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2021 Supreme(HP) 604

IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AT SHIMLA
Sandeep Sharma, J.
State of Himachal Pradesh Through District Magistrate Chamba - Petitioner
Versus
Sh. Avinash Mahajan, Son of Sh. Mahal Chand Mahajan – Respondent
Criminal Misc. Petition (Main) U/S 482 CRPC No. 715 of 2019
Decided On : 02-12-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioner:Mr. Sudhir Bhatnagar And Mr. Desh Raj Thakur, Additional Advocate Generals With Mr. Narinder Thakur And Gaurav Sharma, Deputy Advocate Generals
For the Respondent:Mr. Sumit Raj Sharma, Advocate

Headnote:

Code of Criminal Procedure,1973 - Section 482 and 156(3) - Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 - Clause (1), Explanation 4 of Section 2 - Disregard to National Flag - FIR - Alleging function of Independence Day celebration was held at Govt. Sr. Secondary School under control and supervision Alleged that National Flag was hoisted by Chief Guest, i.e. the Executing Magistrate function was attended by school staff, NCC cadets, students and other eminent personalities vicinity, but showing utter disregard to National Flag - Court of learned Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Dalhousie, District having perused the entire record including photographs and videos, directed SHO, Dalhousie to lodge FIR against the erring official and conduct investigation – Held, Court which is taking cognizance, at this stage, rather only direction is issued to police to conduct investigation after lodging FIR there is no specific denial on the part of petitioner-State with regard to lodging of complaint to SHO and thereafter to Superintendent of Police by respondent before filing private complaint under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. Once, no action, if any, came to be taken on the complaints made by the respondent to SHO was compelled to approach Judicial Magistrate by way of filing private complaint under Section 156 (3) Cr.P.C, who rightly after having perused the material available made to him – petition disposed of.

ORDER :

By way of present petition filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prayer has been made on behalf of the petitioner for quashing of judgment dated 11.03.2019, passed by learned Sessions Judge, Chamba, in Criminal Revision No.3/2019, affirming the order dated 14.12.2018, passed by learned Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Dalhousie, District Chamba, H.P. in Criminal Misc. Application No.1252 of 2018, titled Avinash Mahajan vs. Sher Singh, whereby, learned trial court having taken note of the complaint made by respondent under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C, directed SHO concerned to register FIR under the relevant provision of law and conduct investigation as per law.

2. Precisely, the facts of the case, as emerge from the record are that respondent namely Avinash Mahajan made a complaint to SHO Dalhousie, alleging therein that on 15.08.2018 function of Independence Day celebration was held at Govt. Sr. Secondary School, Sihunta under the control and supervision of Incharge PP Sihunta, namely, Sher Singh. He further alleged that National Flag was hoisted by the Chief Guest, i.e. the Executing Magistrate, Sihunta and such function was attended by school staff, NCC cadets, students and other eminent personalities of Sihunta vicinity, but showing utter disregard to the National Flag, saffron of the National Flag was depicted downwards. Since, no action whatsoever, came to be ever taken on the complaint made by the respondent to the SHO concerned, he sent a written communication to S.P. Chamba, but he also failed to take any action and as such, respondent was compelled to file private complaint under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Dalhousie, District Chamba, who vide order dated 14.12.2018, after having perused the entire record including photographs and videos, directed SHO, Dalhousie to lodge FIR against the erring official and conduct investigation thereafter. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the aforesaid direction issued by learned JMIC, Dalhousie, District Chamba, petitioner-State preferred Cr. Revision Petition bearing No.3 of 2019 in the Court of learned Sessions Judge, Chamba, Division, Chamba, H.P., which came to be dismissed vide judgment dated 11.03.2019. In the aforesaid background, petitioner-State has approached this Court in the instant proceedings for quashing of judgment/order dated 11.03.2019, passed by learned Sessions Judge, Chamba, Division, Chamba as well as order dated 14.12.2018, passed by learned JMIC, Dalhousie, directing police authorities to lodge FIR.

3. Having heard learned counsel representing the parties, especially, learned Additional Advocate General vis-a-vis reasoning assigned by both the courts below while ordering registration of the case, this Court finds no merit in the present petition. Needless to say, State is always expected to impartial and under obligation to conduct impartial investigation, but in the instant case, material available on record compels this Court to draw a conclusion that police itself is shying away from registering the case for the reason that same shall be registered against their own official. Otherwise also, there appears to be no ground and justification to lay challenge to aforesaid judgment and order passed by courts below which otherwise appears to be based upon proper appreciation of material as well as law on the point. If the grounds taken in the petition at hand are perused in its entirety, it nowhere suggest that there is specific denial, if any, on the part of the petitioner-State with regard to alleged incident, rather effort has been made to confuse the entire issue by taking a stand that on the alleged incident, National Flag got entangled with the rope and if it is so, it is not understood that why petitioner-State is shying from conducting the fair impartial investigation. Needless to say, order directing SHO, Police Station concerned, to lodge FIR against the erring official came to be

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