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

2004 Supreme(Raj) 1234

High Court Of Rajasthan
Judgename : H.R. Panwar
Birma Ram - Appellant
Versus
Ramdeen - Respondent
S.B. Criminal Revision No. 663 of 2003
Decided On : 12/22/2004

Advocates Appeared:
Mr. B.S. Rathore, for the Petitioner.
Mr J .P.S. Choudhary, Public Prosecutor.
Mr. J.R. Choudhary, for the Respondent No. 1.

The Magistrate has the power to take cognizance if the material on record makes out a case for the said purpose, and the Magistrate has to decide whether sufficient ground exists for further proceeding and not for conviction.

Headnote:

Cognizance - Criminal Procedure Code - SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act - Sections 341, 323, 296, IPC and Section 3 (1) (x) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act - 190 (1) (A), 190 (1) (B) - 156 (3) - Summary: The court discussed the principles required to be kept in mind at the stage of taking cognizance and reaching a prima facie view. It emphasized that the Magistrate has to decide whether sufficient ground exists for further proceeding and not for conviction. The court also highlighted the distinction between proceedings initiated on police report and those initiated on complaint under Section 190 (1) (A) of CrPC, emphasizing that the Magistrate can take cognizance if the material on record makes out a case for the said purpose.

Fact of the Case:

The trial Court took cognizance of the offences punishable under Sections 341, 323, 296, IPC and Section 3 (1) (x) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the respondent No. 1. The revisional Court set aside the order of the trial Court taking cognizance.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the Magistrate has the power to take cognizance if the material on record makes out a case for the said purpose, and the Magistrate has to decide whether sufficient ground exists for further proceeding and not for conviction.

Issues: The issue revolved around the order taking cognizance and the distinction between proceedings initiated on police report and those initiated on complaint under Section 190 (1) (A) of CrPC.

Ratio Decidendi: The Magistrate has the power to take cognizance if the material on record makes out a case for the said purpose, and the Magistrate has to decide whether sufficient ground exists for further proceeding and not for conviction.

Final Decision: The revision petition was allowed, and the Judgment and order impugned dated 10.05.2003 passed by the Special Judge SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Case, Merta was set aside, and the order dated 16.01.2003 passed by the Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Makrana was restored.

Judgment

H.R. Panwar, J.-By this revision petition under Section 397 read with Section 401 CrPC, the petitioner has challenged the order dated 10.05.2003 passed by Special Judge, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Cases, Merta (for short the revisional Court hereinafter) in Criminal Revision No. 02/2003 preferred by respondent No. 1 against the order dated 16.01.2003 passed by Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Makrana (for short the trial Court hereinafter) whereby the trial Court took cognizance of the offences punishable under Sections 341, 323, 296, IPC and Section 3 (1) (x) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the respondent No. 1. The revisional Court allowed the revision and set aside the order of the trial Court taking cognizance dated 16.01.2003.Aggrived by the Judgment and order of the revisional Court, the complainant has filed the present revision petition.

2. I have heard the learned Counsel and learned Counsel appearing for the respondents. Perused the Judgment and order impugned.

3. The trial Court vide the order dated 16.01.2003 took the cognizance of the offence punishable under Sections 341, 323, 296, IPC and Section 3 (1) (x) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (for short the SC/ST Act hereinafter) and issued process against the respondent No. 1 Ramdeen. A complaint was filed by the petitioner before the trial Court against the respondent No. 1 for the offences noticed above which was sent to the police under Section 156 (3) CrPC for investigation. However, after investigation, the police filed a negative final report, against which, the petitioner filed a protest petition before the trial Court. The trial Court examined the petitioner and his witnesses, namely Komalsingh, Ramniwas, Vedprakash,Kishandan and Padmaram under Sections 200 and 202, CrPC. The trial Court did not agree with the conclusion arrived at by the police for filing negative final report and on perusal of the material on record as also the statement of the witnesses examined by the complainant, refused to accept the negative final report and took the cognizance of the offences noticed above against the respondent No. 1 vide order dated 16.01.2003.

4. Aggrieved by the order taking cognizance dated 16.01.2003, the accused respondent No. 1 filed a revision petition before the revisional Court which came to be allowed on the ground that the trial Court has not made it clear as to whether it has taken the cognizance under Section 190 (1) (B) of CrPC or under Section 190 (1) (A) of CrPC.

5. The learned Counsel appearing for the respondent No. 1 has relied on a decision of this Court in Krishan Lal vs. State of Rajasthan reported in 1997 (Supp.) CrLR 611, wherein this Court held that the proceedings initiated on police report and proceedings initiated on complaint under Section 190 (1)

(A) are separate although they both may be relating to the same matter. Acceptance of final report submitted by the police and dismissal of complaint by same order is not proper and the matter was remanded.

6. In Jagdish Ram vs. State of Rajasthan reported in AIR 2004 Supreme Court, 1734 Honble

Supreme Court has held as under:-"In the instant case the order passed by the Magistrate taking cognizance is a well written order. The order not only refers to the statements recorded by the police during investigation which led to the filing of final report by the police and the statements of witnesses recorded by the Magistrate under Sections 200 and 202 of the Code but also sets out with clarity the principles required to be kept in mind at the stage of taking cognizance and reaching a prima facie view. At this stage, the Magistrate had only to decide whether sufficient ground exists or not for further proceeding in the matter. It is well settled that notwithstanding the opinion of the police, a Magistrate is empowered to take cognizance if the material on record makes out a case for the said purpose. The investigation is the exclusive domain of the police.








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
whatsapp-icon Back to top