SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1979 Supreme(P&H) 154

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
J.M.Tandon, J.
Kuldip Singh
Versus
State Of Haryana
Criminal Revision No. 1030 of 1979,
Decided On : SEPTEMBER 4, 1979

The engagement of a pleader by a private party and the conduct of the trial by such pleader under the direction of the Public Prosecutor is exclusively between the party, pleader, and the Public Prosecutor. The permission of the court is only necessary if the pleader engaged by a private party desires to submit written arguments after the conclusion of the case.

Headnote:

Section 301 - Right to Engage Counsel - The court held that under Section 301(2) of the Cr. P. C. 1973, a private person can instruct a pleader to prosecute in court, but the pleader can only act under the directions of the Public Prosecutor. The court clarified that the engagement of a pleader by a private party and the conduct of the trial by such pleader under the direction of the Public Prosecutor is exclusively between the party, pleader, and the Public Prosecutor. The permission of the court is only necessary if the pleader engaged by a private party desires to submit written arguments after the conclusion of the case. Therefore, the court set aside the order of the learned Additional Sessions Judge and dismissed the application for permission to appear through counsel for the conduct of the trial.

Fact of the Case:

Kuldip Singh submitted an application under Section 301(2), Cr. P. C. 1973, to participate in trial proceedings related to the murder of his brother. The Additional Sessions Judge declined the prayer, leading to the present petition under Section 482, Cr. P. C.

Finding of the Court:

The court set aside the order of the Additional Sessions Judge and dismissed the application for permission to appear through counsel for the conduct of the trial, stating that such permission is not required under law.

Issues: The main issue was whether the petitioner had the right to engage a counsel to take part in the trial proceedings before the Additional Sessions Judge.

Ratio Decidendi: The engagement of a pleader by a private party and the conduct of the trial by such pleader under the direction of the Public Prosecutor is exclusively between the party, pleader, and the Public Prosecutor. The permission of the court is only necessary if the pleader engaged by a private party desires to submit written arguments after the conclusion of the case.

Final Decision: The court set aside the order of the learned Additional Sessions Judge and dismissed the application for permission to appear through counsel for the conduct of the trial.

Judgment

1. Kuldip Singh petitioner submitted an application under Section 301 (2), Cr. P. C. 1973, to Additional Sessions Judge, Sirsa, praying that in Sessions case No. 21-SC dated March 30, 1979, which relates to the murder of his brother, he may be allowed to take part in trial proceedings either personally or through his counsel. The learned Additional Sessions Judge declined the prayer vide order dated July 24, 1979. It is against this order that the present petition under Section 482, Cr. P. C. is directed.

2. The learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that under sub-section (2) of Section 301, Cr. P. C. 1973, the petitioner has a right to engage a counsel to take part in the trial proceedings before the learned Additional Sessions Judge. The learned Additional Sessions Judge has wrongly declined permission on the ground that the petitioner is not related to the deceased and the widow of the deceased has already engaged another senior counsel to assist the Public Prosecutor.

3. Section 301, Cr. P. C., reads :-

"301. (1) The Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of a case may appear and plead without any written authority before any Court in which that case is under inquiry, trial or appeal.

(2) If in any such case any private person instructs a pleader to prosecute any person in any Court, the Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of the case shall conduct the prosecution, and the pleader so instructed shall act therein under the directions of the Public prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor, and may with the permission of the Court, submit written arguments after the evidence is closed in the case.

4. Sub-section (1) of Section 301 deals with the Public Prosecutor and the Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of a case. Under sub-section (2), a private person can instruct a pleader to Prosecute any person in any Court, but such pleader can only act under the directions of Public Prosecutor of the Assistant Public Prosecutor. The Court comes in the picture only if the pleader so engaged wishes to submit written arguments after the evidence is closed. It is thus clear that the Court is unconcerned in the matter of the engagement of a pleader by a private party and of the conduct of the trial by such pleader under the direction of the Public Prosecutor. This matter is exclusively between the party, pleader and the Public Prosecutor. The permission of the Court will however, be necessary where the pleader engaged by a private party desires to submit written arguments after the conclusion of the case. The application filed by the petitioner to the learned Additional Sessions Judge for permission to allow his counsel to conduct the trial or to participate therein was misplaced. No such permission to allow his counsel to conduct the trial of the Court sought for by the petitioner is required under law. The learned Additional Sessions Judge also erred in assuming jurisdiction by refusing permission on merits.

5. In the result, the impugned order of the learned Additional Sessions Judge dated July 24, 1979, is set aside being ultra vires his powers. The application filed by the petitioner under Sec. 301 (2), Cr. P. C., for permission to appear through counsel for conduct of the trial in the Sessions case relating to the murder of Hardev Singh is dismissed being not maintainable.

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top