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2013 Supreme(Raj) 190

(Rajasthan High Court)
Gaurav Vs. State of Rajasthan (Mehta, J.)
HON'BLE SANDEEP MEHTA, J.
Gaurav
Versus
State of Rajasthan
S.B. Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 3446 of 2013, decided on 20.05.2013

Advocates Appeared
Mahesh Bora, Sr. Advocate a/w Nishant Bora, R.K. Charan, H.R. Bishnoi, R.S. Gill, B.R. Bishnoi, Manish Pitaliya, for Petitioners;
Chandralekha, Anil Joshi, Mahipal Bishnoi, Ashok Prajapat, Public Prosecutor for State.

Headnote:Cr.P.C., 1973, Sec. 167(2), 173(8) read with Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Sec. 36(A)(4) — Claiming bail u/Sec. 167(2) Cr.P.C. — Default bail — Challan filed without the F.S.L. report of the seized contraband — Held — Charge sheet filed within the permissible period as provided u/Sec. 36(A)(4) of N.D.P.S. — Right of accused to be released on bail u/Sec. 167(2) Cr.P.C. does not survive — Sec. 173(8) Cr.P.C., permits the prosecution to file documents and evidence in addition to the documents already filed — F.S.L. report is admissible in evidence u/Sec. 293 of Cr.P.C. — No additional chargesheet is needed — Bail application rejected. (Paras 13 to 15)

       Application rejected.

        na-iz-la-] 1973] /kkjk 167¼2½] 173¼8½ lifBr Lokid vkS"kf/k ,oa eu% izHkkoh inkFkZ vf/kfu;e] 1985] /kkjk 36¼d½¼4½ &n.M iz-la- dh /kkjk 167 ¼2½ ds rgr tekur dk nkok djuk & O;frØe tekur & tCr fofuf"k) inkFkZ dh ,Q-,l-,y- fjiksVZ ds fcuk pkyku nk;j fd;k & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & ,u-Mh-ih-,l- vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 36¼d½¼4½ ds rgr ;Fkk micfU/kr vuqKs; vof/k ds Hkhrj vkjksi i= nk;j fd;k &na-iz-la- dh /kkjk 167¼2½ ds rgr tekur ij fjgk fd;s tkus dk vfHk;qDr dk vf/kdkj thfor ugha jgrk & na-izla- dh /kkjk 173¼8½ vfHk;kstu dks iwoZ esa nk;j fd;s tk pqds nLrkostksa ds vfrfjDr nLrkost ,oa lk{; nk;j djus dh vuqefr nsrk gS & na-iz-la- dh /kkjk 293 ds rgr ,Q-,l-,y- fjiksVZ lk{; esa xzkg~; gS & vfrfjDr vkjksi i= dh vko';drk ugha &tekur vkosnu fujLr fd;kA ¼in la[;k 13 ls 15½

       vkosnu fujLr fd;kA

       

Hon'ble MEHTA, J.—The instant bail applications preferred by the petitioners before this Court involve the common question of law and are thus, being decided by the common order.

2. The brief controversy, which has been raised before this Court in these bail applications is as to whether, on account of non-filing of the FSL report of the seized contraband alongwith the charge-sheet, the accused gets right to default bail under Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C.

3. It is not in dispute that in all these cases the Police has filed the charge-sheet against the accused persons within the period prescribed in Section 36(A)(4) of the NDPS Act and they are facing trial. The accused thereafter during the pendency of the trial, raised an issue before the trial Court that since the FSL report was not filed alongwith the original charge-sheet, it would have the effect that the complete charge-sheet was not filed by the Police and thereby, the accused gets the right to be released on compulsive bail or default bail as per Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C. The applications seeking default bail on this ground have been rejected by the concerned trial court and hence, these bail applications.

4. Learned counsel appearing for the accused in these cases have raised the contention that unless the Police files the Chemical Examiner's report or the FSL report regarding the seized contraband alongwith the charge-sheet, such a charge-sheet cannot be considered to be a complete charge-sheet and thereby, no sooner the period of 180 days or 90 days as the case may be, prescribed in Section 36(A)(4) of the NDPS Act is over and the FSL report is not filed on record, the accused would become entitled to be released on bail as of right on count of default of the prosecution to file the complete charge-sheet. In support of their contention, the learned counsel have placed reliance on the order dated 29.3.2013 passed by Hon'ble Single Bench of this Court in the case of Mahendra Nath vs. State of Rajasthan passed in S.B. Cr.Misc. Bail Application No. 1755/2013 and prayed that the petitioners in these cases are also entitled to be released on bail.

5. Per contra, learned Public Prosecutors appearing on behalf of the respondent State have vehemently opposed the arguments of the learned counsel for the petitioners. Learned Public Prosecutors urged that the charge-sheets have been filed in all these cases within the stipulated time and thus, the right to compulsive bail under Section 167(2) Cr.P.C. does not survive subsequent to the filing of the charge-sheet. Learned Public Prosecutors submit that the right of the prosecution to file subsequent documents is available under Section 173(8) of the Cr.P.C. and would not entitle the accused to contest that the charge-sheet, which was filed earlier, was not a complete charge-sheet so as entitle them to be released on bail. It is argued that the controversy regarding the status of the charge-sheet unaccompanied with the FSL report was considered and set to rest by Hon'ble Single Benches of this Court in the cases of Himmat Singh vs. The State of Rajasthan reported in 1995 Cr.L.J. 2967 and Atma Ram vs. State of Rajasthan reported in 1995 Cr.L.R. (Raj.) 825 = RLW 1995(2) Raj. 572 as well as by Hon'ble Punjab and Haryana High Court in Full Bench decision rendered in the case of State of Haryana vs. Mehal Singh & Anr. reported in 1978 Cr.L.J. 1810. They contend that it has been laid down in these cases that non-filing of the FSL report or the chemical examiner's report alongwith the charge-sheet does not have the effect of the charge-sheet being incomplete. Thus, the accused would not be entitled to be released on default bail under Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C. Learned Public Prosecutors, therefore, prayed that the bail applications filed by the petitioners be dismissed.

6. Heard and considered the arguments advanced at the bar and perused the orders impugned as well as the order passed by Hon'ble Single Bench of this Court in the cas

































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