Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench
Honble KHEM CHAND SHARMA, J.
Mukesh Sharma - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan - Respondents
S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No.241 of 2002
Decided On : May 03, 2002
After submission of police report under sub-sec. (2) of Section 173 Cr.P.C. on completion of investigation, the police has a right of `further investigation under sub-section (8) but not fresh investigation or reinvestigation, because further investigation is the continuation of earlier investigation and not a fresh investigation on reinvestigation to be started ab in initio wiping out of earlier investigation altogether. (Para 6)
(2). In nut-shell, the prosecution case is that on the report of complainant Subhash as regards alleged murder of his son Deepak, a case vide FIR No.164/2000 was registered on 10.8.2000 at Police Station, Vidhyadhar Nagar, Jaipur. Having completed investigation, a charge-sheet was submitted against accused Gulab Singh, Keshar Singh, Lokesh, Pushpendra Pareek and Ramesh Chand for offence under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302 and 323 IPC, and further investigation was kept pending. These 5 accused are facing trial in Sessions Case No.1/2001.
(3). In the course of trial in Sessions Case No.1/2001, the police submitted a charge-sheet against the present petitioner and the learned trial Court after having counsel for the parties and considering the evidence and material collected during investigation and placed before it, framed charges against the accused petitioners for offence under Sections 147, 148, 302/149 and 323/149 vide order impugned in this revision petition. Hence, the present revision.
(4). In assailing the impugned order, learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that while submitting charge-sheet against 5 accused persons, further investigation was kept pending. Later- on, the police submitted charge-sheet under Section 173(8) Cr.P.C. It is contended that no further evidence was collected with a view to connect the petitioner with the commission of crime and on the contrary the Investigating agency recorded supplementary statements and submitted the charge-sheet against the petitioner. He contended with vehemence that neither supplementary statements are permissible under the law nor supplementary charge-sheet could have been filed on the basis of supplementary statement. Therefore, the impugned order framing charges against the petitioner is liable to be set aside. In support of his argument, learned counsel has relied upon a decision of this court in Nooruddin & Ors. vs. State of Rajasthan (1), wherein, this Court has held as under:
``....under the provisions of Sec. 173(8), the police is not precluded from investigating further in the case in respect of the offence after a report under sub-sec.(2) of Sec.163 has been forwarded to the Magistrate, if the officer-incharge obtains further evidence oral or documentary he shall forward to the Magistrate a further report or reports regarding such evidence in the form prescribed under the provisions of sub-sec. (2). Therefore, supplementary charge sheet cannot be submitted without making further investigation and without obtaining further evidence oral or documentary in respect of an offence.
(5). I have considered the above argument and in my opinion the argument is devoid of merit and deserves to be rejected. The case of Nooruddin vs. State of Rajasthan (supra) relied upon by the learned counsel for the petitioner stands over ruled by the decision of this Court in Kalu Ram vs. State of Raj. (2), which is based on a decision of the Apex Court in K. Chandrasekhar vs. State of Kerala & Ors. (3).
(6). In K. Chandrashekhars case (supra), their Lordships of the Supreme Court were not the view that after submission of police report under sub-section (2) of Section 173 Cr.P.C. on completion of investigation, the police has a right of `further investigation under sub-section (8) but not fresh investigation or reinvestigation, because further investigation is the continuation of earlier investigation and not a fresh investigation on reinvestigation to be started ab in initio wiping out of earlier investigation altogether. While interpreting the term `further used in sub-sec. (8) of Section 173 Cr.P.C. their Lordships held in categorical terms that `further investigation being the continuation of earlier o
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