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2007 Supreme(All) 1799

[2007(7) ADJ 757]
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : VINOD PRASAD, J.
KAILASH NATH TRIPATHI .......Revisionist
Versus
STATE OF U.P. .......Opposite Party
(Criminal Revision No. 266 of 2007, decided on 29th June, 2007)

Advocates:
Counsel :
G.S. Hajela and I.K. Chaturvedi for the Revisionist; Miss and Usha Kiran, A.G.A. for the Opposite Party.

Headnote:Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988—Section 13(1) and (2)—Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985—Section 8/20/23—Customs Act, 1962—Section 11—Motor Vehicles Act, 1988—Sections 177, 194 and 113—Discharge—Refusal of—Offences under Sections 13(1) and (2) of P.C. Act—Custom officials received information truck in question carrying contraband—Intercepted and seized by them—While taking truck to Customs Office for inspection—On way truck stopped by Circle Officer (Police)—Who took truck to police station—Challaned truck for overloading under M.V. Act—Challan still pending in Court—Once challan yet to be declared illegal by Competent Court—No ulterior motive or illegal gratification shown—Hence, offence under Section 13(1) and (2) of P.C. Act prima facie not made out—Refusal for discharging revisionist not sustainable—Impugned order quashed. [Paras 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18]

       

JUDGMENT

Hon’ble Vinod Prasad, J.—Revisionist Kailash Nath Tripathi posted as Inspector (Anti-Corruption Organization) in District Varanasi has invoked revisional power of this Court under Sections 397/401, Cr.P.C. challenging the order dated 20.1.2007 passed in Special Trial No. 11 of 2004, State v. Chandrama Singh and others by which Special Judge (Anti Corruption), Gorakhpur has refused to discharge him for offences under Section 13(1) and (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

2. In brief the preceding facts are that a complaint No. 142 of 2000 was filed by Union of India against accused Kamala Singh son of Late Raj Nath Singh for offences under Sections 8/20/23 of NDPS Act and under Section 11 of Customs Act in the Court of Special Judge/Additional Session’s Judge, Court No. 4, Azamgarh on 7.11.2000 with the allegations that the Complainant Achal Kumar Agarwal is the Custom Inspector posted in District Azamgarh. On 22/23.10.2000 at 9 p.m., on the basis of a secret information he laid a trap on Azamgarh-Dohari route near Jianpur for seizing truck No. WB 25-2335 which was proceeding towards Tundala coming from Assam. At 12.00 a.m. he intercepted the said truck. On inquiry the driver of the truck informed him that there was no illegal contraband in the truck but because there was a secret information hence the complainant alongwith his companions Inspector Rajeshwar Prasad and Rajiv Kumar Biswas started proceeding towards Customs office. In the way Circle Officer (City) sent the truck to PS Kotwali on the ground of over loading. On 23.10.2000 at 11.30 a.m. the truck was returned to the customs department because of intervention of higher officers. Thereafter the truck was brought to the customs office and was searched which led to the discovery of 250 Kg. of Ganja kept in bags which on being tested was detected as Nepali Ganja. Driver of the said truck also confessed it to be Ganja. In rest of the 340 bags laden on the truck there was tea leafs weighing 11300 grams. Driver of the truck Kamala Singh also disclosed that he was offered Rs. 10,000/- as rent and the owner of the Ganja has told him to meet him at Unnao on 24.10.2000. With the aforesaid allegations the complaint was laid in the Court by the complainant as offences mentioned above were disclosed against the accused Kamala Singh.

3. In the said complaint case accused Kamala Singh moved his bail application which was rejected by Additional Session’s Judge, Court No. 4, Azamgarh vide his order dated 12.12.2000. Accused then filed his bail application in this Court being Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 588 of 2001, Kamal Singh v. State of U.P., which came up for disposal before Hon’ble S.K. Agarwal J. His Lordship finding conduct of the Circle Officer (CO City) to be dubious ordered for an inquiry vide his order dated 9.4.2001.

4. It seems that on the basis of the above order passed by this Court that a preliminary inquiry was conducted by C.B.C.I.D. in crime number 980 of 2001and after the said preliminary inquiry that a FIR was lodged by Akramul Haq, Sector Officer, C.B.C.I.D., U.P. Gorakhpur on 28.9.2001 for offences under Sections 162/218/211/120B, IPC and Section 13 (1) Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station Kotwali District Azamgarh showing the incident to be of 23.10.2000 at 12.30 a.m. against accused persons Chandrama Singh, Circle Officer (City) Azamgarh, Kailash Nath Tripathi, Inspector In charge Kotwali, Azamgarh (Present Revisionist), Constables Ravindra Singh, Rakesh Kumar and one more constable as C.B.C.I.D. case crime number 756 of 2001.

5. It was alleged in the FIR that on the instructions of Chandrama Rai, Custom Superintendent, who had received some secret information, custom Inspector Achal Kumar Agarwal, alongwith Rajiv Kumar Biswas, Rajeshwar Prasad, and constables Narendra Lal Srivastava, Bharat Maurya, Lakshman Maurya, Moti Lal, S.K. Pandey, Bhola Ram in an official Jeep reached Jianpur crossing at 10 p.m. and intercepted truck No. WB 25-2335

































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