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2010 Supreme(J&K) 624

HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT JAMMU
Hasnain Massodi, J.
Kartar Singh & Ors. -Appellant
Versus
State Of J&K & Anr. -Resopndent
561-A Cr.P.C. No. 186-2009
Decided On : 16-12-2010

Advocates Appeared:
Sunil Sethi, R.S. Jamwal.

Use of the property in violation of prescribed mode or legal contract amounts to criminal breach of trust.

Headnote:

Criminal Breach of Trust - Construction Contract - Section 405 Ranbir Penal Code - Summary

Fact of the Case:

The petitioners, involved in a construction contract, were charged with criminal breach of trust for allegedly misappropriating cement supplied by the Public Works (R&B) Department. They sought quashment of the charge sheet and the formal charges against them.

Finding of the Court:

The court analyzed the definition of criminal breach of trust under Section 405 Ranbir Penal Code and concluded that the petitioners could be held liable for the alleged offences. The court dismissed the petition, emphasizing that the factual aspects of the case would be determined during the trial.

Issues: The issues revolved around the alleged misappropriation of cement supplied for the construction work and whether the petitioners could be charged with criminal breach of trust.

Ratio Decidendi: The court clarified that dishonest misappropriation or conversion to one’s own use is not necessary to constitute the offence of breach of trust. Use of the property in violation of prescribed mode or legal contract amounts to criminal breach of trust.

Final Decision: The petition was dismissed, and the trial court was directed to proceed with the trial expeditiously.

1. The petitioner No.1 is a construction contractor by profession. Petitioner No. 2 is Junior Engineer Public Works (R&B) Department and petitioner No. 3 engaged in carriage of building material. The petitioner No. 1 some time in 2007 was allotted a contract for raising B/Wall on Dharamkote--Rampure road via Sitla Mata Temple in Tehsil Billawar. The Public Works (R&B) Department issued 700 bags of cement to the petitioner No.1 from Government stores for its utilization in the allotted construction work. The department on 10.08.2007 as part of the offered quantity of the cement issued 150 bags of cement to the petitioner No. 2, working as Junior Engineer in Public Works (R&B) Department Division Basohli, for its onward delivery to the petitioner No. 1 and its utilization in the said contract work. The petitioner No. 2 accordingly issued a Dispatch Challan of 150 bags to the petitioner No. 1 on 11th August 2007. The petitioner No. 1 got released quantity of cement loaded in a truck driven by the petitioner No.3. The petitioner No. 3 on 11.08.2007 itself out of 150 bags of cement meant for utilization in the construction work in question, unloaded 140 bags of the cement at Dharamkote. Soon after the 140 bags of the cement were so unloaded and stored in a shop at Dharamkote. Police Station Billawar received information from reliable sources that the cement meant for utilization in construction of B/Wall at Dharamkote--Rampure road was misappropriated by the petitioner No. 1 in connivance with petitioner No. 2 and 3. Police Station Billawar on receipt of the information was prompted to register case FIR No. 122 of 2007 under Section 409, 407, 406, 420/109 RPC. Investigation was concluded as proved against the petitioners and a charge sheet alleging commission of offences punishable under Section 409, 407, 406, 420/109 RPC, presented in the Court of Judicial Magistrate Ist. Class (JMIC) Billawar on 2Ist. September 2007. The Trial Court on 01.06.2009 on perusal of the charge sheet and after hearing the parties, held the charge sheet and prima-facie disclose commission of offences punishable under Section 409, 407, 406, 420/109 RPC, by the petitioners and formally charged the petitioners of said offences.

2. The petitioners assailed the order dated 01.06.2009 through the medium of a revision petition before Learned Sessions Judge Kathua. The revision petition, however, did not succeed and was rejected on 05.11.2009. The Revisional Court was of the opinion that issues raised in revision petition touched factual aspects of the matter and could be only dealt with after trial was allowed to proceed.

3. The petitioners undeterred by the Trial Court order and their failure in the Revisional Court have come up with the present petition under Section 561-A Cr.P.C. invoking inherent powers of the Court for quashment of the charge sheet filed against the petitioners by Police Station Billawar as also order dated 01.06.2009, whereby the petitioners have been formally charged of the offences publishable under Section 409, 407, 406, 420/109 RPC.

4. The petitioners base their case primarily on the ground that Public Works (R&B) Department as a matter of fact sold 700 bags of cement including 140 bags alleged to have been misappropriated by the petitioners to the petitioner no.1, inasmuch as the department deducted price of the supplied cement from the amount payable to the petitioner No. 1 on account of execution of the contract work. It is urged that there was thus no "entrustment" within the meaning of Section 405 Ranbir Penal Code and the petitioners could not be held liable to have committed criminal breach of trust punishable under Section 406 Ranbir Penal Code. The charge sheet, it is pleaded, did not disclose commission of offences alleged therein, by the petitioners and the Trial Court was not right in taking cognizance in the charge sheet, issuing process against the petitioners and thereafter formally charging the petitioners of the offences









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