Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench
Honble SHIV KUMAR SHARMA, J.
Suresh Chand & Ors. - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan - Respondents
S.B. Criminal Misc. Petition No. 1063 of 2000
Decided On : March 14, 2001
HELD : Principles of judicial discipline and propriety demand that the Judges whatever their own views, must follow the decision of the superior courts to which they are judicially subordinate. Learned Sessions Judge Dausa ought to have followed the ratio indicated by the High Court in its rejection order. In Samunder Singh vs. State of Rajasthan (AIR 1987 SC 737), their Lordships of the Supreme Court propounded that when the matter regarding unnatural death of daughter in law in her father-in-laws house was under investigation, it was not prudent to grant anticipatory bail.
Under Article 141 of the Constitution of India, the law declared by the Supreme Court is made binding on all courts of India. The courts should treat a decision of the Supreme Court as an authority not only for what it declares or decides by express enunciation but also for what follows from such declarations by clear implication by way of logical deduction, Unfortunately in the instant matter learned Sessions Judge neither followed the ratio of the High Courts order nor cared to look at the binding decision of the Apex Court and knowing fully well that the High Court once rejected the anticipatory bail by a well reasoned order, allowed second bail application under Section 438 Cr. P.C. made by the accused petitioners. The course adopted by the learned Sessions Judge was contrary to settled principles of judicial discipline and propriety. (Para 28)
(i) Whether after rejection of anticipatory bail application by the High Court, is the accused entitled to make second bail application before the Sessions Court under Section 438 Cr. P.C.?
(ii) Whether a Sessions Judge is competent to grant second bail application under Section 438 Cr. P.C. ignoring the earlier rejection order of the High Court?
(iii) Has the complainant locus standi to make application under Sub-section (2) of Section 439 Cr. P.C. seeking cancellation of bail granted to an accused?
(iv) Could the application made before the High Court under sub-section (2) of section 439 Cr. P.C., be remitted back to the Sessions Court for a fresh decision?
(v) What are the principles of judicial discipline and propriety?
(2). Contextual facts depict that informant Fateh Singh instituted FIR on March 26, 1997 with the Police Station Mahuwa in regard to death of his sister Vinod Kumari under suspicious circumstances in the house of the accused petitioners. Deceased was married to accused Dr. Suresh Chand Meena on June 20, 1995 and died on March 25, 1997. The informant stated in the FIR that he himself had seen the dead body of his sister. It turned blue completely and blood was oozing from the mouth and nostrils. Request of the informant for medical examination of the body was declined by the accused and it was creamated. It was also stated in the FIR that before her death, Vinod Kumari whenever visited the house of the informant, she used to complain that the accused had harassed and humiliate her in connection with demand of dowry. Police Station Mahuwa registered a case bearing FIR No. 98/97 under Sections 498A, 304 B and 201 IPC against the accused.
Apprehending arrest the accused petitioners made application under Section 438 Cr. P.C. before the Sessions Judge Dausa but the same was dismissed on July 15, 1998. Thereafter the High Court was approached through S.B. Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 3515 of 1998. While declining to issue direction under Section 438 Cr. P.C., the High Court on August 21, 1998 made following order:
``Honble Mr. P.C. Jain J.
Mr. Naina Saraf for the petitioners
Mr. S.M. Poddar, P.P.
Mr. Shiv Lal for complainant
After having perused the case diary more particularly the statements of Fateh Singh, Kistoori and Harphool and the fact that the deceased Vinod died within two years of her marriage in suspicious circumstances, I am not inclined to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioners. The bail application is, therefore rejected.
(3). Even after the aforequoted rejection order of the High Court, the accused petitioners made second bail application under Section 438 Cr. P.C. before the Sessions Judge Dausa and the Sessions Judge (Mr. R.L. Agarwal R.H.J.S.) vide order dated October 30, 1998 granted anticipatory bail to the accused petitioners.
(4). Thereafter Fateh Singh, the brother of the deceased, made an application under sub-section (2) of Section 439 Cr. P.C. seeking cancellation of bail. The Sessions Judge Dausa (Mr. P.K. Bhatia, R.H.J.S.) dismissed the application on May 5, 2000 with the observations that the accused petitioners did not conceal the fact of earlier rejection, therefore the bail once granted could not be cancelled. The complainant assailed both the orders respectively passed on October 30, 1998 and May 5, 2000 by the Sessions Judge Dausa in the High Court by filing application under sub-section (2) of Section 439 Cr. P.C. bearing S.B. Criminal Misc. (Cancellation of Bail) Application No. 2750 of 2000. This court vide order dated October 11, 2000 remitted back the matter for fresh decision to the Sessions Judge Dausa with the following directions-
``Therefore the matter is remitted back under Section 439(2) Cr. P.C. to Sessions Judge Dausa with a direction to dispose of the application of the complainant afresh and decide as to whether after rejection of anticipatory bail applicati
6. Thakur Ram vs. State of Bihar (AIR 1966 SC 911)
13. Pokar Ram vs. State of Rajasthan (AIR 1985 SC 969)
14. Samunder Singh vs. State of Rajasthan (AIR 1987 SC 737)
4. Kashmira Singh vs. State of Punjab (1977(4) SCC 291)
3. Babu Singh vs. State of U.P. (1978) SCC 579)
5. Ram Gopal vs. The State of Rajasthan (1983 RLW 270)
7. Pratap vs. State of U.P. (1973) 3 SCC 690)
11. Hajuri vs. Brundaban (2000) 6 SCC 533).–Distinguished.
12. Dolat Ram vs. State of Haryana (1995) 1 SCC 349)
17. Council for Indian School Certificate Examination vs. Isha Mittal (2000) 7 SCC 521)
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