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2009 Supreme(Raj) 22

[Citation : 2009(2) RLW 1727 (SC)]
(Supreme Court)
Brindaban Das & Ors. Vs. State of West Bengal (Kabir, J.)
HONBLE ALTAMAS KABIR, J.
HONBLE DR. MUKUNDAKAM SHARMA, J.
Brindaban Das & Ors.
Versus
State of West Bengal
Criminal Appeal No. 9 of 2009 @ S.L.P. (Crl.) No. 6853 of 2006, decided on 07.01.2009

Advocates Appeared
Pradip Ghosh, P.S. Narasima, Sr. Advocate, Pijush K. Roy, Amit De and G. Ramkrishna Prasad, for Appellants;
Avijit Bhattacharjee, Saumya Kundu, H.K. Puri, V.M. Chauhan, S.K. Puri and Mrs. Priya Puri, for Respondent

Headnote:Cr.P.C., 1973, Sec. 319 — Summoning of person other than accused — Power of the Court — After completion of investigation they were neither shown in charge-sheet nor they were sent up for trial — Appellant were discharged — Statement in F.I.R. shows that there were many conspirators involved, there was no direct evidence involving the appellants — Provisions of Sec. 319 cannot be invoked to summon appellants. (Paras 19 to 21)

       Appeal allowed.

        na-iz-la-] 1973] /kkjk 319 & vfHk;qDr ds vykok nwljs O;fDr dks cqykuk & U;k;ky; dh kfDr & vUos"k.k iw.kZ gksus ds ipkr~ mUgsa u rks vkjksi i= esa nkkZ;k x;k vkSj u gh mUgsa fopkj.k gsrq Hkstk x;k & vihykFkhZx.k dks fueqZDr fd;k x;k & izFke lwpuk izfrosnu esa dFku ;g nkkZrs gS fd mlesa vusd "kM+;a=dkjh lfEefyr Fks] vihykFkhZx.k ds lfEefyr gksus lEcU/kh dksbZ izR;{k lk{; ugha Fkk & vihykFkhZx.k dks cqykus gsrq na-iz-la- dh /kkjk 319 ds izko/kkuksa dk voyEcu ugha fy;k tk ldrkA ?in la[;k 19 ls 21?

       vihy Lohdkj dhA

       .

Honble KABIR, J.— Leave granted.

2. On an application filed by the defacto complainant under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Jhargram, by his order dated 14.6.2006 directed the appellants to appear before the Court on 22.6.2006 in connection with S.T. Case No.XXIX/February, 2006 under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (G.R. case No.450 of 2002).

3. The complainant, Ashok Kumar Pattanayak, lodged the First Information Report at Gopiballabhpur PS on 29.11.2002 at about 8.25 a.m. alleging that on the same date at about 7.30/8.00 a.m. while his father, Ramesh Chandra Pattanayak, was supervising the work in his brick field known as Hena Brick, he was assaulted on the head from behind with a spade (kodal), as a result whereof he died instantly. The driver of the truck to whom the deceased was speaking at the time of assault and the khalasi of the truck, as well as other labourers, raised a alarm. The police also arrived at the spot and apprehended the assailant, Laxman Murmu. In the FIR it was alleged that besides Laxman Murmu, several other persons could also have been behind the incident. The said FIR was written by Ila Pattanayak, the sister of the de-facto complainant, and on the basis of the said complaint, Gopiballabhpur PS Case No.48 of 2002 dated 29.11.2002, was started against the said Laxman Murmu under Section 302 IPC.

4. During the investigation of the above case, the appellants herein filed an application under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the Sessions Judge and such prayer for anticipatory bail was allowed on 14.8.2003. The appellants were directed to appear before the Sub-Judicial Divisional Magistrate, Jhargram, and on their appearance before the learned Magistrate on 16.8.2003, the appellants were released on temporary bail with a direction to them to bring appropriate orders from the higher Court. Subsequently, on an application under Section 439 Cr.P.C. the Sessions Judge, Paschim Midnapur, granted bail to the appellants on 23.9.2003. The de-facto complainant thereupon filed an application under Section 439(2) Cr. P.C. before the Sessions Judge praying for cancellation of the bail granted to the appellants but the same was rejected on 16.12.2003. After completion of investigation the police submitted charge-sheet against the accused Laxman Murmu. As there was no material against the appellants herein they were neither shown in the charge-sheet nor were they sent up for trial and on the prayer made by the Investigating Officer the appellants were discharged from the case by order dated 30.6.2004.

5. Two years later on 22.6.2006 the trial Court issued warrants of arrest against the appellants for their alleged refusal to receive summons which had been issued to them earlier under Section 319 Cr.P.C. The said order was challenged in the High Court in its revisional jurisdiction and it was submitted that once the appellants had been discharged on the prayer made on behalf of the Investigating Officer, the trial Court erred in issuing the summons under Section 319 of the Code on the same materials.

6. The High Court came to the conclusion that there had not been any willful defiance of the summons which necessitated the issuance of warrant of arrest and disposed of the revision application with a direction to the appellants herein to surrender before the Court within 3 weeks from the date of the order and thereafter to apply for bail. The execution of the warrant of arrest was stayed for a period of four weeks for the said purpose.

7. It is against the said order of the High Court that the present appeal has been filed.

8. Mr. Pradip Ghosh, learned senior advocate, appearing for the appellants, submitted that in the instant case there was no direct evidence against the appellants which could have formed the basis for issuance of summons under Section 319 Cr.P.C. Not a single eye-witness had been cited in the instant case an























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