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2006 Supreme(All) 47

[2006(2) ADJ 209 (All)]
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : AMAR SARAN, J.
DHARAM PAL AND OTHERS .....Applicants
Versus
STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER .......Opp. Parties
(Criminal Misc. Application No. 3215 of 2004,
decided on 4th January, 2006)

Advocates:
Counsel :
S.K. Dubey for the Applicants; A.G.A. for the Opp. Parties.

Headnote:(Indian) Penal Code, 1860—Sections 323, 504, 324, 325 and 308—Criminal Procedure Code, 1973—Sections 155(2), 155(4), 461 and 460(b)—F.I.R. lodged as a non-cognizable report (N.C.R.), under Sections 323 and 504, I.P.C.—But charge-sheet issued as cognizable—Legality of—Section 154(4), Cr. P.C. provides that if one of offences, for which an accused was being implicated, was cognizable, then case shall be deemed to be a cognizable case, not-withstanding that offence was not cognizable—As applicants were also allegedly involved in offences under Sections 325 and 308, I.P.C., which were cognizable offences, hence, I.O. had power of investigating case, even without an order of Magistrate—There was no fetter in I.O., converting case under Sections 325, 308, I.P.C., on basis of Inquiry report, if in his opinion, circumstances of case, makes out such allegations which constitute those offences, even if he does not examine Medical Officer—Moreover, alleged irregularity of Police Officer in not being empowered to investigate case, was not one of irregularities, mentioned in Section 461, Cr. P.C., which vitiates proceeding, and, furthermore, in Section 460(b), it was even provided that if any Magistrate was not empowered by law orders, under Section 155, police to investigate an offence, then irregularity does not vitiate proceedings—Therefore, no error in order, taking cognizance, on basis of charge-sheet submitted against applicants—Hence, application liable to be rejected—However, applicants may apply for bail. [Paras 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10]

       

JUDGMENT

Hon’ble Amar Saran, J.—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 and 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 for 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 v. Ch. Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335. The said passage reads 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 offence 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 the 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 v. State of U.P., 2001(1) UP Cr R 147. This is a judgment 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 quashed.

2. The application is allo













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