IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
PUSHPENDRA SINGH BHATI, J.
Labhchand - Appellant
Versus
State - Respondent
S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 915 of 2015
Decided on : 07-05-2022
Indian Penal Code,1860 - Sections 120B, 420,467,468,477A - Code of Criminal Procedure,1973 - Section 197, 228 - Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Section 13(1)(d)/13(2) – Punishment of criminal conspiracy – Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property – Forgery of valuable security, will, etc – Forgery for purpose of cheating – Falsification of accounts – Prosecution of judges and public servants – Framing of charge - Held, On a perusal of record, this Court concurs with submission advanced by learned Public Prosecutor that land in question, which was irrigated land, was shown as barren/non-irrigated land, due to connivance with then Patwari; thereafter, a forged Jamabandi and Mauka report were created, which culminated into issuance of quarry license in question - Had there been no such connivance, license in question could not be issued - Revision petition dismissed.
ORDER :
In the wake of instant surge in COVID - 19 cases and spread of its highly infectious Omicron variant, abundant caution is being maintained, while hearing the matters in the Court, for the safety of all concerned.
Counsel for the petitioner submits that the matter is squarely covered by the judgment rendered this Court in Hari Ram Vs. State (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No.946/2015, decided on 21.04.2022). The judgment reads as under :-
2. These criminal revision petitions have been preferred claiming the following reliefs:
In S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 944/2015:
“It is, therefore, humbly prayed that this revision petition may kindly be accepted and by a suitable order or direction Hon’ble Court may be pleased to:
quash and set aside the impugned order dated 28.5.2015 passed by learned Special Judge, Sessions Court (Prevention of Corruption Case) Udaipur in criminal case no. 9/2009 (special sessions case) so as to discharge the petitioner.
Grant such further relief(s) which in the facts and circumstances of this case may do complete justice to the petitioner; and award cost of this revision petition to the petitioner.”
In S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 945/2015:
“It is, therefore, humbly prayed that this revision petition may kindly be accepted and by a suitable order or direction Hon’ble Court may be pleased to: quash and set aside the impugned order dated 28.5.2015 passed by learned Special Judge, Sessions Court (Prevention of Corruption Cases) Udaipur in criminal case no. 9/2009 (special sessions case) so as to discharge the petitioners.
Grant such further relief(s) which in the facts and circumstances of this case may do complete justice to the petitioners; and award cot of this revision petition to the petitioners.”
In S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 946/2015:
“It is therefore respectfully prayed that this criminal revision petition may kindly be allowed and the impugned order dated 28.5.2015 passed by learned Special Judge, Sessions court (Prevention of Corruption Cases) Udaipur in criminal case no.9/2009 (special sessions case) so as to discharge the petitioner.”
In S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 1075/2015: “Hence it is prayed that the petition may kindly be allowed and order dated 11.06.2015 may kindly be quashed and set aside and also accused-petitioners discharged from all the offences.”
3. For the sake of brevity, the facts, in brief, are being taken from S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 946/2015, while treating the same as the lead case.
4. Brief facts of the case as placed before this Court by Mr.Manish Shishodia, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Jaideep Singh Saluja;
Mr.L.D. Khatri and Mr. Sudhir Saruparia, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the revisionist-petitioners are that an F.I.R., bearing No. 203/2001 was registered against the revisionist -petitioners, for the offences under Section 13(1)(d)/13(2) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Sections Sections 420, 467, 468, 477A and 120-B I.P.C., and the learned Special Judge, Sessions Court (Prevention Of Corruption Cases), Udaipur in Criminal Case No. 9/2009 passed the impugned order dated 28.5.2015 framing charges under the above mentioned sections against the revisionist-petitioners.
5. Learned Senior Counsel submits that the aforementioned F.I.R. was registered alleging that a quarry license was issued by the Mining Department in favour of one Nirmal Kumar Jain for the Araji Nos. 168 to 176, 182 and 183 of Gram Aaroli and Araji Nos. 568 and 569 of Village Jadoli, and that the land was allegedly irrigated land, but in connivance with one Shankarlal (Patwari), the same was shown as non-irrigated/‘barrani’ land, and issuance of the alleged quarry license therefor was managed. It was also alleged that as per the Rules
Ashish Chadha v. Asha Kumari and Ors (2012) 1 SCC 680
B. Saha v. M.S. Kochar (1979) 4 SCC 177
Centre for Public Interest Litigation and Anr. v. Union of India and Anr. (2005) 8 SCC 202
K.P. Raghavan and Anr. v. M.H. Abbas and Anr. : 1967 CrLJ 653
Matajog Dobey v. H.C. Bhari AIR 1956 SC 44 : 1955 (2) SCR 925
Parkash Singh Badal v. State of Punjab and Ors. (2007) 1 SCC 1
Rakesh Kumar Mishra v. State of Bihar and Ors. (2006) 1 SCC 557
R. Balakrishna Pillai v. State of Kerala and Anr. (1996) 1 SCC 478]
Sankaran Moitra v. Sadhna Das and Anr. (2006) 4 SCC 584
State of NCT of Delhi and Ors. vs. Shiv Charan Bansal and Ors. (2020) 2 SCC 290
State of Madhya Pradesh Vs. Sheetla Sahai and Ors.
State of Bihar v. Ramesh Singh : 1977 CrLJ 1606
State of Karnataka v. Ameerjan MANU/SC/7922/2007 : (2007) 11 SCC 273
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