Gujarat High Court
Judgename :D.G.Karia
AMBALAL BHAVANISHANKER UPADHYAYA - Appellant
Versus
RASIKLAL MANILAL MEHTA - Respondent
CRIMINAL REVISION APPLICATION 594 of 1986
Decided On : 03/24/1995
A plain reading of the aforesaid provision of Section 344 makes it clear that any witness appearing in the proceedings knowingly or wilfully gives false evidence or fabricates false evidence with an intention that such, evidence should be used in such proceedings, the court may order to issue show-cause notice as contemplated in the aforesaid Section 344. It is only in a glaring case of deliberate falsehood, where action is highly likely that the court should direct to issue notice under Section 344 of the Code. It is pertinent to note that the learned Judge, while ordering to issue show-cause notice on the petitioner has not recorded any satisfaction that the false evidence given by him was wilfully or with knowledge that the same was fabricated with an intention to use as such in the proceedings.
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[Para 4]
( 1 ) THIS Criminal Revision Application under Sec. 397 read with Sec. 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is directed against the judgment and order of acquittal dated October 9, 1986 passed by the learned Additional sessions Judge, Sabarkantha at Himmatnagar in Sessions Case No. 41 of 1982. By the impugned judgment, the learned Additional Sessions Judge ordered to acquit the accused persons under Sec. 235 (1) for the offences punishable under Sec. 436 read with Sec. 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The learned Judge observed in the operative order of the judgment that as mentioned in para 29 of the judgment, the complainant who is the petitioner herein, deposed falsely and therefore, the learned judge having taken cognizance thereof ordered to issue a show cause notice under sec. 344 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code to the complainant to show cause why he should not be punished for the offence of giving false evidence or having fabricated false evidence with the intention that such evidence would be used in such proceedings. What is recorded by the learned Judge in his operative part of the judgment and translated reads as under :"the complainant has deposed falsely as per averments made in para 29 of this judgment and therefore, I take cognizance of it and notice under Sec. 344 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for showing a cause why he should not be punished for the said offence to issue. "
( 2 ) THIS Court (Coram : J. P. Desai, J. as he was then) by its oral order dated June 13, 1987 ordered to reject the Revision Application so far as it challenged the order of acquittal passed by the learned Sessions Judge. The Revision Application, however, came to be admitted so far it relates to relief regarding quashing and setting aside the order dated October 9, 1986 relating to issuance of the notice to the petitioner under Sec. 344 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This Court passed the following order, while admitting the Revision to that extent. "rule. Mr. G. D. Bhatt, Additional Public Prosecutor waives service. To be fixed for final hearing on 20-7-1987. Fix peremptorily subject to over-hight part-heard. So far as the interim relief prayed for vide para 8 (c) is concerned, the petitioner to file his reply to the notice issued to him before the learned Sessions Judge before 20-7-1987 and produce a copy of the same before this Court, but the trial Court should not proceed further with the matter after the reply is filed by the petitioner till further orders of this court. "
( 3 ) PURSUANT to the aforesaid, the petitioner has submitted his reply to the show cause notice on July 16, 1987 wherein he has inter alia contended that he has not deposed falsely before the Honble Court nor has fabricated any evidence. In para 5 of his reply, he has also stated that he has not given any false evidence knowingly or wilfully. He, thus, sought to quash the said show cause notice.
( 4 ) SEC. 344 of the Criminal Procedure Code under which the aforesaid notice is issued reads as under :"344. (1) If, at the time of delivery of any judgment or final order disposing of any judicial proceeding, a Court of Sessions or Magistrate of the First Class expresses an opinion to the effect that any witness appearing in such proceeding had knowingly or wilfully given false evidence or had fabricated false evidence with the intention that such evidence should in such proceedings, it or he may, if satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the interest of justice that the witness should be tried summarily for giving or fabricating, as the case may be, false evidence, take cognizance of the offence and may, after giving the offender a reasonable opportunity of showing cause why he should not be punished for such offence, try such offender summarily and sentence him to imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or to fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both. (2) In every such case, the Court shall follow,
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