time he has to consider the earlier report submitted by the police and the earlier report does not become non-est. In the present matter the learned Magistrate after obtaining report of the police officer on the basis of such subsequent investigation took cognizance of offence which was bad in law as the learned Magistrate did not take into consideration the earlier police report.
( 4 ) MR. Bagchi next contended that in the previous investigation report, the bed head ticket of the alleged injure
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