HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT
G. R. UDHWANI, J.
Navinchandra Vishnuprasad Shah - Petitioner
Versus
State of Gujarat & Anr.- Respondents
Criminal Misc. Application No. 5903 of 2008 With Criminal Misc. Application No. 5673 of 2008.
Decided On : 08.05.2013.
Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 420, 468, 471 and 114 - Cheating and other offences - Seeking quash of criminal proceedings - Both these petitions are moved invoking jurisdiction of this Court Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and first petition is moved by one guarantor with a prayer to quash the charge and against the petitioner herein and second mentioned petition is moved by one a power of attorney holder of loanees and a guardian of minor with a prayer to quash the above proceedings as also order passed below application rejecting the application moved by the petitioner for discharge and petitioner also prays for discharge from the above criminal case - Held, Petitioners had availed bank loan 16 years ago before FIR was registered - Delay not explained - Allegations completely lacked ingredients of offences - Magistrate committed error in framing the charge - Charge set aside -Charge being an interlocutory order, revision would not be maintainable and petition seeking quashing was maintainable -Guilty intention is an essential ingredient of offence of cheating and mens rea on part of accused must be established - No material showing that petitioner induced the complainant part with money - Petition allowed.
G. R. UDHWANI, J.
1. Both these petitions are moved invoking jurisdiction of this Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short "Cr.P.C."). The first petition is moved by one Navinchandra Vishnuprasad Shah - a guarantor with a prayer to quash the charge and the Criminal Case No.799 of 2005 pending before Metropolitan Magistrate Court No.20, Ahmedabad against the petitioner herein. The second mentioned petition is moved by one Bharatkumar Shantilal Sheth a power of attorney holder of loanees and a guardian of minor with a prayer to quash the above proceedings as also order dated 18.03.2008 passed below -application Exh.2 Annexure "H" rejecting the application moved by the petitioner for discharge. The petitioner also prays for discharge from the above criminal case.
2. A loan was obtained on 29.2.1988 for business purpose by the firm M/s. Chirag Enterprises constituting father daughter-in-law and grandson from Sahyog Co-operative Bank Limited which is now being represented by Jethabhai Khodidas Patel - the liquidator, respondent No.2 herein who has lodged (original complaint. A notice for recovery was served upon the petitioners on 14.11.1990 after a notice was given to the bank by petitioners disowning the liability except to an extent of Rs. 75,000/-, This dispute gave rise to a Lavad Case being No.779 of 1991 which came to be decreed on 10.9.2003 against which appeal being No.1248 of 2003 was preferred wherein interim application was also moved which was granted on 09.07.2004 after bi parte hearing. The relevant order is produced at Annexure "E" to Special Civil Application No.5903 of 2008.
3. While the above proceedings were pending in appeal, FIR dated 3.8.2004 came to be filed against the petitioners and others alleging the offence under various provisions of IPC ranging between 29.12.1988 i.e. the date when the loan was taken to 29.2.2004. It is relevant to mention here that amongst the accused, the other four entities unconnected with the above loan transaction but who had availed loan through different transactions at different points of time from Sahyog Co-operative Bank Ltd, have also been arraigned as accused. The petitioners and others moved two Criminal Misc. Applications separately being 4659 of 2005 and 4660 of 2005 for quashing of the FIR. However, in the meanwhile, charge-sheet came to be filed and therefore both the petitions were respectively withdrawn on 9.1.2006 and 12.9.2006 without inviting any order on merits since the Court opined that as charge-sheet was filed the cases were not maintainable.
4. By a charge dated 5.4.2008, the petitioners and others were charged with the offences punishable under Sections 420, 421, 424, 465, 468, 471 and 114 of Indian Penal Code (for short "IPC" ). The petitioner – Bharat Kumar Shantilal Sheth preferred the abovementioned application for discharge before the above charge was framed. It was, however, rejected, and as stated above, he has, in his petition, challenged the said order as well.
5. Learned Senior Advocate Mr. D.D. Vyas with learned Advocate Mr. Deep Vyas for the petitioners contended that, even if the documents accompanied with the charge-sheet were to be read at face value, no offence worth the name against the petitioners was made out. He invited attention of this Court to the statement made by Jethabhai Khodidas Patel - complainant who has averred that Jippal Remedies Pvt. Ltd., Dilip Rajkumalpal & Co., Thripal Commodities & Co., Chirag Enterprise and Ranbo Track Pvt. Ltd., were sanctioned the loan but no false or forged documents, certificates etc., were found to have been submitted by them at the time of loan application. Learned Senior Advocate, while relying upon the aforesaid documents produced with the chargesheet, submitted that this is not a case where the petitioners could have been charged for the offences as above.
5.1 Learned Counsel also submitted that the joint charge along with other persons unconnected with the loa
Dalip Kaur and others v. Jagnar Singh and others [(2009) 14 SCC 696] (Para 5.3)
S.W. Palanitkar and others v. State of Bihar and another [(2002) 1 SCC 241] (Para 5.4)
V.C. Shukla v. State through CBI [AIR 1980 SC 962] (Para 5.5)
Punjab State Ware Housing Corporation
Munna Devi v. State of Rajasthan and another [AIR 2002 SC 107] (Para 7) 1 to 7 Relied on.
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