Lack of preliminary inquiry as per Section 340, CrPC before filing a complaint for perjury under Section 193 IPC infringes the fundamental rights of the accused under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

H.R. Panwar, J.-By the instant Criminal Misc. Petition under Section 482 CrPC, the petitioner has challenged the order dated 20.02.2004 passed by Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sri Ganganagar (for short the trial Court hereinafter) on a complaint filed against the petitioner by Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track), Sri Ganganagar under Section 193 IPC. Aggrieved by the order impugned as also the filing of the complaint against the petitioner, the petitioner has filed the instant Criminal Misc. Petition.

2. I have heard learned Counsel for the parties. Carefully gone through the complaint as also the order impugned taking cognizance.

3. Facts giving rise to the instant Criminal Misc. Petition are that the petitioner lodged a first information report Exhibit P/7 to he SHO, Police Station, Sadar, Sri Ganganagar on 111.2001 alleging therein that in a factory, fire was put to D.G. Set Room for which according to him Mahadev Bahadur, who was working in the factory of Jaidev Jindal is responsible. After usual investigation, the police did not file the challan against Mahadev Bahadur, however, the challan was been filed against other persons namely Ved Prakash, Sudhir Kumar, Mahendra Pratap and Jaidev for the offences under Sections 120-B and 436, IPC. The matter was committed to the Court of Sessions as the offence under Section 436, IPC is exclusively triable by the Court of Sessions. The same was transferred to the Addl. Sessions Judge (Fast Track), Sri Ganganagar for trial. The petitioner was one of the prosecution witneses. He denied the statement marked A to B having been made in Exhibit-P-7, which relates to the allegation against Mahadev Bahadur that he was not accused in the case as the police did not file the challan against him.

4. By Judgment and order dated 111.2003 in Sessions Case No. 39/2003, learned Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track), Sri Ganganagar acquitted all the four accused persons of the charges. However, directed to initiate the proceedings under Section 193 IPC against the present petitioner for making a false statement i.e. perjury and filed the complaint. On that complaint, the trial Court took the cognizance and issued the process. Hence, this petition.

5. It is contended by learned Counsel for the petitioner that no preliminary inquiry as contemplated under Section 340, CrPC was held prior to filing the complaint.

6. Section 340, CrPC provides thus:-“340. Procedure in cases mentioned in Section 195.-(1) When, upon an application made to it in this behalf otherwise, any Court is of opinion that it is expedient in the interests of justice that an inquiry should be made into any offence referred to in Clause (b) of Sub-section (1) of Section 195, which appears to have been committed in or in relation to a proceeding in that Court or, as the case may be, in respect of a document produced or given in evidence in a proceeding in that Court, such Court may, after such preliminary inquiry, if any, as it thinks necessary record a finding to that effect: make a complaint thereof in writing: send it to a Magistrate of the first class having jurisdiction.”

7. Section 195(1)(b)(i) CrPC provides that no Court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under any of the following sections of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), namely Sections 193 to 196 (both inclusive), 199, 200, 205 to 211 (both inclusive) and 228, when such offence is alleged to have been committed in, or in relation to, any proceeding in any Court except on the complaint in writing of that Court, or of some other Court to which that Court is subordinate.

8. Learned Counsel for the petitioner has relied on a decision of Honble Supreme Court in

K.T.M.S. Mohd. & Anr. vs. Union of India, 1992 SCC (Cri) 572, where in the Honble Supreme Court

while considering the provisions of Section 340, CrPC observed as under:-“In this context, reference may be made to Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure under Chapter XXVI under the heading “P