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1957 Supreme(Raj) 236

Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench
Bapna & Bhandari, JJ.
Sheokaran - Appellant
Versus
Dulla - Respondents
D.B. Criminal Reference No.76 of 1956
Decided On : October 15, 1957

Advocates Appeared:
B.C. Chatterjee, for Petitioner; P.N. Dutt, for Opposite Parties

Headnote:Criminal P.C., sec. 107—Magistrate may drop proceedings and not bound to take all evidence if he comes to conclusion that there is no apprehension of breach of peace (Tejaram vs. Bhairon, 1955 RLW, 532, over ruled)—Where order arbitrary it may be corrected.

       

Bapna, J.—This is a reference by the learned Single Judge of this Court. One Sheokaran filed a complaint before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Nawal-garh on the 20th of June, 1956 on the allegations that in village Kirodi there was a kothi known as Sadanwali which had two Dhanas, the western Dhana being used to irrigate 30 bighas kham of which the complainant enjoyed 7-1/2 bighas and that in khatra No. 2929, he was in possession of half the land It was alleged that the opposite parties Duladas son of Lakhadas, Lachmandas son of Bodu and Surja son of Lakhadas had prevailed upon the Patwari to make wrong entries in the gasht girdawari. It was alleged that the complainant was nevertheless in possession of the land of which the opposite parties were trying to wrest from him and there was danger of the breach of the peace. Notice was issued under sec. 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code to show cause why the opposite parties may not furnish security for keeping the peace. As it happened, the Magistrate went on the spot and made certain enquiries from the complainant as also the Patwari and came to the conclusion chat the complaint was in respect of khsra No. 2229 which according to certain tehsildars had been held to be of Lachmandas and that the complainant had nothing to do with that land. He also came to the conclusion that there was no danger of breach the peace as the complainant himself denied having any concern with that plot of land. He accordingly dropped the proceeding and further directed the complainant not to disturb the possession of the opposite parties. This order was dated the 11th of July, 1956.

2. The complainant filed a revision and urged that the Magistrate should not have dropped the proceedings without taking all the evidence which the complainant might have liked to produce and further in any case he should not have directed the complainant to have no concern with the land. The learned Sessions Judge was of opinion that the Magistrate had jurisdiction to drop the proceedings when he was satisfied that there was no apprehension of the breach of the peace but he was of opinion that the Magistrate was not justified in prohibiting the complainant from having nothing to do with the land unless he could get an order in his favour from a competent court. The learned Sessions Judge accordingly made a reference to this Court for amending the order of the trial court.

3. On the question whether a Magistrate had jurisdiction to drop the proceedings started under sec. 107 Cr.P.C. when he is of opinion that there is no apprehension of the breach of the peace, there was a conflict of opinion in this Court. It was decided by Sharma J. in the case of Tejaram vs. Bhairon (2) that the Magistrate is bound to take all evidence and cannot drop the proceedings without completing the enquiry. In an unreported decision, Ram Kumar vs. Pulla (Criminal Reference No. 12 of 1955) decided on 6th April, 1955, Ranawat J. was of opinion that the Magistrate had jurisdiction to drop the proceedings if he felt that there was no apprehension of the breach of the peace. The present reference having come before Sharma J. he has referred the case for an authoritative decision by a Division Bench. In our opinion the view taken by Ranawat J. in Ram Kumars case is correct. Sec. 117 Cr.P.C., which relates to the enquiry after the order under sec. 112 has been read or explained, directs that "the Magistrate shall proceed to enquire into the truth of the information upon which action has been taken and to take such further evidence as may be accessary " But it does not lay down that all the evidence that may be sought to be produced must be recorded by the Magistrate. If» therefore, the Magistrate can come to the truth at an earlier stage, he has jurisdiction to drop the proceedings. Gases are not infrequent where proceedings are started under sec. 107, Cr.P.C. but the facts which give rise to such apprehension pass away by lapse of time or happening of ot



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