PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT
Bakhshish Kaur, J.
Ram Dia - Petitioner
Versus
State of Haryana - Respondents
Crl. Revision. No. 573 of 1988.
Decided On : 1 June, 2000
Section 145 - Criminal Procedure Code - Raghubir Singh v. Gram Samaj, Kotra through Ram Asre, AIR 1964 Allahabad 394 - The court quashed the proceedings initiated under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure due to irregularities in the proceedings and failure to follow the directions contained in the remand order. The court also emphasized that the purpose of Section 145 Criminal Procedure Code is not to settle complicated issues of facts which can be appropriately dealt with by a Civil Court.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner initiated proceedings under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which were subsequently challenged and remanded multiple times. The impugned order was quashed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge due to irregularities in the proceedings.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the impugned order suffered from irregularities and failed to follow the directions contained in the remand order. It also emphasized that the purpose of Section 145 Criminal Procedure Code is not to settle complicated issues of facts which can be appropriately dealt with by a Civil Court.
Issues: Irregularities in the proceedings, failure to follow the directions contained in the remand order, and the purpose of Section 145 Criminal Procedure Code.
Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was influenced by the irregularities in the proceedings, the failure to follow the directions contained in the remand order, and the understanding that the purpose of Section 145 Criminal Procedure Code is not to settle complicated issues of facts which can be appropriately dealt with by a Civil Court.
Final Decision: The petition was dismissed, and the impugned order was maintained.
Bakhshish Kaur, J. (Oral) - The challenge in this petition is to the impugned order passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, who had quashed the proceedings initiated under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
2. The facts of this case are that Ram Dia (now petitioner) moved an application on 3.11.1976 for initiating the proceedings under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The application was dismissed as he was not found in possession, therefore, he went in revision, which was accepted and the case was remanded by the then learned Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra on 9.8.1980. On enquiry made by Shri Raj Kumar, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Nathi Ram (now respondent No. 2) was found to be in possession and again the order dated 23.3.1981 passed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate was challenged and the Additional District Judge, Kurukshetra remanded the case vide order dated 23.10.1981. The order dated 14.6.1985 passed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate after the remand was challenged in a revision under section 397 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the proceedings were quashed.
3. I have heard Ms. Geeta Mutharia, AAG, Haryana. None has appeared on behalf of the petitioner in spite of the fact that the case was shown in the list and the notice was issued to the counsel for the petitioner.
4. Certain observations made by the learned Additional Sessions Judge in the impugned order would clinch the matter and the same read as under :-
"6. The file shows that on 20th February, 1984, statement was made by the counsel for the respondent before the lower court that the decision be given after seeing the spot and in case, the matter was not clear after seeing the spot, they be asked to give evidence. The respondents therein are petitioners herein. Thereafter the case kept on being adjourned for one reason or another. In between, an application was also filed for contempt of court and its decision was also deferred. On 25.3.1985, the court observed that he considered it necessary to see the spot before giving any decision. Thereafter, six adjournments were granted. On 6.6.1985. the order indicated that the spot would be inspected on 14.6.1985. Strangely enough, on 14.6.1985 the judgment was delivered without going to the spot or without calling upon the petitioners herein to adduce evidence. The impugned order, therefore, suffers from this irregularity and is liable to be quashed on this score alone.
7. In normal circumstances, the case could have been remanded for giving fresh decision after seeing the spot or after allowing the petitioners to give evidence but I am not going to adopt this course as 12 years have already passed. The matter has been remanded twice. No useful purpose has been served by remand. No untoward incident also happened where breach of peace might have been threatened. It has also been brought to my notice that civil litigation was pending between the parties. Keeping all these factors in view I accept the present appeal and quash the proceedings initiated under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure by the respondents herein."
5. A careful reading of the impugned order, as above, and the fact that the civil litigation is pending between the parties, as observed by the learned Additional Sessuions Judge, no case is made out to interfere with the impugned order. In other words, the order dated 14.6.1985 passed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate, which was impugned before the learned Additional Sessions Judge, would show that it is highly vague. In the remand order dated 25.3.1985, it was specifically indicated that it is necessary to see the spot before giving any decision but the learned Sub Divisional Magistrate had taken no steps to inspect the same, rather remained satisfied by shifting the blame on the shoulder of another officer. The operative and the relevant portion of his order reads as under :-
"Date has been fixed to inspect the spot but the official has not
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