Ltd. & Ors v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr
Case Details
Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC:153472 Court No. - 74 Case :- APPLICATION U/S 482 No. - 13396 of 2024 Applicant :- Anuj Kumar And Another Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another Counsel for Applicant :- Santosh Kumar Shukla Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Saurabh Shyam Shamshery,J.
Legal Reasoning
1. Heard Sri Prabhakar Dwivedi, Advocate holding brief of Sri Santosh Kumar Shukla, learned counsel for the applicants. 2. Learned counsel for the applicants has rightly pointed out that in the present set of case offences under sections 406 and 420 I.P.C. cannot go simultaneously. Otherwise, also dispute is arising arising out of non-execution of agreement to sale i.e. dispute is essentially of a civil nature and it has been given colour of criminal case. He refers following paragraphs of judgment passed by Supreme Court in Delhi Race Club (1940) Ltd. & Ors. Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr, 2024 INSC 626, which are mentioned hereinafter: "41. Before we close this matter, we would like to say something as regards the casual approach of the courts below in cases like the one at hand. The Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) was the official Criminal Code in the Republic of India inherited from the British India after independence. The IPC came into force in the sub- continent during the British rule in 1862. The IPC remained in force for almost a period of 162 years until it was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita ("BNS") in December 2023 which came into effect on 1st July 2024. It is indeed very sad to note that even after these many years, the courts have not been able to understand the fine distinction between criminal breach of trust and cheating. 42. When dealing with a private complaint, the law enjoins upon the magistrate a duty to meticulously examine the contents of the complaint so as to determine whether the offence of cheating or criminal breach of trust as the case may be is made out from the averments made in the complaint. The magistrate must carefully apply its mind to ascertain whether the allegations, as stated, genuinely constitute these specific offences. In contrast, when a case arises from a FIR, this responsibility is of the police - to thoroughly ascertain whether the allegations levelled by the informant indeed falls under the category of cheating or criminal breach of trust. Unfortunately, it has become a common practice for the police officers to routinely and mechanically proceed to register an FIR for both the offences i.e. criminal breach of trust and cheating on a mere allegation of some dishonesty or fraud, without any proper application of mind. 43. It is high time that the police officers across the country are imparted proper training in law so as to understand the fine distinction between the offence of cheating viz-a-viz criminal breach of trust. Both offences are independent and distinct. The two offences cannot coexist simultaneously in the same set of facts. They are antithetical to each other. The two provisions of the IPC (now BNS, 2023) are not twins that they cannot survive without each other." 3. I have considered the above submissions and perused the impugned order which is reproduced hereinafter: "ददिनननांक : 24.01.2023 पतनवलली आज आदिदेश हदेततु पदेश हहई। पररिवनदिली जजतदेन्द्र कदे दवदनन अजधिवकन कको तलबली कदे दबन्दितु परि दवगत दतजथि परि सतुनन जन चतुकन हहै। ममनदे पतनवलली कन अवलकोकन दकयन। पररिवनदिली जजतदेन्द्र दनरिन मतुख्य रूप सदे यह कथिन करितदे हहए पररिवनदि प्रस्ततुत दकयन गयन हहै दक पररिवनदिली एवनां दवपकली कदे मध्य भभूदम कदे० 524 वगरगज, खसरिन सनां० 1343, सस्थित गनम रिनईसपतुरि कको क्रय करिनदे कन ससौदिन अनांकन 80,00,000/-रू० मम तय हहआ थिन। प्रनथिर्थी कदे समक गवनहनन 35,00,000/-रू बतसौरि बयननन दवपकली कको ददियदे तथिन अनांकन 35,10,815/-क डड नफ्ट कदे मनध्यम सदे ददियदे। दवपकली उक धिनरिनदश ककी प्रनदप्ति कदे पश्चनत भभूदम कन दवक्रय करिनदे सदे टनल मटकोल करि रिहदे हहै। ददिनननांक 28-07-2021 कको प्रनथिर्थी दनरिन दवपनांकलीगण सदे अपनदे ननम बहैननमन करिननदे यन रूपयदे वनपस करिनदे कन आगह दकयन गयन तको उक लकोगगों नदे प्रनथिर्थी कको गनजलयननां दिदेतदे हहए जनन सदे मनरिनदे ककी धिमककी दिदेकरि भगन ददियन तथिन कहन दक यददि रूपयदे वनपस मननांगनदे दिकोबनरिन आओगदे तको ततुम्हनरिन कत्ल करिन दिमगदे। दवपकली दनरिन फजर्थी कनगजनत बननकरि भभूदम दवक्रय करिनदे कदे एवज मम धिकोखनधिडली करिकदे प्रनथिली सदे अनांकन 70,10,815/-रू हडप जलयदे गयदे हहै। प्रनथिली उपरिकोक घटनन ककी बनबत ररिपकोटर दिजर करिननदे थिननन मधितुबन बनपभूधिनम गयन तको पतुजलस वनलगों नदे ररिपकोटर नहह जलखली। प्रनथिर्थी नदे इस सनांबनांधि मम वररिष्ठ पतुजलस अधिलीकक , गनजजयनबनदि कको दशकनयतली प्रनथिरनन पत ददियन , लदेदकन कनई कनयरवनहली नहह हहई। यनचनन ककी गयली दक दवपकलीगण कको तलब करि दिसणडत दकयन जनए। पररिवनदिली ककी ओरि सदे पररिवनदि कथिननक कदे समथिरन मम धिनरिन -200 दिनां० प्र० स० कदे तहत पररिवनदिली जजतदेन्द्र कन बयनन अनांदकत हहआ हहै। धिनरिन -202 दिनां० प्र० सनां० मम सनकलीगण रिदवपनल व लकोकदे न्द्र कको परिलीदकत करिनयन हहै। समथिरन मम पररिवनददिनली दनरिन कजथित तथ्यको कदे सम्बन्धि मदे प्रलदेख दिनजखल दकए गए हहै। पतनवलली परि उपलब्धि सनस्त सनक्ष्य व सनमगली कदे दवश्लदेषण कदे उपरिनन्त यह न्यनयनलय इस दनष्कषर परि हहै दक दवपकलीगण कदे दवरूद्ध धिनरिन - 406, 420, 504, 506 भन०दिनां०सनां० 1860 कदे अन्तगरत कनयरवनहली दकए जननदे हदेततु प्रथिम दृष्टयन पयनरप्ति आधिनरि पनयन जनतन हहै। अततः अदभयतुकगण अनतुज कतु मनरि औरि दबटभू कको धिनरिन - 406,420,504,506 भन०दिनां०सनां० 1860 मम तलब दकए जननदे यकोग्य हहै। आदिदेश अदभयतुकगण अनतुज कतु मनरि व दबटली कको धिनरिन - 406,420,504,506 भन०दिनां०सनां० 1860, थिननन ककोतवनलली, जजलन गनजजयनबनदि कदे प्रकरिण मम दवचनरिण हदेततु तलब दकयन जनतन हहै। पररिवनदिली आवश्यक पहैरिवली अनांदिरि सप्तिनह करिम। पतनवलली वनस्तदे हनजजरिली मतुसलजम ददिनननांक 08.03.2023 कको पदेश हको।" 4. In light of Delhi Race Club (supra) impugned order dated 24.1.2023 passed by learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate/Additional Civil Judge (SD) Court No.2, Ghaziabad under sections 406, 420, 504 and 506 of I.P.C. Police Station- Kotwali, Distict-Ghaziabad in Complaint Case No.634 of 2022 (Jitendra Vs. Anuj Kumar & Ors) pending before him are set-aside and matter is remanded back to learned Trial Court to pass a fresh order within a period of four months from today.
Decision
5. With aforesaid direction, this application is disposed of. Order Date :- 20.9.2024 SB