2019 Supreme(Chh) 799
CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT
Sanjay K. Agrawal, J.
NILIMA MURGESH ACHARI - APPELLANT
Versus
STATE OF CHHATTISGARH - RESPONDENT
Writ Petition (227) No. 952 of 2018
Decided On : 17-06-2019
T.K. Jha, Adv., Chandresh Shrivastava, Adv.
Headnote:
Indian Penal Code,1860 - Sections 307, 397 and 459 - Code of Criminal Procedure,1973 - sub-section (2) of Section 167 and 167(2)(b) - Attempt to murder – Commits robbery dacoity cause to death - Petitioners son namely was arrested by the jurisdictional police in connection with crime No. for offences punishable under Sections 307, 397 and 459 of the Indian Penal Code - He was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate for grant of remand and the said Magistrate, on due application of mind, granted remand and sent accused into judicial custody further judicial remand was granted by learned Chief Judicial Magistrate and finally in absence of accused he was charge-sheeted and case was also committed to the court of Session – Held, Court which goes to show reason assigned by State authorities for not physically producing the accused before Chief Judicial Magistrate on extension of order of judicial remand is valid reason acceptable to this Court and his detention for the period during which he remained in judicial custody is neither illegal nor unauthorized rather it is in accordance with law, therefore, he is not entitled for any compensation for not producing accused on subsequent for extending the period of judicial remand - Detention in Jail was neither illegal nor unauthorized and was based on sufficient and valid reasons as assigned by State and accepted by this Court - Petitioners son is not entitled for any compensation - Writ petition is dismissed
JUDGMENT
Sanjay K. Agrawal, J. - Petitioner's son namely Shubham Achari was arrested by the jurisdictional police in connection with crime No. 11/2018 for offences punishable under Sections 307, 397 and 459 of the Indian Penal Code on 07-01-2018. He was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bilaspur for grant of remand on 09-01-2018 and the said Magistrate, on due application of mind, granted remand and sent accused Shubham Achari into judicial custody till 19-01-2018. Thereafter, further judicial remand was granted by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate on 19-01-2018, 16-02-2018, 01- 03-2018, 15-03-2018, 28-03-2018 and finally on 06-04-2018, in the absence of accused Shubham Achari, he was charge-sheeted on 06-04-2018 and case was also committed to the court of Session on 20-04-2018. After full dressed trial, he was ultimately acquitted by the court of Session, Bilaspur for the charged offences on 04- 04-2019.
2. This writ petition has been preferred by his mother during his custody on 01-11-2018 mainly complaining that except on 09-01- 2018 he was never produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate who remanded him on judicial custody time to time from 19-01- 2018 to 28-03-2018 and even no video conferencing was made available to her son/accused Shubham Achari before extending period of judicial remand by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate which is clearly in flagrant violation of the provisions contained in nd proviso to sub-section (2) of Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, therefore, her son Shubham Achari who has ultimately been acquitted by the jurisdictional court of Session is entitled for compensation for his illegal custody from 19-01-2018 to 28-03-2018 and as such, accused Shubham Achari is entitled for reasonable compensation for his unauthorized and illegal detention for the aforesaid period.
3. The respondents/State has filed its return stating inter alia that the accused was produced before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate on 09-01-2018 thereafter, on various subsequent dates further remand was sought by the police authorities and that was duly granted by learned Chief Judicial Magistrate in absence of accused Shubham Achari due to shortage of police force in the further dates of hearing and as such no exception can be taken to the fact of not producing accused Shubham Achari physically before the Jurisdictional Criminal Court on the further dates of extending period of judicial remand due to shortage of police force, therefore, this writ petition deserves to be dismissed.
4. Mr. T.K. Jha, learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner's son/accused namely Shubham Achari was not produced in person before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate from 19-01-2018 to 28-03-2018 nor any video conferencing facility was made available to him before judicially remanding him by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate and ultimately, he was chargesheeted and acquitted by the Jurisdictional court of Session which shows that he was absolutely an innocent person and he remained in custody for a fairly long time and as such, petitioner's son Shubham Achari is entitled for reasonable compensation flowing from illegal act of State authorities and this writ petition deserves to be allowed granting compensation which he is entitled in Law.
5. Mr. Chandresh Shrivastava, learned Deputy Advocate General appearing for the State, would submit that mere non-production in person of the petitioner's son Shubham Achari on the date of extension of judicial remand before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate does not itself make the custody of the accused Shubham Achari illegal and therefore the petitioner's son is not entitled for any compensation flowing from the aforesaid remand order as he has already been acquitted from the charges which were levied against him.
6. I have heard learned counsel for the parties, considered their rival submissions made herein-above and went through the materia