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2019 Supreme(MP) 647

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH AT JABALPUR
RAJEEV KUMAR DUBEY, J.
Rajneesh Kumar Soni – Appellant
Versus
State of M.P. – Respondent
Cri. R. No. 2037 of 2013
Decided On : 17-06-2019

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellants : R.N. Singh, Aishwarya Singh.
For the Respondent: S.S. Baghel.

The court emphasized the importance of considering all evidence, including additional evidence produced by the police, before framing charges, in accordance with the provisions of the Cr.P.C.

Headnote:

Cr.P.C. - Criminal Revision - Sections 397/401 - Framing of charges under IPC and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 - 374, 294, 506 (Part II) of the IPC and Section 3(1)(vi) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 - The court allowed the revision and set aside the order framing charges, directing the trial court to pass a reasoned order after considering the entire record and hearing both parties.

Fact of the Case:

The complainant alleged that the accused forced him and others to work as bonded laborers without wages and abused them based on their caste. The police filed a charge sheet against the accused under various sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The accused filed a revision against the order framing charges.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the Special Judge did not consider the documents and evidence produced by the police along with the closure report, and therefore allowed the revision, setting aside the order framing charges.

Issues: The issues revolved around the framing of charges under various sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the consideration of additional evidence produced by the police.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the Special Judge failed to consider the documents and evidence produced by the police along with the closure report, and directed the trial court to pass a reasoned order after considering the entire record and hearing both parties.

Final Decision: The revision was allowed, and the order framing charges against the accused was set aside, with directions for the trial court to reconsider the framing of charges.

ORDER :

1. This criminal revision has been filed under Section 397/401 of Cr.P.C. against the order dated 03.09.2013 passed by Special Judge, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Satna, District Satana in Special Case No. 61/2012, whereby learned Special Judge framed charge against applicant/accused Rajnish Kumar Soni alias Mantu for the offences punishable under Sections 374, 294, 506 (Part II) of the IPC and Section 3(1)(vi) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

2. Brief facts of the case which are relevant to the disposal of this revision are that on 15.06.2011 complainant Ashok Dhurve lodged FIR at Police Station Baraundha District Satna averring that the co accused Abdul Rashid contractor and applicant Rajnish Kumar Soni alias Mantu manager of the company Vikas Business India Private Limited took him and other 59 people from their village for Tandupanta collection as labourers. They made complainant and other 59 workers work as bonded labour from 08.05.2011 to 09.05.2011 and did not give wages to them. Whenever they demanded wages from them, they used to force them to work against their will without any wages and made them work as bonded labour. On 04.06.2011, when co-accused Abdul Rashid came to Satna from Bilaspur, he and other 59 workers went to Satna to meet him. When they demanded their wages from Abdul Rashid, he abused him with respect to his caste and also abused other labours. He also threatened not to pay any wages and to get them killed if they did not go. When they requested the applicant, he also abused them. On that Police registered Crime No. 60/2011 for the offences punishable under Sections 374, 294, 506 (Part II) of the IPC and Section 3(1)(vi) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 against applicant Rajnish Kumar and co-accused Abdul Rashid and investigated the matter. Investigation was conducted by SDOP Baraundha. During investigation he recorded the case diary statement of complainant Ashok Dhurve and other prosecution witnesses and also seized documents (Temporary Naukar Nama) of complainant. He also arrested the applicant. The other co-accused Abdul Rashid was not found, so he filed charge sheet after the investigation against applicant and co-accused Abdul Rashid in his absence before Judicial Magistrate, First Class Satna. Learned JMFC committed the case to the special Judge, Satana. On that Special Case Number, 61/2012 was registered.

3. Meanwhile, applicant lodged the complaint against Rambabu Yadav, Station House Officer, Police Station, Baraundha to the effect that he demanded bribe from the applicant and when he denied to give him bribe he assaulted him and registered a false criminal case against him. So, on the direction of Inspector General of Police Rewa Zone, Rajesh Pandey the then S.P. AJK, Rewa Range conducted further investigation of the crime. During investigation, he recorded the statements of witness and also collected the documents and after investigation he filed closure report before Special Judge Satana mentioning that from the evidence it appeared that applicant did not pay wages to the complainant and other labours within time so offence against him is made out only under Payment of Wages Act and Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. In this regard, the labour department has already filed charge sheet against them before CJM Satana. No offence under Sections 374, 294, 506 (Part II) of the IPC and Section 3(1)(vi) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is made out against the applicant and co-accused Abdul Rashid. Rambabu Yadav, the then Station House Officer, Police Station, Baraundha wrongly registered the case against the applicant and co-accused Abdul Rashid and prayed for the closure of the case.

4. Learned special Judge vide order dated 12.08.2013 rejected the prayer of the closur

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