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1957 Supreme(MP) 136

High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
Abdul Hakim Khan, J.
VIRESHWARRAO AGNIHOTRI - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF MADHYA BHARAT - Respondents
Criminal Appeal 43 Of 1953
Decided On : 08/13/1957

Advocates Appeared:
Mungre, P.L.DUBEY

The court is not required to inform the accused that he can appear as a witness as there is no such direction in Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Act No. II of 1947).

Headnote:

CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST - SECTION 409, INDIAN PENAL CODE - CHARGE - PROPER FRAMING - DETAILS OF CHARGES UNDER SECTIONS 468 AND 477-A, INDIAN PENAL CODE - UNNECESSARY - MISTAKE IN FATHER'S NAME IN CHARGE - IMMATERIAL - JOINDER OF CHARGES - MISJOINDER - NO PREJUDICE - DUTY OF COURT TO INFORM ACCUSED THAT HE CAN APPEAR AS WITNESS - NO SUCH DUTY - SANCTION OF APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY - NECESSARY - EVIDENCE - APPRECIATION.

Fact of the Case:

The accused, a Tax-Collector in the Municipal Committee, Gwalior, was convicted under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code for collecting tax and not depositing it in the Municipal Treasury. He appealed against his conviction and sentence.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the charge against the accused was properly framed, that the accused was not prejudiced by the lack of details of charges under Sections 468 and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code, that the mistake in the accused's father's name in the charge was immaterial, that the joinder of charges did not affect the appeal, that the court was not required to inform the accused that he could appear as a witness, and that the sanction of the appropriate authority was obtained before the prosecution was initiated.

Issues: 1. Whether the charge against the accused was properly framed? 2. Whether the accused was prejudiced by the lack of details of charges under Sections 468 and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code? 3. Whether the mistake in the accused's father's name in the charge was material? 4. Whether the joinder of charges affected the appeal? 5. Whether the court was required to inform the accused that he could appear as a witness? 6. Whether the sanction of the appropriate authority was obtained before the prosecution was initiated?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The charge against the accused was properly framed as it specified the gross sum in respect of which the offence was alleged to have been committed and the dates. 2. The accused was not prejudiced by the lack of details of charges under Sections 468 and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code as he was acquitted of those offences. 3. The mistake in the accused's father's name in the charge was immaterial as the accused was identified as a Tax-Collector in the Municipal Committee, Gwalior. 4. The joinder of charges did not affect the appeal as the accused was convicted under Section 409, I. P. C. , only. 5. The court was not required to inform the accused that he could appear as a witness as there is no such direction in Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Act No. II of 1947). 6. The sanction of the appropriate authority was obtained before the prosecution was initiated as evidenced by Ex. P-94.

Final Decision: The appeal of the accused was dismissed.

ABDUL HAKIM KHAN, J.

( 1 ) THE accused who was a Tax-Collector in the Municipal Committee, Gwalior, was convicted by the Special Judge, Gwalior, under Section 409 of the Indian Penal code, and sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment'. He has filed this appeal against his conviction and sentence.

( 2 ) THE prosecution case shortly stated is that the accused was a Tax-Collector in the Municipal Committee, Gwalior. His business was to collect tax and deposit it in the Municipal Treasury. It is said that ho collected a sum of Rs. 4,750-2-0 but did not deposit it in the Municipal Treasury. It is also said that he collected a sum of rs. 3,071-15-0 but did not at once deposit the amount as required by the rules. He kept the money with him for some time and that he deposited it later on.

( 3 ) THE learned counsel for the accused-appellant has raised many contentions and i consider them below in the order in which they have been raised.

( 4 ) THE first objection raised is that the charge was not properly framed. On turning to the record I find that the charge against the accused was framed as follows: -. . (VERNACULAR MATTER OMMITED ). .

( 5 ) ON a perusal of this, it would appear that the accused was not only charged for the offences under Section 409, I. P. C. , but he was also charged under Section 468-D, Section 477-A of the I. P. C. , and under Section 5 (2) of the Prevention of corruption Act as well. The accused has been acquitted of all the other offences, but convicted under Section 409, I. P. C. , only. In the circumstances, I have only to see whether the charge framed for the criminal breach of trust under Section 409, I. P. C. , was properly framed or not

( 6 ) ON referring to Section 222 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, I find that in a charge for criminal breach of trust what is necessary is to specify the gross sum in respect of which the offence is alleged to have been committed, and there should also be the mention of dates. Viewed from this point of view, the charge is proper, because it gives a gross sum. in respect of which breach of trust is alleged to be committed in year 1951. These particulars are sufficient and the objection is of no avail.

( 7 ) THE learned counsel for the appellant has urged that there are no details of the charges under Sections 468 and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code. But it is unnecessary to consider this point, because the accused has been acquitted of these offences and there is no Government appeal against the acquittal.

( 8 ) THE learned counsel for the appellant contends that the father's name of the accused was wrongly mentioned in the charge. In the first place, this objection does not appear to have been raised in the trial Court. Secondly, it is admitted that the accused was a Tax-Collector in the Municipal Committee, Gwalior. In these circumstances even if there is mistake in the name of his father, it does act affect the merits of the case.

( 9 ) IN ground No. 9 of the Memo of Appeal, it has been said that a charge framed for more than 3 offences in any year was illegal, and that the joinder of charges for criminal breach of trust with the falsification of accounts under Section 477-A and Section 468-D was bad. At this stage I think it unnecessary to consider the question of the misjoinder of charges, because as a matter of fact the accused has been acquitted of offences under Section 477-A and Section 468-D, and the misjoinder does not affect the present appeal. The learned counsel for the appellant has referred me to Ramsheshan, G. S. v. Emperor, AIR 1935 Nag 178 (A), but I am afraid that the Nagpur case does not help the accused at all, because in the Nag-pur case the accused was convicted by the trial Court of offences under Section 408 and Section 477-A. On revision it was he]d that the offences should not have been joined together and the case was sent back for a separate trial of the two offences. In the instant case, there is conviction under Section 409, I. P.








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