SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2008 Supreme(Ker) 252

Judgename : V.RAMKUMAR
Thomas - Appellant
Versus
Varghese - Respondents
Case No : Crl. Rev. Pet. No.2855 of 2007
Decided On : 05/29/2008

Advocates Appeared:For the Petitioner:M. Shaju Purushothaman, Advocate. For the Respondents: Public Prosecutor.

Headnote:

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Sections 254 and 258 - Question arose was for judicial consideration in this Crl. R.P. filed by the de facto complainant - Whether the Magistrate was correct in discharging the accused under S.254 of Crl. P.C. by relying on an interlocutory order passed by a Civil Court - Held, If the conditions envisaged under S. 258 Cr.P.C. are satisfied, the court may drop the proceedings. Such a power also could not be invoked in the present case in the absence of the circumstances envisaged by the said provision - Revision allowed.

Judgment :

The revision petitioner who is the de facto complainant in C.C.1099/2004 on the file of the JFCM, Chalakkudy alleging the commission of offences punishable under Sections 188 and 427 IPC, challenges the order passed by the learned Magistrate, discharging the accused. The first respondent herein is the accused in the said case.

2. Thecase of the prosecution in brief is as follows:-

The accused knowing that he is restrained by an order of temporary injunction issued by the Munsiffs Court, Kodungallur in I.A.1172/2003 in O.S.615/2003, cut open a drain along with the western boundary of the property. The above act was done with the knowledge that the said act would cause injury and harm to the complainant. On account of the above act of the accused, the boundary wall fell into the property of the accused. The accused also destroyed the stones of the demolished boundary wall resulting in a loss of Rs.12,000/-to the complainant. The accused has thereby committed offences punishable under Sections 188 and 427 IPC.

3. After takingcognizance of the aforesaid offences, the learned magistrate issued notice to the accused. The accused appeared and was enlarged on bail. Thereafter the learned Magistrate posted the case for framing the charge. An interlocutory order passed by the Munsiffs Court, Kodungallur in O.S.615/2003 to the effect that the defendant/accused is not liable for the collapse of the boundary wall, was produced by the accused at that stage. Relying on the interlocutory order passed by the civil court, the learned Magistrate, as per the impugned order dated 19.2006, discharged the accused under Section 254 Cr.P.C. Hence this revision.

4. Theimpugned order reads as follows:

"This is a complaint case. After taking cognizance of the offence notice issued to the accused in return, he appeared before court and was enlarged on bail. While posted for framing of charge the accused counsel produced an order of the Munsiffs Court Kodungallur, which was pronounced by the Munsiff on the very same fact in issue of the case. In that case, it was held that the accused herein who is the defendant/C.P. in O.S.615/2003 on the file of that court, is not liable for the collapse of the boundary wall. The finding of the Munsiff Court is relevant in the matter. Accordingly, the accused is discharged u/s 254 of Cr.P.C."

5. I heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the learned Public Prosecutor.

6. Theimpugned order is unsustainable for the following reasons:-

A) The learned Magistrate was making a wrong assumption that C.C.1099/2004 was a complaint case. It was actually a case charge sheeted by the Sub Inspector of Police, Mala, after conducting investigation into Crime No.179/2004 pursuant to the complaint lodged by the revision petitioner herein. Hence it was a case instituted on a police report and not a complaint case.

B) The second mistake committed by the learned Magistrate is by posting the case for framing the charge. Both the offences punishable under Section 188 and 427 IPC are offences, for which the appropriate trial can only be summons trial, in which case there is no question of framing charge. If so, there is no question of discharging the accused also. In a summons trial, the case can only be posted for reading over the particulars of the offence to the accused.

C) Even assuming that it was a warrant trail case necessitating the framing of charge, after the decision of the Apex Court in State of Orissa v Debendra Nath Padha -AIR 2005 SC 359 overruling Sathish Mehra v Delhi Admn. and another -1996(9) SCC 766, the accused has no right to produce any documents at the stage of framing charge under Sections 239 and 240 Cr.P.C.

D) The third infirmity which the impugned order suffers from is the reliance placed by the learned Magistrate on the interlocutory order passed by the civil court. After the decision of the larger Bench of the Apex Court in K.G. Premsankar v Inspector General of Police and another -2002(



Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top