2003 (II) OLR — 569
A. S. NAIDU, J.
Nirupama Dey... Petitioner
Versus
Chaitanya Dalua and another... Opp. Parties
Criminal Misc. Case No.5148 of 1999
Decided on 17th October, 2003.
2. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, 1973 - Sec. 197 - The section provides an umbrella of protection to a public servant to facilitate effective and unhampered performance of their official duty - It is not the 'duty' performed by a public servant which requires examination, but the act performed while discharging his official duty as well as dereliction of it - Whether a particular act was done while discharging the official duty is a question of fact and is also a defence on the merits which would have to be investigated at the trial and should not arise at the stage of grant of sanction.
(Paras - 6 and 8)
JUDGMENT
A. S. NAIDU, J. — The Criminal Misc.Case has been filed invoking inherent jurisdiction of this Court under Section 482, Cr.P.C. by the petitioner whose complaint petition, filed against two public servants, has been dismissed under Section 203, Cr.P.C. in absence of sanction as required under Section 197, Cr.P.C.
2. For appreciating the contentions, the necessary facts in gist may be stated as follows :
The petitioner filed a complaint case in the Court of the learned S.D.J.M., Bhadrak against the opposite parties who are police officers alleging therein that on October 12, 1998 at about 9 P.M. the accused persons came on a motor cycle to her house during the absence of her father, knocked at the door, forcibly entered into the house giving her a push and searched for her uncle Makhanlal Das. It is alleged that when they failed to trace out said Makhanlal, opp.party No.1 abused the petitioner in filthy language, caught hold of her left hand and tore the front-portion of her wearing dress. It is also alleged that opp.party No.2 forcibly closed her mouth when she started to shout. Howe¬ver, hearing hue and cry, her mother along with her sisters re¬ached the spot and on their protest, the accused persons damaged two earthen water-pots, kicked at the rice pot and left the spot threatening the petitioner to kill her if she would disclose the incident before anybody. The said complaint petition was regis¬tered as I.C.C. No.429 of 1998. The learned S.D.J.M. after recording initial statement of the complainant inquired about the matter under Section 202, Cr.P.C., recorded the statements of two witnesses and thereafter issued process against the opposite parties after taking cognizance of the offence under Sections 427, 354, 294 and 448 I.P.C. The opposite parties appeared and filed a petition to reconsider the order directing issue of process and to recall the said order mainly on the ground that both the accused being public servants and the incident having occurred during the due discharge of their official duty in con¬nection with Bhandaripokhari P.S. Case No.363 of 1998 while they had gone to the house of the complainant in search of accused Makhanlal Das who happens to be the maternal uncle of the com¬plainant. The order taking cognizance of the alleged offences in absence of sanction as mandatorily required under Section 197, Cr.P.C., is not just and proper.
3. The learned S.D.J.M. by his order dated 22.4.1999 recalled the order taking cognizance and dismissed the complaint petition under Section 203, Cr.P.C. on the ground that no sanc¬tion under Section 197, Cr.P.C. had been obtained by the complai¬nant. The said order of the S.D.J.M. was challenged by the peti¬tioner before the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Bhadrak in Crl. Revision No.38 of 1999. The revisional Court also confirmed the finding of the trial Court and dismissed the revision by its order dated 6.9.1999. the present petition has been filed invok¬ing inherent jurisdiction of this Court challenging the aforesaid two orders.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner at the very incep¬tion submitted that unless the orders impugned are set aside, great injustice would be done to the petitioner inasmuch as she has no other remedy. According to the learned counsel, the orders impugned amount to abuse of process f law and need to be inter¬fered with in exercise of inherent powers conferred upon this Court under Section 482, Cr.P.C.
5. Mr. Palit, learned counsel for the opposite parties at the other hand submitted that both the opposite parties are admittedly Government employees being police officers. They entered into the house of the petitioner in search of one Mak¬hanlal Das, who is admittedly an accused in Bhandaripokhari P.S. Case No. 363 of 1998. They had reliable information that the said accused who was avoiding arrest, was harbouring in the house of the petitioner. Thus, all that they did, they had only entered into the house of the petitioner which wa
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