This petition has been filed to quash the charge and the proceedings in C.C. No. 36 of 1966 against the petitioners on the file of the Court of the Additional First Class Magistrate No. 1, Madurai, on the grounds that no offence has been made out on the evidence placed before the Court and that the process of law has been abused by the complainant.

The relevant facts for the appreciation of the contentions raised by the learned Counsel for the petitioners disclosed in the affidavit filed by the petitioners are briefly these: The first petitioner, Rt. Rev. George Devadoss is the Bishop of Madurai-Ramnad Diocese. The second petitioner, G. G. Joshua was Treasurer, Cyclone Relief Committee of the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese. The Diocese is managed by the Executive Committee which administers all the funds of the Diocese and P.W.5 Devaprakasam, during the relevant period, was the Secretary. Different standing committees are constituted, of which one is the Emergency Relief Committee which supervises distribution of relief. Of this Committee, P.W.4 B. A. Daniel is the convener. P.W.3 Navarathnam is a member and the first petitioner (the Bishop) is the Chairman. There was a cyclone in De