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2007 Supreme(All) 1095

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
Prafulla C.Pant
SARDAR IQBAL SINGH
Versus
STATE OF UTTARAKHAND
Decided On : 20 April 2007
Criminal Misc. Application No. 104 of 2007

Advocates:
Sachin Chopra, Sandeep Tandon,

The judgment emphasizes the limitations on the exercise of powers under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. and Section 311 of Cr. P. C. and the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legal process.

Headnote:

Negotiable Instrument Act - Criminal Revision - Section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881 - Section 311 of Cr. P. C. - Section 482 of Cr. P. C.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner sought quashing of the order passed by the Sessions Judge, affirming the order of the Special Judicial Magistrate in a complaint case alleging an offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881.

Finding of the Court:

The court dismissed the petition under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. on the grounds of maintainability and lack of merit.

Issues: Maintainability of the petition under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. and the exercise of powers under Section 311 of Cr. P. C.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the powers under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. cannot be exercised to circumvent the bar contained in Sub-Section (3) of Section 397 of the Code, and that the powers under Section 311 of Cr. P. C. cannot be exercised only to fill the lacuna in the prosecution evidence.

Final Decision: The petition under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. was dismissed.

Heard Sri Sandeep Tandon, learned counsel for the applicant and Sri Sachin Chopra for respondent no. 2.

2. By means of this fresh petition, the petitioner has sought quashing of the impugned order dated 13-2- 2007 (Annexure No. 13 to the petition) passed by learned Sessions Judge, Dehradun in Criminal Revision No. 15 of 2007, whereby the order dated 7-12-2006 (Annexure No. 12 to the petition) passed by Special Judicial Magistrate 1st, Dehradun, in Complaint Case No. 1615 of 2004, Sardar Iqbal Singh Vs. Anil Sharma, was affirmed.

3. Brief facts of the case are that the complainant (present petitioner) filed Criminal Complaint No. 1615 of 2004 against the respondent no. 2 Anil Sharma, alleging that the accused has committed offence punishable under Section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881. It appears that the accused (Anil Sharma) summoned in said case and the trial progressed. Annexure 4, Annexure 5 and Annexure 6 shows that on behalf of the complainant P. W. I, Sardar Iqbal Singh, P. W. 2 Smt. Seema Sachdeva and P. W. 3 Arun Kumar were got examined as witnesses. After com plainant closed the evidence, the same appears to have been put to the ac cused under Section 313 of Cr. P. C. Thereafter on behalf of the defence D. W. I Anil Kumar Sharma (accused) got himself examined and also produced D. W. 2 Dr. V. K. Mehta, D. W. 3 Rajesh Kumar and D. W. 4 Ajay Mohan Paliwal, handwriting and finger prints expert, as witnesses. After the close of the defence evidence, the complainant moved an ap plication, dated 5-12- 2006, under Sec tion 311 of Cr. P. C. for permitting him to produce a finger print and handwriting expert of his choice. The said applica tion was rejected by the trial court vide its order dated 7-12-2006. Aggrieved by said order complainant preferred the Criminal Revision No. 15 of 2007 before the learned Sessions Judge. The same was also dismissed by said Court vide order dated 13-2-2007. Hence, this pe tition.

4. On behalf of the respondent no. 2, an objection is raised as to the maintainability of this petition under Sec tion 482 of Cr. P. C. Attention of this Court is drawn on behalf of respondent no. 2, to the principle of law laid down by the Apex Court in Rajan Kumar Manchanda Vs. State of Karnataka JT 1987 (4) SC 637 and also to the one laid down in Krishnan Vs. Krishna Veni (1997) 4 SCC 241. Honble the Su preme Court in said cases have held that the powers under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. cannot be exercised to circumvent the bar contained in Sub-Section (3) of Sec tion 397 of the Code. From the papers on record, it is evident that after the complainants application was dismissed by the trial court, he preferred the revi sion before the Sessions Judge and that too has been dismissed. Undoubtedly second revision is not maintainable by the same party. As such, moving an application under Section 482 of Cr. P. C. against Revisional Courts order, amounts to review the orders passed by the courts below i. e. indirectly exercis ing the powers as second Revisional Court at the instance of the same party. This Court is in agreement with the learned counsel for the respondent no. 2 that the law does not permit this Court to entertain a petition under Section 482 of Cr. RC. to circumvent the provi sions of Sub-Section (3) of Section 397 of Cr. P. C. , except in cases of grave mis carriage of justice.

5. Assuming for a moment that this Court can entertain a petition under Sec tion 482 of Cr. P. C. in the matter, still, there is yet another hurdle on the way of the petitioner. The petitioner wanted the trial court to exercise its powers under Section 311 of Cr. P. C. to summon a fingerprint and handwriting expert. It is settled principle of law that the pow ers under Section 311 of Cr. P. C. cannot be exercised only to fill the lacuna in the prosecution evidence. A copy of the statement of P. W. 1 Sardar Iqbal Singh shows that in the cross-examination, there was a suggestion from the defence that in the disputed cheque (E





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