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2016 Supreme(Mad) 2947

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
G. CHOCKALINGAM, J.
Dr. T. Rajasekaran - Petitioner
Vs.
The Protection Officer, Domestic Violence Act, District Social Welfare Officer & Anr. - Respondents
Crl. R.C. No. 809 of 2016; Crl. MP Nos. 6032 & 6033 of 2016
Decided On : 12-09-2016

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr. A. Thigarajan for Mr. S. Ramesh Kumar
For the Respondents: Mr. M. Mohammed Riyaz, Mr. R. John Sathyan for M/s. R. Poornima

The court emphasized that the allegations against the petitioner should be decided at the trial stage and that the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Headnote:

Domestic Violence Act - Discharge Application - The court dismissed the discharge application filed under Section 238 Cr.PC, stating that the allegations against the petitioner should be decided at the trial stage and that the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner filed a discharge application under Section 238 Cr.PC, contending that the allegations were baseless and afterthought. The trial court dismissed the application, stating that the allegations should be decided at the trial stage and that the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the allegations against the petitioner should be decided at the trial stage and that the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act. The revision petition was dismissed with liberty to the petitioner to approach the competent court in accordance with law.

Issues: The main issue was whether the petitioner should be discharged from the charges under Section 238 Cr.PC, and whether the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the allegations against the petitioner should be decided at the trial stage and that the petitioner has the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act.

Final Decision: The criminal revision petition was dismissed, with liberty to the petitioner to approach the competent court in accordance with law.

ORDER :

The Criminal revision is directed against the order passed by the learned 10th Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore @ Allikulam, Chennai made in Crl. MP No. 1336 of 2016 in CC No. 2463 of 2015 dated 18.03.2016, dismissing the discharge application filed under Section 238 Cr.PC.

2. It is admitted by both sides, CC No. 2463 of 2015 is pending on the file of the X Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore @ Allikulam, Chennai for the offences under Section 9(b) read with 37(2)(e) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would mainly contend that the trial Court without appreciating the facts erroneously dismissed the discharge application filed by the revision petitioner. In this case, the pleadings are artificial, imaginary and has no logic, without any legal basis filed the present application as per Rule 17(3), there is no facts placed by the second respondent attracting to grant medical facilities to the second respondent. The learned trial Court failed to consider the second respondent filed OP No. 3877 of 2013, in which no such allegations of Domestic Violence Act was pleaded, the complaint was made after 19 years without mentioning any specific date, month, year etc., therefore, the allegations are afterthought and has no basis at all to sustain the allegations. The trial Court after admitting the material facts, the trial Court ought to have allowed the discharge petition, but erroneously dismissed the petition filed by the petitioner. Hence, the order of the trial Court has to be set aside and the petitioner has to be discharged from the offences.

4. The learned counsel for the second respondent mainly contended that there is no specific fault in the Domestic Violence Act and filed revision before this Court. But the present revision is preferred by the revision petitioner without invoking section 29 of the Domestic Violence Act. The revision petitioner has every right to prefer an appeal before the Sessions Judge of the concerned District. The question of appreciation of evidence cannot be decided at the discharge stage. The trial Court after appreciating the entire facts and circumstances of the case, dismissed the petition and there is no illegality or infirmity in the order of the trial Court and the learned counsel prays for dismissal of the revision petition.

5. Heard the rival submissions made on both sides and perused the records.

6. It is useful to extract the paragraphs 10 and 11 of the grounds for revision filed by the petitioner before this Court, which reads as follows :-

“10. The petitioner states that the complaint filed by the respondent dated 05.01.2015 narrating the allegations from the date of marriage namely 29.05.1996 only after the petitioner filing divorce OP would show that the complaint was made after 19years without any specific date, month, year etc therefore the allegation is an afterthought, motivated, vindictive and has no basis at all to sustain the allegations, which the learned Magistrate failed to address on the issue and no finding was recorded.

11. The learned Magistrate ought to have consider the facts that allegations demanding dowry and sexual harassment does not arise in view of the fact that both of them got married out of their wish and the same was love marriage. The allegations are self destructive as could be seen from the plain reading of the complaint.”

7. On reading of the allegations levelled against the present petitioner in the complaint, whether it is basis or not has to be decided at the time of trial after adducing evidence on either side. At this stage, it cannot be decided whether it is baseless or not. At this stage, it cannot be decided whether there is no basis for complaint and relevant date, month, year etc., has not been mentioned and there is no logic on the above said complaint. The above allegations cannot be decided at the present stage.

8. In the above said circumstances, it is useful to extract Section 29 of t




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