1994 JLJ 83
(SUPREME COURT)
P.B. Sawant and Yogeshwar Dayal, JJ.
K.P. Tiwari v. State of M.P.
S.L.P. (Cr.) No. 2081-82 of 1993; against the orders of M.P. High Court
passed in Misc. Criminal Case No. 816 and 466 of 1991; Decided on 29.10.1993.
The respect for the judiciary is not enhanced when judges at the lower level are criticised intemperately and castigated publicly. No greater damage can be done to the administration of justice and to the confidence of the people in the judiciary than when the judges of the higher Courts publicly express lack of faith in the subordinate judges for one reason or the other. It must be remembered that the officers against whom such strictures are publicly passed, stand condemned for ever in the eyes of their subordinates and of the members of the public. No better device can be found to destroy the judiciary from within. The judges must, therefore, exercise selfd`restraint. There are ways and ways of expressing disapproval of the orders of the subordinate Courts but attributing motives to them is certainly not one of them. That is the surest way to take the judiciary downhill. Order of High Court reversed. [Para 4
(2) Criminal P.C., 1973 -- S.439 (2) -- cancellation of bail granted by Sessions Court -- High Court should exercise selfd`restraint -- lower judiciary should not be condemned publicly in the order of concellation of bail -- High Court can make note of conduct in the confidential record of the lower judge concerned. Order of High Court reversed. [Para 4
¼1½ U;k;/kh‘k & mlds vkns‘k ds fo#) vo{ksi ikfjr dj lkoZtfud :Ik ls mldh fuank ugha dh tkuk pkfg, & ;g U;k; ç‘kklu ds fy, rFkk turk ds U;k;ikfydk esa fo‘okl dks vf/kd uqdlku igq¡pkrk gSA U;k;ikfydk ds çfr vknj esa vfHko`f) ugha gksrh tc fupys Lrj ij U;k;/kh‘kksa dh vla;fer :Ik ls vkykspuk dh tkrh gS vFkok mudks lkoZtfud :Ik ls QVdkjk tkrk gSA U;k; ç‘kklu vkSj U;k;ikfydk eas turk ds fo‘okl dks blls vf/kd uqdlku ugha igq¡pk;k tk ldrk tc fd mPprj U;k;ky;ksa ds U;k;k/kh‘k fdlh ,d vFkok vU; dkj.k ls v/khuLFk U;k;/kh‘kksa esa fo‘okl dk vHkko lkoZtfud :Ik ls vfHkO;Dr djrs gSaA ;g Lej.k j[kuk pkfg, fd ftu vf/kdkfj;ksa ds fo#) ,sls vo{ksi lkoZtfud :Ik ls ikfjr fd, tkrs gSa( muds v/khuLFkksa vkSj turk dh n`f"V esa lnk fuafnr djrs gSaA U;k;ikfydk dks Hkhrj ls u"V fd, tkus ds fy, blls csgrj ;qfDr vkSj dksbZ ugha gks ldrhA vr% U;k;/kh‘kksa dks vo‘; gh vkRela;e cjruk pkfg,A v/khuLFk U;k;ky;ksa ds vkns‘kksa dh fuank vfHkO;Dr djus ds vusdkusd lk/ku gSa fdarq mu ij çsjd gsrq vkjksfir djuk fofu‘pr:is.k muesa ls ,d ugha gSA og U;k;ikfydk dks uhps /kdsyus dk lqfuf‘pr lk/ku gSA mPp U;k;ky; dk vkns‘k myVk x;kA ¿iSjk 14 ¼2½ naM çfØ;k lafgrk] 1973 & /kkjk 439 ¼2½ & ls‘ku U;k;ky; }kjk eatwj tekur dk jí fd;k tkuk & mPp U;k;ky; dks vkRela;e cjruk pkfg, & tekur jí djus ds vkns‘k esa fupyh U;k;ikfydk dh fuank ugha dh tkuk pkfg, & mPp U;k;ky; lacaf/kr fupys U;k;/kh‘k ds xksiuh; vfHkys[k esa vkpj.k dh fVIi.kh dj ldrk gSA mPp U;k;ky; dk vkns‘k myVk x;kA ¿iSjk 4
1. This is a petition by a judicial officer who at the relevant time was an Additional Sessions Judge, for expunging remarks which were made against him by the High Court while reversing the orders of bail passed by him in Miscellaneous Criminal Case Nos. 816 of 1991 and 466 of 1991.
2. The undisputed facts are that the accused in those cases are charged with the offences punishable under sections 147, 148, 149, 506, 341 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code. A charge-sheet was being processed in respect of the offences in the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at the relevant time. The five accused in the meanwhile, applied for bail. Their application was considered on merits and rejected by the petitioner. However, in spite of the rejection of the application on merits, the petitioner first granted the accused temporary bail for one reason or the other and all of them were subsequently granted permanent bail. Against the order granting permanent bail, the complainant preferred an application to the High Court and prayed for cancellation of the bail. The State did not file a separate application but supported the complainant's application and also pressed for the cancellation of the bail. The High Court discussed the case of each of the five accused who were granted bail and pointed out that on facts there was no justification for granting bail to any of them and by its order of 13th July, 1991 cancelled the bail of all the accused. However, while passing the order, the High Court made the following observations:
"The fact that the final grant was made without hearing the State Govt. and without verifying the fact, points to the interestedness of Shri K.P. Tiwari, learned First Addl. Sessions Judge in the non-applicants. Indeed this interestedness is apparent in all the five cases. The impression that one gets is that Shri R.P. Tiwari, First A.S.J. has been won over by the non-applicants and therefore was open to write any judgment, or order, releasing non-applicants on bail. It is therefore a case where the non-applicant non only have shown disregard to law and the judicial process but are also reasonably suspected of exercising corrupt influence over Shri K.P. Tiwari, the First A.S.J. This Court has necessarily to recall such orders.
xxx xxx xxx
Indeed, it (Court) will be failing in its duty if it accepts corrupting influence of the non-applicants and permits illegal orders to remain effective.
3. There is no doubt that the High Court was fully justified in cancelling the bail granted by the petitioner. In fact, on the facts and circumstances on record, we are not at all satisfied that there was any case in favour of the accused for releasing them on bail.
4. We, are, however, impelled to remind the learned Judge of the High Court that however anguished he might have been over the unmerited bail granted to the accused, he should not have allowed himself the latitude of ignoring judicial precaution and propriety even momentarily. The higher Courts every day come across orders of the lower Courts which are not justified either in law or in fact and modify them or set them aside. That is one of the functions of the superior Courts. Our legal system acknowledges the fallibility of the judges and hence provides for appeals and revisions. A judge tries to discharge his duties to the best of his capacity. While dong so, sometimes, he is likely to err. It is well said that a judge who has not committed an error is yet to be born. And that applies to judges at all levels from the lowest to the highest. Sometimes the difference in views of the higher and the lower Courts is purely a result of a difference in approach and perception. On such occasions, the lower Courts are not necessarily wrong and the higher Courts always right. It has also to be remembered that the lower judicial officers mostly work under a charged atmosphere and are constantly under a psychological pressure with all the contestants and their lawyers almost breat
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