IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
Gautam Chowdhary, J.
Gaurav Gulati @ Dipesh Gulati – Appellant
Versus
State of U.P. and Another – Respondents
Criminal Misc. Application No. 9189 of 2021
Decided On : 06-09-2021
Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 394, 302, 201, 411 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Section 311 – Offence of murder – Dishonestly receiving stolen property – Voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery – Examine person present – Application has been filed with a prayer to set aside order passed in application moved by counsel for accused/applicant rejecting application paper in S.S.T. arising out of case crime , under Sections 394, 302, 201, 411 IPC, P.S. , District and further may be pleased to direct learned Court below to summon , under Section 311 Cr.P.C. as a Court witness to get him examine on oath for just decision of case – Held, From perusal of application filed under Section 311 Cr.P.C. as well as order passed therein and submissions made by learned counsel for both parties and case law cited by both parties, as well as provision itself permits that Court shall summon and examine or recall and re-examine any such person if his evidence appears to be essential to just decision of case, impugned order is hereby quashed and matter is remitted back to Court concerned to pass an appropriate order after hearing both parties within a period of two weeks from date of production of computer generated copy of this order – Partly allowed.
JUDGMENT :
Gautam Chowdhary, J.
1. Learned counsel for the applicant files rejoinder-affidavit today, taken on record.
2. Heard learned counsel for applicant, learned A.G.A. for the State, Sri Kamlesh Kumar Dwivedi, learned counsel for O.P. No. 2 perused the record.
3. This application has been filed with a prayer to set aside the order dated 12.2.2021 passed in the application moved by the counsel for the accused/applicant rejecting the application paper No. 100 Kha in S.S.T. No. 447 of 2015 (State v. Gaurav Gulati @ Dipesh) arising out of case crime No. 607 of 2015, under Sections 394, 302, 201, 411 IPC, P.S. Hariparwat, District Agra and further may be pleased to direct the learned Court below to summon the Dr. Sunil Yadav, under Section 311 Cr.P.C. as a Court witness to get him examine on oath for just decision of the case.
4. It is contended by learned counsel for the applicant that the FIR of the present against the unknown person has been lodged on 23.6.2015 with case crime No. 607 of 2015, under Sections 394, 302 IPC, P.S. Hariparwat, District Agra. After lodging the FIR the inquest report of both the deceased namely Km. Diksha nd Smt. Rama Gulati were prepared and doctor opinion the cause of death due to shock and hemorrhage as a result of anti mortem injury. Thereafter the I.O. claims to have recorded the statement of Nidhi Gulati, who is the married daughter of informant on 25.6.2015 on the basis of suspicion because after murder of her sister and mother the applicant has not came into the house of her parent. Thereafter I.O. further claims that when the applicant was arrested he told his name and father's name and on seeing his hands carefully, there were some injuries on his palm and fingers caused by sharp edge weapon and showed false recovery from his possession on 28.6.2015 and after making arrest of the applicant he was sent to medical examination in the clinic of Dr. Sunil Yadav posted as Emergency medical Officer, district Hospital, Agra wherein the medical examination report of the applicant was conducted and doctor noted Nil injury. After completing the investigation, the I.O has submitted the charge-sheet against the applicant, on which the learned Magistrate has taken the cognizance and case was committed to the Court of sessions as SST No. 447 of 2015.
5. It is further contended by learned counsel for the applicant during pendency of trial the applicant has filed an application under Section 311 Cr.P.C. for summoning of the Dr. Sunil Yadav, as a Court witness, who had conducted his medical examination for just decision of the case but the learned trial Judge vide order dated 12.2.2021 had rejected the application filed under Section 311 Cr.P.C. filed by the applicant without considering the facts and circumstances of the case.
6. Learned counsel for the applicant has also placed the reliance of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Natasa Singh vs. CBI (State), on 8.3.2019 wherein it has been stated that:
8. In Mir Mohd. Omar and Others vs. State of West Bengal, AIR 1989 SC 1785, this Court examined an issue wherein, after the statement of the accused under Section 313 Cr.P.C. had been recorded, the prosecution had filed an application to further examine a witness and the High Court had allowed the same. This Court then held, that once the accused has been examined under Section 313 Cr.P.C. in the event that liberty is given to the prosecution to recall a witness, the same may amount to filling up a lacuna existing in the case of the prosecution and therefore, that such an order was uncalled for.''
Learned counsel for the applicant has again placed the reliance of this Court in the case of Manju Devi v. S
Power to summon material witnesses under Section 311 Cr.P.C. which falls under Chapter XXIV containing general provisions as to inquiries and trials has been held to confer a very wide power on court....
Trial court has ample power to summon any person as witness for just decision of case.
The power under Section 311 Cr.P.C. must be exercised judiciously and for strong and valid reasons, ensuring a fair trial and the just decision of the case.
The essentiality of summoning a witness for a just decision of the case under Section 311 Cr.P.C. and the need to prevent delay in the trial.
Section 311 of the Code mandates courts to allow recalling witnesses if essential for achieving a just decision, reflecting the right to a fair trial.
The court emphasized that Section 311 Cr.P.C. must be applied judiciously and not to fill gaps in evidence at the conclusion of trial.
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