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1994 JLJ 203
Shacheendra Dwivedi, J.
Meera Bai v. Bhujbal Singh and another
Misc. Cr. Case No. 1270 of 1992; Decided on 16.9.1993.
Sub-section (2) of section 4 of the Code and also the saving clause provided in section 5 clearly indicate that when a Special Act specifies certain offences and lays down a special procedure, the offences under such an Act must be tried under that Act itself. When an act or omission constitutes an offence under two different Acts, it should be dealt with under the Special Act if one falls strictly within it rather than the general law. [Para 6
(2) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 -- Ss. 2 (d) and 14 -- "Special Court" under the Act-- all "Courts of Sessions" have been specified as Special Court for trying the offences under. [Paras 8 & 9
(3) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 -- S. 14 -- "Special Court" -- has to follow the procedure prescribed Wider Criminal Procedure Code as there is no procedure prescribed under the Act. [Para 13
(4) Court – cannot make law -- nor can make up deficiencies in any enactment -- its function is to expound the law as it is and not to put gloss upon it -- it cannot read into law something which is not there. [Para 14
(5) Criminal P.C., 1973 -- Ss. 193, 190 and 209 -- case ‘under special enactment -- ‘‘Sessions Judge" specified to try cases -- no procedure prescribed -- general procedure of Cr.P.C. would be applicable -- charge-sheet on complaint has to be filed before magistrate -- who would commit the case to "Special Court" i.e. Sessions Court.
The Magistrate‘s Court would be the Court of original jurisdiction, also for the offences falling under the Act, to take cognizance as per section 190 of the Code, as the Act makes no provision about taking of cognizance of an offence by the Court of Session specified as Special Court. It would have the power to ‘try‘ the offence on its committal by a Magistrate. AIR 1984 SC 718 followed. 1993 CrLJ 760, AIR 1957 SC 387 and AIR 1984 SC 718 distinguished. Cr.R. No. 149/92 dissented from. [Paras 17 to 28
(6) Words and Phrases -- word "specify" -- means to mention specifically -- to state in full and explicit terms etc. [Para 27
¼1½ naM çfØ;k lafgrk] 1973 & /kkjk 4 ¼2½ rFkk 5 & fo‘ks"k vf/kfu;fefr ds v/khu vijk/k & fo‘ks"k çfØ;k Hkh fofgr & ,sls vijk/k dk fopkj.k dsoy mlh çfØ;k ds vuqlkj fd;k tkuk gksxkA
lafgrk dh /kkjk 4 dh mi/kkjk ¼2½ ls rFkk /kkjk 5 esa micaf/kr O;ko`fÙk [kaM ls Hkh Li"Vr% minf‘kZr gS fd tc fdlh fo‘ks"k vf/kfofu;e esa fof‘k"V vijk/k fofufnZ"V fd, tkrs gS rFkk fo‘ks"k çfØ;k vf/kdfFkr dh tkrh gS] ,sls vf/kfu;e ds v/khu vijk/kksa dk mlh vf/kfu;e ds v/khu gh fopkj.k fd;k tkuk pkfg,A ;fn fdlh dk;Z vFkok yksi ls nks fHkUu&fHkUu vf/kfu;eksa ds v/khu dksbZ vijk/k curk gS] ;fn og vfrfu;efu"Bk ls fo‘ks"k vf/kfu;e ds varxZr vkrk gS rc ml ij lk/kkj.k fof/k dh ctk, fo‘ks"k vf/kfu;e ds v/khu fopkj fd;k tk,xkA ¿iSjk 6
¼2½ vuqlwfpr tkfr vkSj vuqlwfpr tutkfr ¼vR;kpkj fuokj.k½ vf/kfu;e] 1989 & /kkjk 2 ¼?k½ rFkk 14 & vf/kfu;e ds v/khu ^^fo‘ks"k U;k;ky;** & vijk/kksa ds fopkj.k ds fy, leLr ^^ls‘ku U;k;ky;** fo‘ks"k U;k;ky; fofufnZ"V fd, x, gSaA ¿iSjk 8 rFkk 9
¼3½ vuqlwfpr tkfr rFkk vuqlwfpr tutkfr ¼vR;kpkj fuokj.k½ vf/kfu;e] 1989 & /kkjk 14 & ^^fo‘ks"k U;k;ky;** & naM çfØ;k lafgrk ds v/khu fofgr çfØ;k dk vuqlj.k djuk gksxk D;ksafd vf/kfu;e esa dksbZ çfØ;k fofgr ugha gSaA ¿iSjk 13
¼4½ U;k;ky; & fof/k dh l`f"V ugha dj ldrk & u fdlh vf/kfu;fefr esa dh deh iwjh dj ldrk gS && mldk ÑR; fof/k dk] tSlh og gS] O;k[;k djuk gS] ml ij eqyEek p<+kuk ugha & og fof/k esa ,slk dqN ugha Ik<+ ldrk tks mlesa ugha gSaA ¿iSjk 14
¼5½ naM çfØ;k lafgrk] 1973 & /kkjk 193] 190 rFkk 209 & fo‘ks"k vf/kfu;fefr ds v/khu ekeyk & ^^ls‘ku U;k;k/kh‘k** ekeyksa ds fopkj.k ds fy, fofufnZ"V & dksbZ çfØ;k fofgr ugha & naM çfØ;k lafgrk ds v/khu lk/kkj.k çfØ;k ykxw gksxh & vkjksi Ik= vFkok ifjokn eftLVªsV ds le{k Qkby fd;k tkuk gksxk & tks ekeys dks ^^fo‘ks"k U;k;ky;** vFkkZr ls‘ku U;k;ky; dks lqiqnZ djsxkA
vf/kfu;e ds v/khu vkus okys vijk/kksa ds fy, Hkh lafgrk dh /kkjk 190 ds vuqlkj laKku djus ds fy, eftLVªsV dk U;k;ky; vkjafHkd vf/kdkfjrk okyk U;k;ky; gksxk D;ksafd vf/kfu;e esa fo‘ks"k U;k;ky; dh Hkk¡fr fofufnZ"V ls‘ku U;k;ky; }kjk fdlh vijk/k dk laKku ugha tkus dk dksbZ mica/k ugha gSA mls eftLVªsV }kjk lqiqnZ fd, tkus ij vijk/k dk laKku djus dh ‘kfDr gksxhA , vkb vkj 1984 ,l lh 718 vuqlfjrA 1993 lh vkj ,y ts 760] , vkb vkj 1957 ,l lh 387 rFkk , vkb vkj 1984 ,l lh 718 çHksfnrA nkafMd iqujh{k.k Ø-149@192 folEerA ¿iSjk 17 ls 28
¼6½ ‘‘kCn rFkk okD; & ‘‘kCn ^^fofufnZ"V djs** & vFkZ fofufnZ"Vr% mYys[k djuk gS & iwjk vkSj lqLi"V ‘‘kCnksa esa dFku vkfnA ¿iSjk 27
Shacheendra Dwivedi -- 1. This petition poses a problem of vital importance as to whether the Sessions Court which is the 'Special Court' specified under section 14 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (for short the 'Act') is empowered to try the offence under the Act without its committal by the Court of Magistrate, as provided under section 193, of the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter referred to as 'Code').
2. Since the petition involves only a legal question, the facts of the case are not very material. Suffice it to state that the Court of Session, specified as 'Special Court' under the impugned order, refused to entertain and try the offence under the Act, on the ground that it had no power to 'try' those offences which were not committed to it by the magistrate as required under section 193 of the Code, and, therefore, dismissed the complaint filed by the petitioner, with further liberty to her to file it before the Magistrate concerned.
3. Although the Code of Criminal Procedure lays down the separate procedure to be followed for the trial of offences on police report and on private complaint and which are exclusively triable by the Court of Session with a restriction under section 193 that the Court of Session shall not take cognizance of any offence as a Court of original jurisdiction, unless the case was committed to it by a Magistrate under the Code.
4. The Code as general law, provides the procedure for the investigation, enquiry and trial of the offences. By virtue of Sections 4 and 5 of the Code, its provisions have been made applicable so all investigations, inquiries and trials• of the offences under the Indian Penal Code and/or other Laws, unless a separate procedure was otherwise provided therein.
5. It would be useful to reproduce sections 4 and 5 of the Code for the ready reference in the further discussion on the issue,
"4. Trial of offences under the Indian Penal Code and other laws.-
(1) all offences under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1960) shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the• provisions hereinafter contained.
(2) All offences under any other law shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the same provisions, but subject to any enactment for the time being in force regulating the manner or place of investigating, inquiring into, trying or otherwise dealing with such offences.
5. Saving.-- Nothing contained in this Code shall, in the absence of a specific provision to the contrary, affect any special or local law for the time being in force, or any special jurisdiction or power conferred, or any special form of procedure prescribed, by any other law for the time being in force.
6. The conjoint effect of section 4 (2) an section 5 is that all offences whether under Indian Penal Code or under any other law, have to be investigated, inquired into, tried and otherwise dealt with according to the provisions of the Code, unless there be an enactment, regulating the manner of investigation, inquiry or trial or of even otherwise dealing with such offences and in that situation the provisions of such special or local enactment would prevail over those of the Code, to that extent. Sub-section (2) of section 4 of the Code and also the saving clause provided in section 5 clearly indicate that when a Special Act specifies certain offences and lays down a special procedure, the offences under such an Act must be tried under that Act itself. When an act or omission constitutes an offence under two different Acts, it should be dealt with under the Special Act if one falls strictly within it rather than the general law. But when no special procedure is prescribed by the special law, the general procedure laid down in the Code should be followed. Again there is a further provision in section 5 of the Code that if to the contrary there be a specific provision then that will overrid
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