1966 Supreme(Goa) 6
Goa High Court
V. S. JETLEY,R.S.BINDRA,ALVARO DIAS
Manuel Philip Perreira - Appellant
Versus
State - Respondent
Decided On : 04/07/1966
B.F. D'Souza, for Applicant; S. Tamba, for the State.
(c) Copyright with All India Reporter Pvt. Ltd., Nagpur
Section 133 of the CrPC only applies to the removal of obstructions or nuisances from public places, ways, rivers, or channels, and not to private property.
Headnote:
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, 1973 - SECTION 133 - OBSTRUCTION OR NUISANCE - REMOVAL - SCOPE - PRIVATE PROPERTY - NOT COVERED.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, Manuel Philip Perreira, constructed a building on his plot near a sharp curve on the road running from Margao to Borim. The Municipal Committee granted permission for the construction and aligned the plot. However, the President of the Municipal Committee and the Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department requested Perreira to stop the construction due to concerns about obstruction of view for drivers and the likelihood of accidents. The Municipality revoked the sanction for construction, and the police moved the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to take action under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The Magistrate issued a conditional order directing Perreira to stop construction and appear before him. A jury was constituted, and the foreman suggested demolishing the entire building. The Magistrate passed a final order requiring Perreira to demolish the building within 15 days.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court held that the Magistrate's order was illegal and should be quashed. The Court found that Section 133 of the CrPC only applies to the removal of obstructions or nuisances from public places, ways, rivers, or channels, and not to private property. The Court also found that the Magistrate's final order was not a mere modification of the conditional order but a complete change, which was not permissible under Section 139 of the CrPC.
Issues: 1. Whether Section 133 of the CrPC applies to the removal of obstructions or nuisances from private property? 2. Whether the Magistrate's final order was a mere modification of the conditional order or a complete change?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Section 133 of the CrPC only applies to the removal of obstructions or nuisances from public places, ways, rivers, or channels, and not to private property. 2. The Magistrate's final order was not a mere modification of the conditional order but a complete change, which was not permissible under Section 139 of the CrPC.
Final Decision: The High Court quashed the Magistrate's orders dated 24th December 1965 and 31st January 1966.
R.S. BINDRA, ADDL. J.C. :- This reference has been made by the learned Sessions Judge at Panjim with the recommendation that the order dated 31st of January 1966 passed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate. South Goa, Margao, under S. 139 of the Criminal Procedure Code (hereinafter referred to as the Code) should be quashed the same being illegal for the reason that the facts of the case do not fall within the ambit of S. 133 of the Code.
2. Briefly summarised the facts of the case are that the petitioner Manuel Philip Perreira owns a plot situate at Margao near a sharp curve on the road running from Margao to Borim. Perreira applied to the local Municipal Committee for permission to raise some building on that plot. The necessary sanction was given on 15-10-1965. Alignment of the plot was also done by the municipal authorities, and thereafter Perreira started
the building operations. Some difficulties, however, cropped up. It appears that some private persons moved the President of the Municipal Committee for taking steps to demolish the building constructed by Perreira on the score that the building had obstructed the view of the drivers plying their vehicles on Margao-Borim road and so there was likelihood of accidents. The Municipal President accepted the version of the private citizens and called upon Perreira to stop further construction. The Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department, Panjim, also approached the President of the Committee on 26-11-1965 requesting for suspension of further construction.
Perreira having refused to oblige the President despite two communications from him, the Municipality revoked the sanction given to Perreira for construction of the building. This happened on 23-12-1965. Thereafter the matters moved at some speed and on 24-12-1965 the police moved the Sub-Divisional Magistrate for taking appropriate proceedings under S. 133 of the Code. The Magistrate passed the conditional order on that very date. He directed Perreira to stop further construction of the building and if he had any objection he should appear before the Magistrate on 27-12-1965. Perreira appeared before the Court and objected to the validity of the conditional order. At the same time he prayed for appointment of jury. A jury was duly constituted. The two jurors appointed by Perreira gave the opinion that the conditional order should be scrapped. Another two jurors, named by the Magistrate, were of the opinion that the conditional order issued under S. 133 of the Code was appropriate. The foreman of the jury, who too had been appointed by the Magistrate, said in his report that the order dated 24th of December 1965 issued under S. 133 of the Code should be changed so as to require Perreira to demolish the building completely. The Magistrate accepted the change suggested by the foreman and so on 31st of January 1966 he passed the following order.
"Whereas it has been made to appear to me that Shri Manuel Philip Perreira has undertaken the construction of a building at Fatorda at the acute curving of the Madgaon-Borim National Highway, that the moving traffic would find difficulty in driving the vehicles on account of the existence of the building and that accident due to collisions of motor vehicles for want of clear view will be inevitable involving danger to human life and property. I do hereby direct and require Shri Perreira to demolish the building within 15 days from the date of this order."
3. Perreira felt aggrieved with the order made by the Magistrate and so filed a revision petition in the Court of the learned Sessions Judge. Panjim. After giving hearing to the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor, the Sessions Judge forwarded the revision petition to this Court with the recommendation that the same should be accepted and the order dated 31st of January 1966 be quashed.
4. We find that the recommendation made by the Sessions Judge is justified in law and so has to be accepted. Section 133 of the Code say