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2008 Supreme(MP) 1160

A.M. Naik, J.
S.D. Tiwari v. Gurmeet Singh @ Billu and another
Civil Revision No. 164 of 2008 (Jabalpur) : against the order of
I Civil Judge, Class I, Chhindwara, passed in
Civil Suit No.8-B of 2005; Decided on 19.11.2008.

Advocates:
A.D. Mishra for petitioner;
Abhishek Singh for respondent No.1;
Sudesh Verma for respondent No.2.

Headnote:Limitation Act, 1963 -- Art.74 - suit for compensation for malicious prosecution -- limitation starts when acquittal is finally maintained in appeal or revision.

        In Article 74 time from which the period begins to run is described as "when the plaintiff is acquitted or the prosecution is otherwise terminated". Final termination of prosecution is not expressly mentioned. If an order of discharge is challenged in superior Court, it is treated as continuation of the prosecution. Likewise, if the acquittal is challenged in superior Court, there would be no justification in not allowing the plaintiff to watch the outcome of such proceedings and to sue for damages for malicious prosecution under this Article after the order of acquittal in his favour attains finality. AIR 1968 Bom. 21 and AIR 1963 All. 547 dissented from. AIR 1978 Cal. 302 explained. AIR 1938 Mad. 349 (FB), AIR 1946 Nag. 46 and AIR 1930 All. 326 relied on. [Para 13

        ifjlhek vf/kfu;e] 1963 && vuq-74 && fo}skiw.kZ vfHk;kstu ds fy, Áfrdj dk okn && vihy vFkok iqujh{k.k esa nks"kflf) vafrer% dk;e j[ks tkus ds i‘pkr~ ifjlhek ÁzkjaHk gksrh gSA

        vuq-74 esa ftl le; dkykof/k ÁkjaHk gks tkrh gS og bl Ádkj of.kZr gS] ^^tc oknh nks"keqDr Bgjk;k tkrk gS vFkok vfHk;kstu vU;Fkk lekIr fd;k tkrk gS**A vfHk;kstu dh vafre lekfIr lqO;Drr% mfYyf[kr ugha gSA ;fn mUekspu dk vkns‘k mPprj U;k;ky; es vk{ksfir fd;k tkrk gS rc og vfHk;kstu dk fujarj pyuk ekuk tkrk gSA blh Ádkj] ;fn nks"keqfDRk mPprj U;k;ky; es vk{ksfir dh tkrh gS] rc oknh dks ,slh dk;Zokgh dk ifj.kke ns[k dj mlds i{k es nks"keqfDr dk vkns‘k vafre gks tkus ds i‘pkr~ bl vuqPNsn ds v/khu fo}skiw.kZ vfHk;kstu ds fy, uqdlkuh dk okn ugha ykus nsuk U;k;ksfpr ugha gksxkA , vkb vkj 1968 cacbZ 21 rFkk , vkb vkj 1963 bykgkckn 547 folEerA , vkb vkj 1978 dydRrk 302 Li"Vhd`rA , vkb vkj 1938 eækl 349 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½] , vkb vkj 1946 ukxiqj 46 rFkk , vkb vkj 1930 bykgkckn 326 voyafcrA ¼iSjk 13

ORDER

1. This civil revision has been preferred against the impugned order dated 22.1.2008 passed by the Court of I Civil Judge, Class I, Chhindwara in Civil Suit No.8-B/05 deciding thereby the preliminary issues No.1 and 2 and holding thereby the suit of the plaintiff to be within limitation.

2. Short facts involved herein are that the plaintiff/respondent No.1 instituted a civil suit for recovery of damages to the tune of Rs.50,000/- from the defendant-revisionist with the allegation that he was a registered contractor of forest department and used to purchase wood from the Government. He further used to transport it after its cutting in different sizes in his saw mill situated at Rambag, Chhindwara on the basis of transit pass. Once he was taking wood in this manner to Chennai through Nagpur. Revisionist at the relevant time was posted as Town Inspector at Police Station, Chhindwara. He stopped the truck of the plaintiff bearing registration No.NHG-4187 at Nagpur Naka, Chhindwara on the ground that the wood was being carried in violation of conditions of transit pass issued by the forest department. An offence under section 379 and 420 of IPC read with sections 41, 42 and 52 of the Forest Act was registered at Crime No.90/86. Plaintiff was exonerated from the charges under section 379 and 420 of IPC. However, a criminal case bearing No.443/02 was registered against him in the Court of JMFC, Chhindwara. Learned JMFC vide his judgment dated 16.6.2003 acquitted the plaintiff from the offence under the aforesaid sections of Indian Forest Act with a finding that no offence was committed by the plaintiff. Truck was delivered to the truck owner under Supardginama despite opposition by the revisionist. Plaintiff further alleged that the revisionist acted deliberately with an intent to cause monetary and professional loss to the plaintiff knowing fully well that there was no illegality in the transportation of wood with the requisite transit pass. It is further alleged that the revisionist further insisted the Government Advocate to file an appeal challenging the acquittal as well as Supardginama. Appeal so preferred was dismissed on 7.10.2004. Thus, it is stated that the plaintiff was forced to defend a false case for 17 years. He was prosecuted with a malicious intention. Thus, he suffered mental agony as well as professional loss and claimed damages to the tune bf Rs.50,000/-.

3. Defendant-revisionist submitted his written statement. He inter alia pleaded that the acquittal by JMFC was made vide judgment dated 16.6.2003 whereas the suit for damages was instituted on 5.4.2005. Thus, it was stated that the suit being barred by limitation is liable to be dismissed.

4. Learned trial Judge raised issue No.1 and 2 on the aforesaid objections and decided them in favour of the plaintiff vide the impugned order dated 22.1.2008. Hence, this revision.

5. Heard the learned counsel and perused the record.

6. Suit for compensation for a malicious prosecution is governed by Article 74 of the Limitation Act; 1963 which reads as under :

Description of suitPeriod ofTime from whichlimitationperiod begins to run74. For compensation for a One yearWhen the plaintiff is acquitted or malicious prosecution.the prosecution is otherwiseterminated 7. Shri A.D. Mishra, learned counsel contended that the plaintiff was acquitted by JMFC, Chhindwara on 16.6.2003 and the limitation for the suit for damages on account of malicious prosecution commenced from that day. The suit in question having been instituted beyond one year after such acquittal is barred by limitation. Reliance has been placed by him on the decision of Bombay High Court in BhaskarNarhar Deshmukh v. Kishanlal Sadasukhdas and another [AIR 1968 Bombay 21], and of Allahabad High Court in the case of Madho Lal v. Hari Shanker and another [AIR 1963 Allahabad 547). Bombay High Court in Bhaskar Narhar Deshmukh's case (supra), has observed that the scheme of the Limitation Act suggests that once the peri



















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