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2006 Supreme(All) 38

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
AMAR SARAN
DHARAM PAL - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF U.P. - Respondents
Cr. Misc. Appln. 3215 Of 2004
Decided On : 01/04/2006

Advocates Appeared:
S.K.Dubey

The legality of investigation and charge-sheet submission in non-cognizable cases, and the impact of irregularities on the trial and proceedings.

Headnote:

Investigation - Non-Cognizable Offence - Section 155 (2) Cr. P. C - Sections 323, 504, 325, 308 IPC - State of Haryana Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal 1992 Supp (1) 335: AIR 1992 SC 604 - Union of India vs. Prakash P. Hinduja. (2003) 6 SCC 195: air 2003 SC 2612 - Section 461, 460 (b) Cr. P. C

Fact of the Case:

The FIR was initially lodged as a non-cognizable report at a police station. The investigating officer later converted the case to one under sections 323, 324, 325, and 308 IPC based on the medical report.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the investigating officer had the power to investigate the case without an order of the Magistrate, and the conversion of the case under sections 325 and 308 IPC was justified based on the injury report.

Issues: The main contention was the unauthorized investigation of a non-cognizable case and the legality of the charge-sheet submitted by the investigating officer.

Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on legal provisions under Section 155 (2) Cr. P. C and interpretations from State of Haryana Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal and Union of India vs. Prakash P. Hinduja to determine the legality of the investigation and charge-sheet.

Final Decision: The court rejected the application, finding no error in the order taking cognizance on the basis of the charge-sheet submitted against the applicant.

( 1 ) I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.

( 2 ) IN this case, initially the FIR was lodged as a non-cognizable report (NCR) at police station Phoolpur, District Allahabad under sections 323 and 504 IPC on 8. 7. 1999 at 5 pm about an incident dated 8. 7. 1999. The allegations in the NCR lodged by Jagannath were that as the cattle of the accused had entered his field, when his wife and son tried to drive the animals out of the field, there was an exchange of hot words with the applicants who beat Devkali and Kamlesh with lathies and dandas, and caused injuries on the head of Devkali and arms and fingers of kamlesh. Subsequently, it appears that on the basis of the medical report the case was converted to one under sections 323, 324 f arid 325 IPC by the investigating officer and subsequently he even added section 308 IPC when he submitted the charge-sheet on 12. 10. 1999.

( 3 ) THE main contention of the learned counsel of the applicants was that the investigation by the investigating officer was unauthorized as it was a non-cognizable case and in view of section 155 (2) Cr. P. C the investigation could not have been initiated in the case without any order of a Magistrate who had power to try or commit the case for trial. Learned counsel for the applicants also relied on paragraph 34 of State of Haryana Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal 1992 Supp (1) 335: AIR 1992 SC 604. The said passage read as follows:"in this connection, it may be noticed that though a police officer cannot investigate a non-cognizable offence on his own as in the case of a cognizable offence, he can investigate a non-cognizable offence under the order of a Magistrate having power to try such non-cognizable case or commit the same for trial within the terms under Section 155 (2)of the Code but subject to Section 155 (3) of the Code. Further, under the newly introduced sub-section (4) to Section 155, where a case relates to two offences of which at least one is cognizable, the case shall be deemed to be a cognizable case notwithstanding that the other offences are non-cognizable and, therefore, under such circumstances the police officer can investigate such offences with the same powers as he has while investigating a cognizable offence. "

( 4 ) IT may be noticed that the aforesaid passage itself refers to section 155 (4) of the cr. P. C. which clearly provides that if one of the offences for which an accused is being implicated is cognizable, then the case shall be deemed to be a cognizable case notwithstanding that the other offence was not cognizable. If that was the position, then as the applicants were also allegedly involved in an offences under sections 325 and 308 IPC, which are clearly cognizable offences, hence the investigating officer had the power of investigating the case even without an order of the Magistrate.

( 5 ) IT is then contended that that investigating officer only on the basis of the medical report without taking opinion of the doctor made it a case under sections 325 and 308 IPC In my opinion there is no fetter on the investigating officer converting the case under sections 325 and 308 IPC on the basis of the injury report if in his opinion the circumstances of the case makes out such allegations which constitute those offence even if he does not examine the medical officer.

( 6 ) LEARNED counsel also relied on a single-Judge decision of this Court in the case of surendra Vs. State of U. P. , reported in 2001 (1) UP Cr R 147. This is a judgement of two paragraphs which may be quoted as under:"heard learned counsel for the parties. It has not been disputed that a report was registered at the police station and, therefore, in view of the prohibition imposed by sub- Section (2) of Section 155 Cr. P. C the police had no power to investigate the said non-cognizable case without permission of the magistrate and to submit charge-sheet under Section 308 IPC. The Charge- sheet is, therefore, illegal and deserves to be quash







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