2007 NCC 851
UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prafulla C. Pant
SARDAR IQBAL SINGH – Applicant
Versus
STATE OF UTTARAKHAND & ANR. – Opposite Parties
Criminal Misc. Application No. 104 of 2007
Decided on : 20.04.2007
(B) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Sec. 311 — It is well settled principle of law that the powers U/Sec. 311 Cr.P.C. can not be exercvised only to fill the lacuna in the prosecution evidence. (Para 5)
¼v½ n.M izfd;k lafgrk] 1973 & /kkjk 311 & ifjoknh }kjk ,d nkf.Md ifjokn mRrjnkrk la[;k 2 ds fo#) /kkjk 138 ,u-vkbZ- ,DV esa nk;j fd;k x;k & vfHk;kstu ds lkf{k;ksa ds ijh{k.k ds mijkUr rFkk cpko i{k ds lkf{k;ksa ds ijh{k.k ds mijkUr vkSj /kkjk 313 n.M izfd;k lafgrk esa c;kuksa ds i'pkr ifjoknh }kjk n.M izfd;k lafgrk dh /kkjk 311 esa ,d izkFkZuk i= nk;j fd;k x;k & fd mls viuh ilUn dk vaxqyh fpUg fo'ks"kK dks izLrqr djus dh vuqefr iznku dh tk; & og izkFkZuk i= fopkj.k U;k;ky; }kjk vLohdkj dj fn;k x;k rFkk nkf.Md iqujhZ{k.k Hkh fujLr dj fn;k x;k & ftl dkj.k ;g ;kfpdk ih-MCyw- 1@ifjokndrkZ ds vfHkdFku dh izfr n'kkZrh gS fd izfrijh{kk esa cpko i{k dh vksj ls ;g lq>ko fn;k x;k fd dfFkr pSd esa ifjoknh us ß2001 ds LFkku ij 2004Þ dj NsM+NkM+ dh Fkh & ifjoknh us ml le; cpko ds okn dk voxr fd;k Fkk & vkSj ml le; ifjoknh }kjk vaxqyh fpUg fo'ks"kK vFkok gLr ys[k fo'ks"kK dks lk{; esa cqykus ds fy;s ugha dgk x;k & ;g dsoy cpko i{k ds lk{; ds lekIr gksus ds i'pkr fd;k x;k & vkSj ;kfpdkdrkZ }kjk ;g izkFkZuk i= fn;k x;k & bu ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa ifjoknh }kjk vfHk;kstu ds lk{; esa ikbZ xbZ deh dks Nqikus ds fy;s ;g iz;Ru fd;k x;k gS & /kkjk 311 n.M izfd;k lafgrk ds v/khu 'kfDr bl izdkj dh deh dks Hkjus dh vkKk ugha nsrh & ;kfpdk fujLr dh tkrh gSA ¼izLrj 3] 5] 6½ ¼c½ n.M izfd;k lafgrk] 1973 & /kkjk 311 & ;g fof/k dk iw.kZ :i ls LFkkfir fl)kUr gS fd /kkjk 311 n.M izfd;k lafgrk esa iznRr dh x;h 'kfDr;ka vfHk;kstu ds lk{; esa deh dks Nqikus ds fy;s iz;ksx ugha dh tk ldrhA ¼izLrj 5½
1. 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 Ist, 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 taht on behalf of the complainant P.W. 1, Sardar Iqbal Singh, P.W. 2 Smt. Seema Sachdeva and P.W. 3 Arun Kumar were got examined as witnesses. After complainant closed the evidence, the same appears to have been put to the accused under Section 313 of Cr.P.C. Thereafter on behalf of the defence D.W. 1 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 application, dated 5.12.2006, under Section 311 of Cr.P.C. for permitting him to produce a finger print and handwriting expert of his choice. The said applicant 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 petition.
4. On behalf of the respondent No. 2, an objection is raised as to the maintainability of this petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. Attention of this Copurt 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. Hon’ble the Supreme 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 Section 397 of the Code. From the papers on record, it is evident that after the complainant’s application was dismissed by the trial court, he preferred the revision 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 Court’s order, amounts to review the orders passed by the courts below i.e. indirectly exercising 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.P.C. to circumvent the provisions of Sub-section (3) of Section 397 of Cr.P.C., except in cases of grave miscarriage of justice.
5. Assuming for a moment that this Court can entertain a petition under Section 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 powers 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 (Ext. A-2), complainant has got i
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