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2013 Supreme(Raj) 1508

RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT AT JAIPUR BENCH
R.S.Chauhan, J.
Dinesh Meena - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan and Anr. - Respondent
S.B. Criminal Misc. Petition No. 2191 of 2013.
Decided On : 11-07-2013

Advocates:
For the Petitioner:Sumit Khandelwal, Advocate.

The High Court's jurisdiction to quash an FIR under Section 482 of the CrPC is limited, and the court should not interfere with the investigation at the initial stage when the allegations prima facie make out the ingredients of the offenses.

Headnote:

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, 1973 - SECTION 482 - QUASHING OF FIR - FACTUAL DISPUTE - CIVIL DISPUTE - JURISDICTION OF HIGH COURT - LIMITED SCOPE OF INTERFERENCE - INVESTIGATION STAGE - FACTUAL DISPUTE - CIVIL DISPUTE - JURISDICTION OF HIGH COURT - LIMITED SCOPE OF INTERFERENCE - INVESTIGATION STAGE

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, Dinesh Meena, sought to quash an FIR registered against him for offenses under Sections 453 (trespass) and 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complainant, Jagmohan Meena, alleged that the petitioner had broken the lock of a room on his plot, stolen goods, and refused to vacate the premises.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the allegations in the FIR, if taken as uncontroverted facts, prima facie made out the ingredients of the offenses. The court declined to interfere with the investigation at this stage, emphasizing that the veracity of the FIR could only be determined through proper investigation by the police.

Issues: 1. Whether the High Court has jurisdiction to quash an FIR at the investigation stage when the allegations prima facie make out the ingredients of the offenses? 2. Whether the existence of a civil dispute between other parties affects the complainant's right to pursue criminal charges against the petitioner?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The High Court's jurisdiction under Section 482 of the CrPC to quash an FIR is limited. The court should refrain from interfering with the investigation and quashing the FIR at the outset. 2. The existence of a civil dispute between other parties does not affect the complainant's right to pursue criminal charges against the petitioner.

Final Decision: The petition to quash the FIR was dismissed. The court directed the Investigating Officer to conduct an objective and impartial investigation, considering evidence from both sides.

JUDGMENT

1. - The accused-petitioner, Dinesh Meena has preferred this petition for quashing of FIR No. 398/2012, registered at Police Station Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, for the offences under Sections 453 and 380 IPC.

2. Brief facts of the case are that Mr. Jagmohan Meena, the complainant-respondent No. 2, had lodged a report before the Police Station Pratap Nagar, Jaipur on 20.07.2012, wherein he had claimed that he is the owner of Plot No. 21, Jai Ambey Colony, Teelawala Jagatpura, Jaipur. According to him, about five years ago he had constructed a single room and a boundary wall with a gate. He had also kept certain goods inside the room. Occasionally, he went to the plot to look after its safety. On 20.07.2012, when he reached the plot along with his friend, Babulal, he saw that the main gate of the plot was open and five to seven persons were standing near the main gate. When he went inside the plot, he realised that the lock of the room was broken, and the goods were missing. When he asked the persons standing at the gate as to who they were, one of them told him that he is Dinesh Meena (the petitioner before this Court). He also informed the complainant that it is he who had broken the lock, and taken away and sold the goods. Dinesh Meena also told him that the complainant can do whatever he likes, but he is not going to vacate the plot. It is on the basis of this report that a formal FIR, as mentioned above, for the offences aforementioned, was chalked out. Hence, this petition before this Court.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner has vehemently raised the following contentions before this Court: firstly, the case is basically of a civil nature as the Plot No. 21 has been sold by the Khatedar to the society and the society has sold it to two different persons. Already there is a civil suit between the buyer of the plot and the Khatedar, which is pending. The complainant claims that he has bought the plot and has been threatening the petitioner to vacate the said plot. Therefore, the complainant is abusing the process of law in order to compel the petitioner to vacate the plot.

4. Secondly, the petitioner has kept an elderly lady as a tenant in the room. Even she has been made a co-accused person in the present case. According to the learned counsel, in case the petitioner wanted to illegally encroach upon the complainant's plot, obviously he would not have sought the help of an elderly woman. Thus, this fact clearly proves that the complainant is trying to abuse the process of law.

5. Thirdly, the FIR has been lodged with an ulterior motive in order to compel the petitioner to vacate the plot.

6. Lastly, even earlier when Smt. Bhanwar Kanwar had lodged an FIR against Laxmi Grih Nirman Sahkari Samiti, dealing with the same plot, in the said FIR, namely FIR No. 211/2010 registered at Police Station Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, the police had given a negative F.R. Thus, the fate of the present FIR would be the same.

7. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and perused the impugned FIR as well as other documents attached with the petition.

8. It is, indeed, trite to state that the jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. for interfering with the F.I.R. is extremely limited one. In catena of cases, the Apex Court has held that the Court should take the allegations made in the as un controverted facts for the time being. In case, the ingredients of the alleged offence are prima-facie made out, then the Court should not interfere with the F.I.R. For, investigation is the arena of the Police; the veracity of the F.I.R. can be investigated only by the Police. Therefore, while exercising its jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C., the High Court should refrain from entering into the said arena. Furthermore, while exercising its power under Section 482 of Cr.P.C., at the initial stage of investigation, the High Court is not permitted to consider the evidence, which may be produced by the defence during the course of the trial. At the in






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