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NON­REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA 

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO.  6396  OF 2012

MANOHAR M. GALANI

…APPELLANT(S)

Versus

STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS.

       …RESPONDENT(S)

J U D G M E N T

Deepak Gupta, J.

1.

Briefly stated the facts necessary for disposal of this appeal

are that the appellant’s sister had started a firm in the name of

M/s. Jubilee Capital Market Services at Ulhasnagar for sale and

purchase   of  shares   and   other  related   financial   services.    The

appellant who was otherwise employed with the Punjab National

Bank was helping his sister in the firm.   One Mr. Kishore K.

Keswani   started   investing   in   shares   and   stocks   through   the

aforesaid firm in March, 1992.  During 1993, the share market

Digitally signed by

DEEPAK GUGLANI

Date: 2019.05.08

13:02:54 IST

Reason:

Signature Not Verified

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crashed   resulting   in   very   heavy   losses   to   all   investors.     Mr.

Keswani,   however,   blamed   the   appellant   for   the   loss   of

approximately   rupees   13   lakhs   allegedly   suffered   by   him.

Thereafter, the said Mr. Keswani instituted as many as 10 cases

against the appellant and his family members directly or with the

help of others out of which one was a civil suit and the remaining

9   were   criminal   cases.     In   six   of   the   criminal   cases   arrest

warrants   were   issued   against   the   appellant   and   his   family

members and they were illegally arrested.

2.

The case of the appellant is that there was an illegal racket

in the State of Gujarat whereby some unscrupulous lawyers in

connivance with court officials were procuring arrest warrants

against   the   alleged   accused   without   following   the   procedure

prescribed by law and without verifying whether there was any

truth in the complaint.  The appellant informed one Mr. Mahatre,

a journalist about the manner in which he was arrested.   Shri

Mahatre   decided   to   carry   out   a   sting   operation.     He   filed   a

complaint   and   managed   to   obtain   arrest   warrants   against   a

sitting Judge of the Bombay High Court, the Home Minister of

Maharashtra, 3 M.L.As., a spokesman of a national party and a

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journalist.   After obtaining these warrants Shri Mahatre lodged

the same with the police to expose the scandal by which arrest

warrants were being issued.  According to the appellant, the sting

operation   was   carried   out   at   his   instance.     This   matter   was

splashed   across   the   newspapers   and   the   police   started

investigating the matter.  In fact, the Sessions Court, Nadiad took

suo motu notice and quashed the order of the Judicial Magistrate

First Class (JMFC) Dakor and recalled the warrants.   The case

was transferred from the JMFC, Dakor to JMFC, Nadiad.  

3.

A public interest litigation was filed in the High Court by

Shri Ajit D. Padiwal, an advocate.  Shri Padiwal died during the

pendency of the petition but keeping in view the serious nature of

the issues involved the High Court continued with the appeal and

appointed   an  amicus   curiae  to   assist   it.     The   appellant   also

intervened in the matter.   The criminal proceedings were also

initiated against four persons before the Dakor Court.  The High

Court by an elaborate judgment dated 15^th/20^th/21^st  and 22^nd

September,   2004   disposed   of   the   writ   petition   giving   various

directions.  None has challenged those directions.  The challenge

is limited to the directions issued by the High Court that all the

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courts where the 10 proceedings against the appellant and his

family members are pending should disposed of the proceedings

at the earliest.  

4.

The contention of the appellant is that, in fact, during the

course of proceedings before the High Court various reports were

submitted to the High Court by the police officials which clearly

indicate that the cases filed against the appellant were totally

false.  In many of the cases the complainant(s)