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2019 Supreme(Raj) 542

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, J.
Dhanraj S/o Pannalal - Petitioner
Versus
State of Rajasthan, Through PP. - Respondent
S.B. Criminal Miscellaneous (Petition) No. 1254 OF 2019
Decided On : 16-04-2019

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr. Teeka Ram Meena
For the Respondent: Mr. Arvind Kumar Chawala, PP

Headnote:

Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 – Sections 21(4) – Criminal Procedure code, 1973 – Section 482 – Penal Code,1860 – Sections 188, 379 – Praying order passed by Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, be set aside, whereby said court refused to release Tractor alongwith Trolley to petitioner – Held, Petitioner registered owner and no confiscation proceedings are pending qua Tractor and Trolley – Judgment of Supreme court said that vehicle should not be permitted to remain parked in police station as same shall gather rust and shall not remain useful – Directions issued – Petition allowed (Paras: 6,7,8_

Facts of the case:

Praying order passed by Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, be set aside, whereby said court refused to release Tractor alongwith Trolley to petitioner

Findings of the court:

Petitioner registered owner and no confiscation proceedings are pending qua Tractor and Trolley – Judgment of Supreme court said that vehicle should not be permitted to remain parked in police station as same shall gather rust and shall not remain useful – Directions issued

Result: Petition allowed

ORDER :

1. The present petition has been filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C., praying that the order dated 28.11.2018 passed by Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Keshavrai Patan, be set aside, whereby the said court refused to release the Tractor (Engine No. 3100FLU83I766906F18 and Chasis No. DZSG775056S3) alongwith Trolley to the petitioner. It is further prayed that the order dated 4.2.2019 passed by revisional court whereby the order passed by Magistrate was affirmed be also set aside.

2. The learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that in bunch of petitions, lead case being D.B. Cr. Misc. Petition No. 60/2018, titled as Laxman vs. State of Rajasthan, a Division Bench of this Court on 6.4.2018, has held that if a vehicle has been seized under the Provisions of Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 (for short ‘MMDR Act’), for 72 hours competent Officer can retain the vehicle and thereafter, he is mandatorily required to report the matter to his superior officer as also to the Magistrate having jurisdiction.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that Division Bench has held as under :-

“In view of the above discussion, the referred questions are answered in the terms that once the Officer of the Mining Department, who seized the vehicle, has reported such seizure to his Superior Officer and to the Magistrate having jurisdiction, he shall cease to have the power to release the vehicle, and in that event, the Magistrate having jurisdiction would be empowered to release such vehicle, with or without the condition of deposit of compounding fee.”

4. The learned counsel for the petitioner has contended that the petitioner is not willing to compound the offence, as he has decided to contest the case.

5. The orders passed by two courts below whereby release of the vehicle on Supurdagi was refused have been assailed.

6. The learned counsel for the petitioner has stated at Bar that the petitioner is the registered owner and no confiscation proceedings are pending qua the Tractor and Trolley and the same are case property of case FIR No.515/2018, registered at Police Station Keshavrai Patan, Bundi, for the offences under Sections 188, 379 IPC and Sections 21(4) of MMDR Act.

7. The learned counsel for the petitioner has relied upon Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai vs. State of Gujarat, (2002) 10 SCC 283, to contend that the Supreme court has held that the vehicle should not be permitted to remain parked in the police station as same shall gather rust and shall not remain useful.

8. Relying upon the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai (supra), present petition is allowed and the trial court is directed to release the tractor alongwith trolley seized as case property by imposing following conditions:-

(a) That the petitioner shall keep the tractor and trolley so released intact and shall not change their identification.

(b) That the petitioner shall produce the tractor and trolley as and when trial court requires the same for proposed identification of the case property.

(c) That the petitioner shall execute Supurdaginama/indemnity bond and bonds by two sureties to the satisfaction of the trial court.

(d) The trial court is empowered to impose any or other conditions in the Supurdaginama/indemnity bond and surety bonds to be furnished by the petitioner and sureties, which it may deem fit.

9. Needless to say, trial court shall make verification that the petitioner is a registered owner of the vehicle.

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