IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Anil Kumar Ojha, J.
Munnu and Others – Appellants
Versus
State of U.P. and Another – Respondents
Criminal Appeal No. - 2678 of 2021
Decided On : 13-08-2021
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Section 156 – Compromise – FIR - Shorn of unnecessary details case of appellants is that respondent filed an application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. before Special Judge to register case against appellants at P.S. Sadat District- Alleged in application Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. that accused persons belong to his village and are by caste - Pressuring complainant to entered into compromise in Crime - When complainant refused to do so evening armed with sticks barged into the house of complainant and started insulting him by naming caste and beaten him by kicks and fists - Accused Mahesh tried to strangulate him – Held, Authority of Hon Apex Court State Through Standing Counsel alleged offences under Section 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of SC/ST Act have been committed inside house of complainant - So Court of considered opinion that it cannot be that offences were committed within public view - So far as allegation of strangulation is concerned no injury report of complainant is on record - Also been admitted that one more case relating to SC/ST Act is pending in the court between parties - Counsel for respondent A.G.A. for State could not give satisfactory answer of aforesaid argument relating to commission of offence within public view - Upshot of above discussion is that impugned order passed by Special Judge – Appeal allowed
JUDGMENT :
1. Heard learned counsel for the appellants, learned counsel for respondent no.2, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the records.
2. Appellants have preferred this criminal appeal against the order dated 9.2.2021 passed by Additional Sessions Judge/Special Judge (SC/ST) Amroha in Complaint Case No. 45 of 2019 (Gajendra Vs. Munnu and others) whereby learned Special Judge (SC/ST Act) has summoned the appellants under Section 452 read with Section 149 I.P.C., 323 read with Section 149 I.P.C., 506 read with Section 149 I.P.C. and Sections 3(2)(va), 3(1)(Da), 3(1)(Dha) SC/ST Act, to face the trial.
3. Shorn of unnecessary details, the case of appellants is that respondent no.2 Gajendra filed an application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. before Special Judge, Amroha to register a case against appellants at P.S.-Naugawan Sadat, District-Amroha. It was alleged in the application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. that accused persons belong to his village and are 'Yadav' by caste. They are pressuring the complainant to entered into compromise in Crime No. 131 of 2019. When complainant refused to do so then Mannu, Gajendra, Ashok, Tejpal, Dinesh, Shekhar, Kaluwa, Priyanshu on 30.5.2019 at about 4:00 P.M. in the evening, armed with sticks, barged into the house of complainant and started insulting him by naming caste 'Chamar/Chamatte' and beaten him by kicks and fists. Accused Mahesh tried to strangulate him.
4. Learned Special Judge, SC/ST Act instead of registering the case, passed the order treating the application as complaint.
5. Statement of complainant Gajendra was recorded under Section 200 Cr.P.C. Statements of witnesses C.W.-1 Sompal and C.W.2 Mahipal were recorded under Section 202 Cr.P.C.
6. After hearing the complainant, the learned Special Judge, SC/ST Act summoned the appellants to face the trial in the offences stated above.
7. Learned counsel for the appellants submitted that offences have been allegedly said to have been committed within the four walls of the house of complainant. Hence, offences under Section 3(1)(r) & 3(1)(s) of SC/ST Act are not made out. As offences have been committed within the house of complainant so it cannot be said that offences have been committed within public view. He further submitted that the case against appellants is malafide. One more case relating to SC/ST Act is already pending in the court. Appeal be allowed and summoning order dated 9.2.2021 be set aside.
8. Per contra, learned A.G.A. and learned counsel for respondent no.2 Gajendra opposed the above submission and contended that appellants are committing scuffle (marpeet) with complainant and insulting him again and again. Appeal has no merits and should be dismissed.
9. Learned counsel for the appellants drew attention of court towards Section 3(1(r) & 3(1)(s) of SC/ST Act which are as follows:
3(1)(s): abuses any member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe by caste name in any place within public view; "
10. In Swaran Singh & Ors. Vs. State Through Standing Counsel & Anr. (2009 All. C.J. 751), the Hon. Apex Court has held that if alleged offence has been committed inside a building then it cannot be said that offence was committed within public view.
11. Para 28 and 34 of the aforesaid Hon. Authority of the Apex Court is quoted below:
Assault and abuse in public view – Public view is an essential ingredient to constitute offence under Section 3(1) (s) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
To establish an offence under the SC/ST Act, the conduct must occur in public view with independent witnesses; otherwise, proceedings may be quashed as an abuse of process.
The judgment established the principle that for an offence under the SC/ST Act, insults or intimidations must be targeted at the victim because of their scheduled caste or tribe status, and the conte....
Mere allegations without evidence of public view do not constitute an offence under the SC/ST Act unless insults target caste identity in a public context.
The status of a location as a private dwelling does not preclude it from being considered a place within public view if the public is present or able to witness or hear the abusive acts at the time o....
For an offence under the SC/ST Act, there must be intent to humiliate based on caste identity; mere membership in a Scheduled Caste is insufficient.
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