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2022 Supreme(Telangana) 722

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD
K.SURENDER, J.
R.Laxmi Narayana – Appellant
Versus
K.Prabhu Narayana and others – Respondents
I.A.No.1 of 2022 in Crl.P.No.2183 of 2014, Criminal Petition No.14527 of 2013
Decided on : 08-09-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Sri N.Sridhar Reddy for Sri N.Ranga Reddy
For the Respondents: Sri T.M.K.Chaitanya for R-2

Headnote:

Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 420, 406, 506, 34, 494, 495, 416, 504 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Section 482 – Offence of cheating - Criminal breach of trust - Criminal intimidation - Crl.P. is filed by petitioners to quash proceedings – Held, Nothing is stated in complaint as to how these petitioners, who are committee members have been personally benefited from said transactions - These petitioners were acting on behalf of Society and exercise was done to adjust plots to members of society - Society did not have any land or that Society was formed to cheat purchasers - There are no specific allegations against these petitioners as to their role in deliberately and intentionally causing wrongful loss to purchasers - Transactions are in nature of civil disputes - Neither ingredients of Section 406 nor 420 of IPC are attracted - Proceedings are hereby quashed - Petitions are allowed.

ORDER :

1. Crl.P.No.14527 of 2013 is filed by the petitioners/A1, A3, A4 and A6 and Crl.P.No.2183 of 2014 is flied by the petitioners/A2 and A5 to quash the proceedings in Cr.No.710 of 2013 on the file of P.S.Kushaiguda, Ranga Reddy District.

2. The petitioners are arrayed as A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 in the crime No.710 of 2013 on the file of PS, Kushaiguda, registered on 27.11.2013 for the offences under Sections 420, 406, 506 and 34 of IPC.

3. The defacto complainant filed complaint stating that he purchased 240 sq.yds of plot from Sri Bhavana Rishi Cooperative House Building Society Limited and registered under A.P.Cooperative Societies Act. The said 240 sq.yds of land was purchased by the deceased/defacto complainant after paying the entire sale consideration and also development charges.

The said plot was registered by the society in his favour on 21.04.2005 and he is in possession since then. It is further alleged in the complaint that the petitioners/accused who are Managing Committee with a dishonest and malafide intention prepared rectification deeds modifying the extent of plot to 200 sq.yds. The said act of reducing the plot from 240 sq.yds to 200 sq.yds is an act of criminal misappropriation and cheating. When the defacto complainant was performing puja in his plot, the managing committee members along with gundas have trespassed into his plot and threatened them with dire consequences.

4. Aggrieved by the illegal rectification deed that was executed, the complainant and others approached this Court vide W.P.No.22449 of 2012 & 10665 of 2010, wherein this Court passed Common Order dated 20.12.2012 declaring that the rectification deeds executed have no validity. Further, this Court observed that the aggrieved persons shall workout their remedies in accordance with law by approaching the appropriate forum.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the defacto complainant and others have already approached civil court to workout their remedies and accordingly, the civil court is ceased of the issue. The case is purely civil in nature and there are absolutely no ingredients that are satisfied to attract the offence of cheating. In support of his contention, he relied on the judgment of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Balwan v. State of Haryana, (2014) 13 SupremeCourtCases 560, wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court quashed crime on the ground that purely civil disputes were converted into criminal offence. The other judgment in the case of Shafiya Khan @ Shakuntala Prajapati v. State of U.P., 2022 LiveLaw(SC) 153, in which the Hon’ble Supreme Court while reiterating the conditions under which criminal case can be quashed held in facts of the case that no case was made out and quashed the proceedings which were registered for the offence under Sections 494, 495, 416, 420, 504 & 506 of IPC.

6. On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondent/defacto complainant filed petition to permit the LRs of the deceased/defacto complainant to come on record to argue the case.

7. Since the case is prosecuted by the State, though there is no necessity to permit the LRs to be brought on record, on behalf of the defacto complainant, however, in the interest of justice, the petition i.e., I.A.No.1 of 2022 is allowed and counsel is heard.

8. Learned counsel for the 2nd respondent submits that the acts of the petitioners attract offences under Sections 420, 406, 506 r/w 34 of IPC, as the petitioners have deliberately reduced the plot size of the plots of more than 300 members. He further argued that this Court within the powers of Section 482 of Cr.P.C cannot scuttle the prosecution at the threshold and inherent powers should not be exercised in the said circumstances. The power to investigate is the exclusive domain of the police and the court interfering at the threshold of an investigation would only result in interdicting the investigation and interfering with the powers of police in investigation. In support of his contention,

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