IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT SRINAGAR
Gh. Hasnain Massodi, J.
Gh. Hassan Bhat - Appellant
Versus
Gh. Hassan Gorsi - Respondent
561-A No.80/2009
Decided On : 08 April, 2010
Quashment - Criminal Procedure - Section 379 Ranbir Penal Code - Summary
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner filed a complaint alleging that his Tractor was forcibly taken away by the respondent. The Chief Judicial Magistrate deferred issuance of process and ordered an inquiry. The Inquiry Officer found that the respondent had sold the Tractor to the petitioner two years prior to the complaint. The Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the offence and temporarily released the vehicle to the petitioner. The respondent filed a revision petition, challenging the order.
Finding of the Court:
The Revisional Court set aside the order of the Judicial Magistrate and directed issuance of process afresh. It also directed the release of the vehicle in favor of the claimant, as the engine and chassis numbers matched those in the registration certificate.
Issues: The main issues were the jurisdiction of the Trial Magistrate to take cognizance of the offence and the release of the seized vehicle.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the Trial Magistrate had the power to take cognizance of the offence based on the inquiry report. It also emphasized that a civil dispute should not prevent criminal proceedings if an offence is disclosed. The Court cited precedents to support the view that criminal prosecution cannot be thwarted by the pendency of a civil suit.
Final Decision: The order of the Revisional Court was quashed, and the Trial Magistrate was directed to proceed with the proceedings. An inquiry into the issuance of two registration certificates for the same vehicle was also ordered.
2. The facts necessary for disposal of the present petition may be summarized, in the first instance:-
The petitioner/complainant on 18th of March 2009 filed a complaint in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Anantnag, alleging therein that his Tractor bearing Registration No.JK02A/7760 was intercepted by the respondent/accused at Batingoo on Bijbehara- Anantnag road and forcibly taken away from the possession of petitioner/complainants son Shri Javid Ahmad Bhat, who at the time of occurrence, was driving the vehicle in question. The petitioner/complainant claimed to have purchased the vehicle in question from M/s Valley Tractors Awantipora, through authorized agents of the Dealer and paid an amount of Rs.3,35,000/- together with an amount of Rs. 10,000/- for the documents to the Vendor. The petitioner/complainant denied to have sold/transferred the vehicle in question to any person, including the respondent/accused. It was further alleged that the respondent/accused assaulted the petitioner/ complainant and resorted to use of criminal force.
3. The Learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, on receipt of the complaint and after recording statement of the petitioner/complainant and one Shri Mohammad Khalil Dar, a witness accompanying the complainant, decided to defer issuance of process against the respondent/accused and instead decided to get the veracity of the complaint ascertained through an inquiry. Accordingly, in terms of section 202 Code of Criminal Procedure an inquiry was directed in the matter by Station House Officer Police Station Anantnag.
4. The Inquiry Officer made a threadbare inquiry into the matter, recorded statements of the complainant and other witnesses as also Dealer, who had sold the vehicle mentioned in the complaint. The Inquiry Officer also seized the vehicle in question, allegedly taken away by the respondent/accused. The Inquiry Officer found that the vehicle (Tractor) was originally purchased by the respondent/accused from M/s Valley Tractors, Awantipora, and thereafter sold to the petitioner/ complainant for an amount of Rs.3,65,000/-, about two years prior to the date complaint was filed. It was also found that at the time of sale transaction, the respondent/ accused had agreed to liquidate the loan, raised by him at the time of purchase of vehicle against its hypothecation, from J&K Bank Limited Branch Seer Hamdan. It was found that the respondent/accused did not abide by the terms and conditions of sale transaction and avoided to repay the loan raised from the aforementioned bank at the time of purchase of vehicle (Tractor in question). The Inquiry Officer discovered that the respondent/ accused accompanied by his accomplices, on the day of occurrence, took control of the Vehicle at Batingoo, while it was being taken by the petitioner/complainants son for repairs to a local workshop and pretending that the vehicle (Tractor) in question was being seized by the bank officials took it to the Bank premises, wherefrom the vehicle was seized by the Inquiry Officer. The Inquiry officer came to know from the bank officials that though the Tractor was initially hypothecated to the said bank, yet all the outstanding amount had been cleared and the bank had no more any claim on the said vehicle. The Dealer (Valley Tractors), on being approached by the Inquiry officer, disclosed t
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