IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
ILESH J. VORA, J.
Sanjiv Rajendra Bhatt – Appellant
Versus
State Of Gujarat – Respondent
R/Criminal Revision Application No. 296 of 2021
Decided on : 05-08-2021
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Section 401, 397, 216 - Indian Penal Code,1908 - Sections 465 & 471465, 471 r/w 109, 34 - Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 - Sections 17, 21, 27(A) -Power of revision – Punishment of forgery - Whether materials on hand of prosecution are sufficient or not are important trial - Whether contraband seized is manufactured drug or not - Whether, in fact, accused committed offence can only be decided in trial - whether Court should proceed with trial or not - , Whether trial Court can exercise its power under Section 216 of Code to review its order and delete charges already framed - Whether Trial Court was justified in adding a charge under Section 302 of IPC against accused persons who were charged under Section 304B of IPC - whether accused may be convicted for additional charges –
Finding of the Court:
issue of invoking provisions of NDPS Act and penal law have attained finality, despite of that, applicant has agitated same issue by invoking section 216 of Code which in fact is not remedial to applicant - Court is of considered view that, applicant has suppressed material facts about issue raised by him in revision filed before High Court - , Wherever a Court comes to conclusion that process of Court is being abuses, Court would be justified in refusing to proceed further and refused party from pursuing remedy in law - Apex Court held that, filing totally misconceived petition amounts to abuse of process of Court and such litigant is not required to be dealt with lightly - Apex Court has held that, no litigation has a right to unlimited drought on Court and public money in order to get his affairs settled in manner he wishes. - However, access to justice should not be misused as a license to file misconceived and frivolous petition –
Result: Revision Dismissed
JUDGMENT :
1. By way of present revision application filed under Section 397 read with Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the applicant has assailed the order dated 18.03.2021 passed by learned Special Court (NDPS) and 5th Additional Sessions Court, Banaskantha at Palanpur, below Exh:139 in Special (NDPS) Case No.3/2018, whereby, the learned Special Judge rejected the application filed under Section 216 of the Code to alter/modify charge framed in respect of offences under Sections 17, 21, 27(A) of the Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (hereinafter referred to as NDPS Act for short) and Sections 465 & 471 of the Indian Penal Code.
2. The applicant is facing trial in the Court of learned Special Judge, Banaskantha at Palanpur in Special (NDPS) Case No.3/2018 for the offences 120(b), 117, 167, 204, 343, 465, 471 read with Section 120(b) and Sections 17, 18, 21, 27(a), 29, 58(1) and 58(2) of the NDPS Act. In this case, the applicant moved an application under Section 227 of the Code to discharge him from the alleged charges. The learned Special Court vide its order dated 23.08.2019, rejected the application. Thereafter, on 17.09.2019, the applicant Sanjeev Bhatt moved an another application at Exh:56 inter alia stating that, the sections under the NDPS Act, mentioned in the draft charge are not attracted and therefore, before framing charge, he may be accorded right of hearing. The learned Special Judge, after hearing the applicant and prosecution, rejected the application vide its order dated 18.09.2019 and on the same day, the charges came to be framed for the offences as referred to above. The applicant had filed revision petition being Criminal Revision Application No.1650/2019 before this Court, challenging the rejection of his discharge application and the same was dismissed vide order dated 21.05.2020. In the aforesaid background, on 02.03.2021, the applicant moved an application under Section 216 of the Code for alteration of charges framed at Exh:59, praying the following relief:-
“The accused No.2 therefore most humbly prays that,
3. The application filed under Section 216 of the Code at Exh:139 came to be rejected by the Special Court vide its order dated 18.03.2021. Aggrieved by it, the present revision has been filed.
4. The brief facts of the prosecution case reads as follows:
4.1 It is alleged by the prosecution that, when the applicant was posted as District Superintendent of Police, Banaskantha at Palanpur, he and other co-accused have hatched the conspiracy to frame one Sumer Singh Rajpurohit, resident of Pali, Rajasthan State, in a false case of opium, punishable under the provisions of the NDPS Act. It is further alleged that, the applicant being a District Superintendent of Police by influencing his subordinate officer had involved them in the alleged criminal conspiracy. As a part of conspiracy, a false verdhi was being transmitted to control room on 30.04.1996 inter alia stating that, information received by the control room that, at about 06:10 a.m, Sumer Singh Rajpurohit is doing business of Opium and yesterday he brought 5 kgs opium and stayed at Hotel Lajvanti, Palanpur and delivery of the opium has to be given in Palanpur. It is alleged that, prior to the alleged verdhi, the applicant had knowledge that, the verdhi was bogus and false and had made conversation with his subordinate officer i.e. Mr. I.B.Vyas, Police Inspector, Local Crime Branch that, case of NDPS is required to be investigated. It is alleged that, Mr. Sanjeev Bhatt i.e applicant herein directed the concerned to send the verdhi to LCB office and directed Mr. Vyas to investigate the case. Mr. Vyas had raided the Hotel Lajvanti and seized the contraband opium of 1.15 Kgs. from Roo
Sabia Khan & Anr. Vs. State of U.P. [(1999) 1 SCC 271]
State of Bihar Vs. Ramesh Singh reported in AIR 1977 SC 2018
Anant Prakash Sinha Vs. State of Haryana [(2016) 6 SCC 105]
Amarsingh Ramjibhai barot Vs. State of Gujarat (reported in (2005) 7 SCC 550]
Jasvinder Saini v State (Govt of NCT of Delhi)
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