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2023 Supreme(All) 2362

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
SURENDRA SINGH -I, J.
Puneet Sharan Tiwari and Another - Applicants
Versus
State of U.P. and Another - Opposite Parties
APPLICATION U/S 482 NO. - 4744 OF 2023.
Decided On : 13-07-2023

Advocates appeared:
For the Applicant : K.S. Tiwari,Vivek Tiwari
For the Opposite Party : G.A.,Surendra Kumar Chaubey

Headnote:(A) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Section 482 - Section 319 - Quashing of summons - Applicants sought to quash the order summoning them for trial without sufficient evidence - Charge sheet filed did not implicate them - However, prosecution witnesses supported claims against them - Trial Court’s summoning order under Section 319 Cr.P.C. upheld as no illegality found - Court reiterated that stronger evidence than mere probabilities is needed to summon additional accused during trial. (Paras 7-10, 13-14)

(B) Evidence - Standard for summoning under Section 319 Cr.P.C. - Requires more than prima facie but less than conviction standard; presence of other applicable evidence from prosecution witnesses is essential. (Paras 9-10)

Facts of the case:
The applicants were named in a FIR regarding a violent incident but were not charge sheeted by the investigating officer due to lack of evidence. They claimed false implication due to enmity. (Paras 2-3)

Findings of Court:
The court found that the summoning order was within the Trial Court's jurisdiction, supported by witness evidence stating the applicants participated in the offence. (Paras 13-14)

Issues: Whether the Trial Court erred in summoning the applicants when no specific evidence was presented against them in the charge-sheet. (Para 13)

Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized that the Trial Court can summon individuals not charge-sheeted based on evidence presented during trial, even if preliminary charges were not established. Furthermore, mere naming in the FIR is insufficient without supportive evidence. (Paras 9-10)

Result: Application under section 482 rejected; interim orders vacated.

Table of Content
1. summary of factual background of the case. (Para 2 , 11 , 12)
2. arguments regarding the sufficiency of evidence. (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6)
3. legal principles governing section 319 cr.p.c. (Para 7 , 8 , 9 , 10)
4. court's agreement with trial court's order. (Para 13 , 14)
5. conclusion and order of the court. (Para 15 , 16)

JUDGMENT

Surendra Singh-I, J.

Heard Shri K.S. Tiwari, learned counsel for the applicants, Shri Surendra Kumar Chaubey, learned counsel for opposite party no. 2, Shri Prashant Saxena, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the material available on record.

2. The present application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. has been filed for quashing the order dated 07.01.2023 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge-Ist, Bhadohi at Gyanpur in S.T. No. 55 of 2019, State v. Shaym Dhar Tiwari and others, arising out of Case Crime No. 192 of 2017, under Sections 147 , 323, 504, 506, 308 I.P.C., Police Station Koirauna, District Bhadohi. Vide the impugned order, the Trial Court has summoned applicants under Section 319 Cr.P.C. for trial.

3. It has been submitted by the learned counsel for the applicants that the Trial Court has summoned them for trial under the aforesaid sections without any evidence. It has also been submitted that although they were named in the FIR but the Investigating Officer during investigation did not find any evidence against them and did not file charge sheet against them. It has also been submitted that in the FIR lodged by opposite party no. 2, Abhishek Tiwari against applicants and six other accused persons, general role of abusing and beating the informant has been made against the applicants along with other co-accused persons. No specific role has been assigned to them. It is submitted that applicants have been falsely implicated due to previous enmity. It has also been submitted that in the evidence recorded under Section 161 Cr.P.C., the main role of causing injury to opposite party no. 2 and his mother, Meena Tiwari has been assigned to co-accused Kripashankar and applicants are not concerned with the offence under Section 308 I.P.C. It has also been submitted that there was no sufficient evidence on record to summon applicants for trial under Section 319 Cr.P.C. but the Trial Court wrongly summoned them.

4. The applicants have place reliance upon a judgment of the Apex Court in Naveen v. State of Haryana , passed in SLP (Crl) No. 3446 of 2022 on 01.11.2022.

5. Learned counsel for opposite party no. 2 as well as the learned A.G.A. have opposed the application and submitted that applicants are named in the FIR along with six other co-accused having equally participating in the offence. They have also stated that the Investigating Officer had wrongly dropped their names while filing charge-sheet. It is submitted that after framing of the charge, the prosecution witnesses injured, P.W.-1-Abhishek Tiwari, injured P.W.-2-Smt. Meena Tiwari and eye witness P.W.-3-Jatashankar Tiwari have supported the prosecution case and deposed against the applicants as well as other co-accused of having complicity in the offence during the course of which P.W.-1 Abhishek Tiwari and P.W.-2 Meena Tiwari have received fatal injuries.

6. Learned counsel for opposite party no. 2 have placed reliance upon the judgment of Apex Court in Manjeet Singh v. State of Haryana , 2021 AIR SC 4274 .

7. The scope and ambit of Section 319 Cr.P.C. has been well-settled by the pronouncement of Constitution Bench of the Hon'ble Apex Court in Hardeep Singh v. State of Punjab and others , (2014) 3 SCC 92 and paras 105 and 106 which are relevant for the purpose are reproduced hereunder :

    "105. Power under Section 319 Cr.P.C, 1973 is a discretionary and an extraordinary power. It is to be exercised sparingly and only in those cases where the circumstances of the case so warrant. It is not to be exercised because the Magistrate or the Sessions Judge is of the opinion that some other person may also be guilty of committing t

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