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2023 Supreme(All) 2141

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
NALIN KUMAR SRIVASTAVA, J.
Vinod Kumar – Appellant
Versus
State of U.P. and Another – Respondents
Criminal Revision No. 2213 of 2018
Decided On : 24-01-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : M.P.S. Chauhan.
For the Respondents: S.P.S. Chauhan, Meenakshi Chauhan.

Headnote:(A) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Section 156(3) - Revision against rejection of application for FIR registration - Revisionist claimed the lower court failed to consider evidence, leading to erroneous rejection of a cognizable offence - Court found the order was made within jurisdiction; hence, revision dismissed. (Paras 3, 18, 42)

(B) Legal Principle - Review of application under Section 156(3) not absolute; it is within the judicial discretion of the Magistrate to reject applications based on perceived veracity of allegations. (Paras 26, 42)

Facts of the case:
The revisionist's daughter, a minor, was allegedly abducted and assaulted. The Sessions Court rejected the FIR request based on perceived flaws in the allegations, including the absence of a medical exam. (Para 6)

Findings of Court:
The application was rejected correctly due to the absence of an affidavit necessary for its support, confirming the order's legality. (Para 40)

Issues: The primary issues were whether the court had jurisdiction to reject the application under Section 156(3) and the necessity of an affidavit supporting the application. (Paras 1, 29)

Ratio Decidendi: The revision was found impermissible as the application lacked an affidavit, constituting a critical legal defect. (Para 40)

Result: Revision dismissed.

Judgement Key Points

Key Points: - Revision maintainable against an order rejecting Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. application; Full Bench clarified maintainability and right to hearing for prospective accused (!) (!) - Prior Supreme Court directions require Section 156(3) applications to be supported by an affidavit; absence of affidavit renders the application non-entertainable (!) (!) (!) (!) - Magistrate may register FIR/investigate or treat the application as a complaint or reject, based on judicial discretion; cannot be constrained to always register if allegations are not prima facie credible (!) (!) (!) (!) - The necessity of considering prior applications under Sections 154(1) and 154(3) and the veracity assessment by Magistrate is emphasized in Priyanka Srivastava and Babu Venkatesh line of authorities (!) (!) (!) - In the case at hand, lack of affidavit led to holding the revision as devoid of merit and dismissal (!) (!) (!)

What is the maintainability of a revision against rejection of an application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C.?

What is the required evidence or affidavit for an application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. to be entertainable?

What powers and discretion does a Magistrate have under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. in handling such applications?


Table of Content
1. factual background of the case. (Para 2 , 5 , 6)
2. arguments presented by both parties. (Para 3 , 4)
3. court's observations about application handling. (Para 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 20 , 22 , 27 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 36 , 39 , 40)
4. legal principles regarding section 156(3) cr.p.c. (Para 10 , 14 , 18 , 21 , 26 , 28 , 38)
5. conclusion of dismissal of revision. (Para 42 , 43)

JUDGMENT :

NALIN KUMAR SRIVASTAVA, J.

1. Heard learned counsel for the revisionist, learned A.G.A. for the State and learned counsel for the opposite party No. 2.

2. An application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. moved by the revisionist/applicant registered as Misc. Case No. 136 of 2018, Vinod Kumar vs. Aidal Singh , P.S. Gabhana, Aligarh was rejected by the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Court No. 5, Aligarh vide order dated 26.05.2018, feeling aggrieved of which, the present revision has been filed.

3. The submissions of learned counsel for the revisionist, in brief, are that the impugned order has been passed without considering the facts of the case and evidence on record. It is against the provisions of law and suffers from the jurisdictional error as the jurisdiction vested in the Court has not been exercised properly. The observations made by the learned Sessions Court are perverse and arbitrary in nature. From a bare perusal of the application moved by the revisionist under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. a cognizable offence was clearly made out and the Court ought to have ordered for the registration of F.I.R. and investigation into the matter, but the same was rejected in an illegal manner. Hence, a prayer has been made to set-aside the impugned order by allowing the present revision.

4. The learned A.G.A. appearing on behalf of the State as well as learned counsel for the opposite party No. 2 have vehemently opposed the present revision and it has been submitted that the impugned order has been passed in accordance with the legal principles governing the matter. The application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. moved by the revisionist was not sustainable in law and the learned Sessions Court committed no legal or jurisdictional error in passing the impugned order. Hence, the revision is liable to be dismissed.

5. The factual scenario, as reveals from the perusal of the application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. is that on 09.03.2018, the victim, daughter of the applicant, aged about 14 years, had gone to some outer place alongwith other women of the village. In the night at 11:00 P.M., the accused seduced her minor daughter and taking her into a Car, committed rape upon her and pressed her mouth so that she could not make any shriek. She was also threatened for her life. The incident was informed by the victim to her mother and when the informant, who was not present in the village, came back, his wife told him the incident. He searched for the accused, but could not find. Subsequently, on 27.03.2018, the accused again made an attempt to drag the victim when she was coming with her mother and when the wife of the informant and other witnesses tried to hold him, he fled away. Several applications were moved by the informant to the S.S.P. and other Police Officers and Human Rights Commission and he also went to P.S. Gabhana, but no report was lodged. Hence, application under Section 156(3) Cr.P.C. was moved before the concerned Magistrate.

6. Applications given to Station Officer, P.S. Gabhana, Aligarh dated 27.03.2018 and to S.S.P., Aligarh dated 28.03.2018 with Registry receipts were made annexure to the application. The learned Sessions Judge considering the allegations made therein false, frivolous and unnatural and also finding that no medical examination of the victim was performed, rejected the said application vide impugned order dated 26.05.2018.

7. From the rival contentions of both the sides, some relevant points for determination emerge out.

Point for determination No. 1

8. At the very outset, it is desirable to elucidate whether the p

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