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1996 Supreme(Guj) 585

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :K.J.VAIDYA
N.T.DESAI - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondent
MISC.CRI.APPLN. 6046 of 1996
Decided On : 12/10/1996

Advocates Appeared: A.J.DESAI, R.C.Jani

Headnote:(a) Criminal Trial - Bail in offences under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 - Points to be taken into consideration in view of Sec. 18 of the Act - Stated - Court also Considered the case State of M.P. and Anr. vs. Ramkishan Balothia, 1995 (2) (SC) JT 310 cited on behalf of prosecution & held that same stands at different footing wherein virus of Sec. 18 came to be decided - In the peculiar facts & circumstances of the case court allowed bail to petitioner.

       The Supreme Courts decision rendered in the case of State of M.P. & Anr. vs. Ramkishan Balothia (Supra) stands on altogether quite different footing where the virus of Sec. 18 of the Act came to be decided. The Apex Court has ultimately held that Sec. 18 of the Act was not ultra virus. This Court is indeed in respectful agreement with the aforesaid decision of the Supreme Court. In fact, the point raised before this Court was not at all before the Supreme Court. Under the circumstances, the sublet point which is required to be closely examined and appreciated by every Court while called upon to do criminal justice at bail stage, in particular, directly affecting the liberty of a citizen is to be as alert, careful and circumspect as a surgeon performing an operation on patient is required to be. Neither any more doze of anesthesia than actually needed nor even any extra drop of blood be shed near endangering the life of the patient while performing the operation. This golden scale, extra-ordinary care and circumspection is specifically required to be taken where it is not mislead to be blindened, confused and emotionally benumbed in the name of some Social Welfare Law whereby the most precious right of the citizen viz., LIBERTY is sought to be clouded, eroded and taken away by deceiving the Court on ex-facie false allegations, just with a view to quench the thirst to complainant of wrecking personal vengeance and settle the score thereby.

       [Para 8]

       (b) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Secs. 438 & 439 - Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 - Secs. 3(1)(x) & 18 & Secs. 504, 506(2) of Penal Code - Complaint for alleged offences under the Act & the Penal Code - Petition to quash and set aside FIR/allow bail treating petitioner in Judicial Custody - Relief - Court going into the facts in detail & its duty in the peculiar facts & circumstances of the case to do justice by seeing that petitioner is not mechanically, unnecessarily victimised at this stage allowed bail - On the other hand with a view to protect the vital interest of complainant reframed from quashing the complaint/FIR - So as to test out ultimate credibility of complainant on the anvil of regular trial before Magistrate.

       Dr. N.T. Desai is very much present before this Court and has voluntarily surrendered himself to the custody of this Court praying for regular bail. He is ordered to be taken in this Court custody. In this view of the matter, having regard to the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case as elaborately/ highlighted and discussed above, this Court in the first instance is required to do justice by seeing that the petitioner is not mechanically, unnecessarily victimized at this stage on the basis of apparently some doubtful reckless allegations made in the complaint against him and at the sametime, in the second instance, also protecting the vital interest of the complainant by not quashing the complaint, the same being under the Atrocity Act, so as to test out his ultimate credibility on the anvil of the regular trial proceedings before the learned Magistrate.

       [Para 9]

K. J. VAIDYA, J.

( 1 ) RULE. Mr. A. J. Desai, learned A. P. P. appearing for the respondent-State waives service of the Rule. Heard learned Advocates appearing for the respective parties. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, this matter is heard and decided today.

( 2 ) THE facts-situation depicted in this case if true, prima facie brings on surface how unfortunate indeed even quite well-intended and much more needed ideal social welfare piece of legislation like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 can be quite conveniently and unscrupulously abused to wreck the personal vengeance of an individual against another individual and that too on the holy anvil of Court with a weapon of the abuse of judicial process and thereby not only humiliating and pressurising the innocent citizen, but incidentally and ironically enough also placing the crusading champions and protagonists of the down-trodden and crushed members of S. C. and S. T. s in most precarious, embarrassing and demoralising situation, who indeed and undoubtedly still needs much more further legal and moral support in their just and enervating struggle for existence and fight and revolution against some undesirable lingering recesses of incorrigible, inhuman, blood-thirsty orthodox members of the Society who are downright slurs on humanity. It appears that if such wild, false, frivolous, vexatious complaints as alleged by the petitioner are lightly entertained and encouraged on mere asking, then instead of bringing about an end of class prejudice and the resultant class-war and so-called Savarnas and the members of S. C. and S. T. class nearer embrace each other would rather further wedge and deepen permanent rift between the two tearing them apart pole asunder adding acid heart-burns and head-aches to peaceful social order. In fact, these days as often heard in the Court-room during the course of arguments (no reason to dismiss the same airily. .), the whisper by some innocent has started gathering momentum that the abuse of the Atrocities Act in some of the cases by some scheming, unscrupulous persons itself has started turning into the act of gross atrocity against some innocent individuals. The irresistible motivating force perhaps promoting some black-sheep in a given case being the effortless handsome ex gratia compensation awarded by the State Government to the S. C. and s. T. class without shedding a drop of sweat even. If this allegation has any semblance of substance in it, it is indeed too grave a situation for all concerned to be countenanced lightly because what indeed we do not know, it may boom-rang the very laudable object for which the Atrocity Act ultimately came to be enacted. . It is here that all responsible citizens from all communities, including the honest, sincere and wise persons belonging to S. C. and S. T. communities and the Court also to quite great extent needs to be on the constant guard against such unfortunate happenings, giving bad name and thereby serious set back and challenge to one of the most important, fundamental, laudable and much needed legislations like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1985. To this rather unescapable observations necessitated in facts and circumstances of the case, a word of caution is also needed to be added. Accordingly, it would be simply quite unwise for the Court to straightway assume that the complaint in each and every case under the Atrocity Act is false, frivolous and vexatious, and therefore, doubtful because of some such unfortunate experiences in some cases. Bearing this in mind, in the overall and ultimate interest of justice, each and every case under the Atrocity Act is required to be closely examined with much needed honesty of purpose, guts and courage of conviction, and decide the same one way or the other; as warranted by the facts of the case.

( 3 ) AT the very outset, it needs to be clarifie














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