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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 04TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2022
BEFORE
THE HON9BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR
CRIMINAL PETITION NO.1822 OF 2019
Between:
Mahesh N N
s/o N D Nagendra Rao
Aged about 42 years
Occ: Agriculturist
r/o Ramachandrappa Village
Hosanagara Taluk
Shivamogga - 577 418.
...Petitioner
(By Sri Prasad B S, Advocate)
And:
Srinivasmurthy
s/o Krishnaachar
Aged about 50 years
Occ: Agriculturist
r/o Trinive village
Nagarakoduge Post
Hosanagara Taluk
Shivamogga-577418.
&Respondent
(By Sri Ganapathi, Advocate)
----
This criminal petition is filed under Section 482 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure, 1973 praying to quash the entire
proceedings in PCR No.157/2017 in CC No.372/2018 on the file
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of the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC, Hosanagara, for the
offence p/u/s 406, 420 of IPC.
This criminal petition coming on for admission this day, the
Court made the following:
The petitioner filed a private complaint in CC No.729/2017
against the respondent for the offence punishable under Section
138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. As a counter blast,
respondent filed a private complaint in PCR No.157/2017 against
the petitioner for the offences punishable under Sections 406,
420, 506 of IPC and Sections 5, 38, 39 of Karnataka Money
Lenders Act and Section 4 of the Karnataka Prohibition of
Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2004. The jurisdictional
Magistrate referred the complaint filed by the respondent to the
jurisdictional police for investigation under Section 156(3) of
Cr.PC. The police after conducting investigation submitted `B'
report. The jurisdictional Magistrate after considering the
protest petition and also sworn statement of the respondent,
registered the case against the petitioner for the offences
punishable under Sections 406, 420 of IPC. Being aggrieved,
this petition is filed.
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2.
Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
jurisdictional Magistrate has convicted the respondent for the
offence punishable under Section 138 of Negotiable Instrument
Act and the same has attained finality. Hence, the registration
of the case for the offences punishable under Sections 406, 420
of IPC arising out of the same incident is not sustainable in law.
3.
Learned counsel for the respondent submits that the
jurisdictional Magistrate after considering the protest petition
filed by the respondent and also after recording the sworn
statement has rightly taken the cognizance of the offences
punishable under Sections 406, 506, 420 of IPC and the same
cannot be faulted with.
4.
I have considered the submissions made by the
learned counsel for the parties.
5.
Admittedly, the respondent has been convicted for
the offence punishable under Section 138 of Negotiable
Instrument Act, 1881 by the jurisdictional Magistrate. It is not
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in dispute that the same has been confirmed by the Learned
Sessions Judge.
6.
A perusal of complaint discloses that there is no
allegation
that
petitioner
had
induced
the
respondent
complainant to part with the cheque in question with a dishonest
intention to cheat the complainant from inception which is an
essential ingredient for registration of the criminal case for the
offence punishable under section 420 of IPC. Further the
jurisdictional Magistrate has already convicted the respondent
for the offence punishable under Section 138 of Negotiable
Instruments Act, 1881. In view of the order of conviction passed
by the jurisdictional Magistarte, the respondent's counter blast
private complaint against the petitioner arising out of the very
same incident is not sustainable in law. Hence, the order passed
by the jurisdictional Magistrate taking cognizance of the offences
is not sustainable in law. Accordingly, I pass the following:
ORDER
i)
Petition is allowed;
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ii)
The
proceedings
in
PCR
No.157/2017
in
CC
No.372/2018 on the file of the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC,
Hosangara for the offences punishable under Sections 406, 420
of IPC is hereby quashed.
Sd/-
JUDGE
BKM
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