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2006 Supreme(All) 2951

[2007(1) ADJ 74]
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : VINOD PRASAD, J.
RAM KISHORE PUROHIT —Applicant
Versus
STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS ——Opposite Parties
(Criminal Misc. Application No. 12065 of 2006, decided on 7th November, 2006)

Advocates appeared:
Rajdev Tiwari and S.K. Misra for the Applicant; A.G.A. for the Opposite Parties.

Headnote:Criminal Procedure Code, 1973—Sections 482, 156(1), 156(3) and 154(1)—Application—Prospective accused challenging order passed under Section 156(3) of CrPC—It is an administrative order seeking direction to police—No new investigation ordered—Investigation under Section 156(1) of CrPC is carried out after registration of FIR under Section 154(1) of CrPC—Held, an order under Section 156(3) of CrPC cannot be challenged by prospective accused—Since, cognizable offences were disclosed—Magistrate was fully justified in passing impugned order of registration and investigation. [Paras 1 and 4]

       

JUDGMENT

Hon’ble Vinod Prasad, J.—An order under Section 156(3), Cr.R.C. cannot be challenged by prospective accused. An order under Section 156(3), Cr.P.C. is an administrative order seeking the direction to the police. Prospective accused cannot appear and argue that the Magistrate does not have any power to direct the police to lodge the FIR for cognizable offence. The contention of the learned Counsel for the applicant is wholly illegal. Under Section 156(3), Cr. P.C. no new investigation is ordered. It is the same investigation, which is to be carried out by the police under Section 156(1), Cr. P.C. Investigation under Section 156(1), Cr. P.C. is carried out after the registration of FIR under Section 154(1), Cr. P.C.

2. The apex Court in number of cases AIR 1992 SC 462, State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, 1993 SCC (Cr.) 36; Janata Dal v. H.S. Chowdhary, 1996 SCC (Cr) 1171, Union of India v. W.N. Chadha, has laid down the law that the prospective accused has no right to be heard and in what manner the investigation is to be done and by whom the investigation has to be done is the choice of investigating agency. Accused has no right to challenge and plead that the investigation should not be done or that it would be done in particular manner.

3. Learned Counsel for the applicant has relied upon the judgment of the apex Court reported in AIR 2006 SC 2872, Central Bureau of Investigation v. Ravi Shankar Srivastava. It has been held by the apex Court in that judgment as follows :

“As noted above, the powers possessed by the High Court under Section 482 of the Code are very wide and the very plenitude of the power requires great caution in its exercise. Court must be careful to see that its decision in exercise of this power is based on sound principles. The inherent power should not be exercised to stifle a legitimate prosecution. The High Court being the highest Court of a State should normally refrain from giving a prima facie decision in a case where the entire facts are incomplete and hazy, more so when the evidence has not been collected and produced before the Court and the issues involved, whether factual or legal, are of magnitude and cannot be seen in their true perspective without sufficient material. Of course, no hard and fast rule can be laid down in regard to cases in which the High Court will exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction of quashing the proceeding at any stage. See : Janata Dal v. H.S. Chowdhary, (1992) 4 SCC 305 and Raghubir Saran (Dr.) v. State of Bihar, AIR 1964 SC 1. It would not be proper for the High Court to analyse the case of the complainant in the light of all probabilities in order to determine whether a conviction would be sustainable and on such premises arrive at a conclusion that the proceedings are to be quashed. It would be erroneous to assess the material before it and conclude that the complaint cannot be proceeded with. In a proceeding instituted on complaint, exercise of the inherent powers to quash the proceedings is called for only in a case where the complaint does not disclose any offence or is frivolous, vexatious or oppressive. If the allegations set out in the complaint do not constitute the offence of which cognizance has been taken by the Magistrate, it is open to the High Court to quash the same in exercise of the inherent powers under Section 482 of the Code. It is not, however, necessary that there should be meticulous analysis of the case before the trial to find out whether the case would end in conviction or acquittal. The complaint has to be read as a whole. If it appears that on consideration of the allegations in the light of the statement made on oath of the complainant that the ingredients of the offence or offences are disclosed and there is no material to show that the complaint is mala fide, frivolous or vexatious, in that event there would be no justification for interference by the High Court. When an information is lodged at the police station and an offence




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