IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
G.D. Sharma, J.
Ab. Hafiz - Appellant
Versus
Gh. Mohi-ud-Din - Respondent
File No. 6/1990
Decided On : 16 October, 1996
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE - SECTION 197 - SANCTION FOR PROSECUTION - PUBLIC SERVANT - OFFENCES COMMITTED WHILE DISCHARGING PUBLIC FUNCTIONS - REQUIREMENT OF SANCTION - INTERPRETATION OF SECTION 197 - QUASHING OF PROCEEDINGS WITHOUT SANCTION.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, a public servant, was accused of obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions, trespassing on his property, and causing intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace. The trial magistrate took cognizance of the complaint and issued process against the petitioner without obtaining sanction for prosecution as required under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the allegations made in the complaint, on their face value, did not constitute any of the offences for which cognizance had been taken and process issued by the trial magistrate. The court also found that the petitioner had gone to the office of the Divisional Forest Officer Bhaderwah in his official capacity and while discharging his public functions, and that the sanction for prosecution as envisaged under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was required.
Issues: 1. Whether the allegations made in the complaint constituted the offences for which cognizance had been taken and process issued by the trial magistrate? 2. Whether the petitioner was required to obtain sanction for prosecution under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the allegations made in the complaint, on their face value, did not constitute any of the offences for which cognizance had been taken and process issued by the trial magistrate. 2. The court held that the petitioner was required to obtain sanction for prosecution under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as he was a public servant and the offences were alleged to have been committed while discharging his public functions.
Final Decision: The court allowed the petition and quashed the proceedings initiated in the complaint against the petitioner.
2. The petitioner-accused is a public servant and during the year 1989 was posted as Tehsildar Executive Magistrate First Class, Bhaderwah. Respondent-complainant at that time was posted as Junior Assistant in the office of Divisional Forest Office, Bhaderwah. This was the period when the Militancy was raising its head and the District Magistrate vide his wireless message No. NR-795 CR 40, R-226 Dated 12-4-1989 (Annexure-3) had directed all the S.D.Ms and Tehsildars including Additional Deputy Commissioner Ramban, within his jurisdiction, to send him the details about the presence or absence of the public servants from their offices during office hours. The petitioner-accused on 15-4-1989 visited the office of the Divisional Forest Officer Bhaderwah and found respondent-complainant not present in his office. On the same day, he apprised his superior (Deputy Commissioner, Doda) about the absence of respondent-complainant, who vide his wireless message addressed to the Divisional Forest Officer Bhaderwah, copy whereof to the complainant-respondent, attached the respondent-complainant in his own office on the same day.
3. It appears from letter no. 15-18/Misc dated 18-4-89 (Annexure-5) that the President, Low Paid Employees Federation, Bhaderwah, (Shri Khairat Hussain), met the petitioner-accused on behalf of respondent-complainant and sought an apology for the unpleasant attitude shown by the respondent-complainant and had assured that such an incident would not occur in future. On this undertaking the petitioner-accused had requested the Deputy Commissioner Doda to withdraw the attachment order of the respondent-complainant. On 20-4-1989, the respondent-complainant filed complaint in the Court of learned Sub Judge, Judicial Magistrate First Class, Bhaderwah, wherein it was alleged that on 15-4-1989, the petitioner-accused all of a sudden entered his office and came to his room in an enraged condition and after seeing him told the respondent-complainant that he had gone astray in his mental behaviour and he will set him right and also used abusive language. On these allegations the learned Magistrate vide his order dated 13-5-1989 issued the process for summoning the petitioner-accused for the commission of offences stated above.
4. The proceedings and the above stated order of the trial Magistrate has been challenged on the grounds that neither the allegations made in the complaint nor the evidence given by the complainant-respondent and his witness Inayat Ullah, disclose the ingredients of the offences for the commission of which the process was issued. The learned trial Magistrate should not have taken the cognizance without the sanction for prosecution against the petitioner-accused, which is required under the provisions of Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It is also pleaded that the petitioner-accused belongs to Ahmadiya Sect of Muslims and local majority population of Bhaderwah on the basis of religious fundamentalism, were hostile towards him and they had passed resolutions through Anjuman Islamia Bhaderwah. A copy of this resolution dated 9-4-1989 has been placed on the record which shows that the copy thereof was sent even to the Governor of the State and the Chief Minister. There is also a cutting of the newspaper Insaf™ (Annexure-2) on the file, which shows that these very elements had not liked the posting of petitioner-accused as Tehsildar, as well as S.H.O. and the Additional S.H.O.
5. Nemo has appeared for the respondent-complainant despite repeated calls.
6. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and perused the record.
7. The inherent jur
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