High Court
Case Details
Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC:158690 Court No. - 74 Case :- APPLICATION U/S 482 No. - 28883 of 2024 Applicant :- Ashok Kumar Singh And 3 Others Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another Counsel for Applicant :- Anshu Chaudhary,Sr. Advocate Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Saurabh Shyam Shamshery,J.
Legal Reasoning
9. This Court has dealt with similar issue recently in case of Sachin Faujdar and another vs. State of U.P. and another, 2024:AHC:136643 wherein this Court has held as follows :- "5. In the present case, a criminal complaint was filed by complainant on 24.02.2023 to summon the present applicants under Section 392 Cr.P.C. The said complaint was registered as a criminal complaint case and thereafter statements under Sections 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. was recorded and subsequently by impugned order passed under Section 204 Cr.P.C., present applicants were summoned for above referred offence. 6. In Manju Surana Vs. Sunil Arora and others, (2018) 5 SCC 557, the Supreme Court has referred the issue to a larger Bench whether at the stage of an order passed under Section 156 (3) Cr.P.C., it would be amount to have cognizance of offence or not for purpose of Section 197 Cr.P.C. The reference is still pending. 7. In present case, proceedings are arising out of a complaint filed under Section 200 Cr.P.C. and opening words of Section 200 Cr.P.C. states that "A Magistrate taking cognizance of an offence on a complaint shall examine upon oath of the complainant and witnesses present, if any," and since the Magistrate asked the complainant to examine on oath, a cognizance has already been taken, therefore, either at stage of considering the complaint as complaint case or at stage of Section 200 Cr.P.C., the learned Court has to examined whether sanction is warranted or not under Section 197 Cr.P.C. 8. In case, said exercise skipped at that stage, it would incumbent on Trial Court to consider it at stage of passing an order under Section 204 Cr.P.C. and since such exercise has not been considered at that stage, therefore, the impugned order dated 16.12.2023 passed in Complaint Case No.9 of 2023 under Section 392 I.P.C., Police Station- Bakewar, District- Etawah, pending in the Court of learned Special Judge (D.A.A.)/Additional Sessions Judge Court No.7, Etawah is set aside and matter is remitted back to pass fresh order after considering whether sanction is required or not under Section 197 Cr.P.C. 9. In the facts and circumstances of present case, while consideration, learned Trial Court will also take note of recent Judgment passed by Supreme Court in Shadakshari Vs. State of Karnataka and Anr., 2024 SCC OnLine SC 48." 10. In aforesaid circumstances, Court is satisfied that facts of present case are squarely covered by judgment of this Court in Sachin Faujdar (supra) since such exercise i.e. to consider whether prior sanction was required or not was not undertaken either at the stage of cognizance or at the stage of Section 204 Cr.P.C. 11. In view of above, impugned order dated 12.08.2024 passed in Complaint Case No. 45/2023 (Rajendra Sharma vs. Avinash Sharma) pending before Special Judge (DAA), Etah is hereby set aside.
Arguments
1. Heard Sri Dharampal Singh, Senior Advocate assisted by Sri Anshu Chaudhary, learned counsel for applicants. 2. I find substance in argument of learned Senior Advocate that initially FIR was lodged at the behest of complainant against 20 named and one unknown person for committing offence U/s 395, 397, 427 IPC. At this stage, it is not disputed that present applicants (4 in numbers as police officers) were not named as well as that during investigation of said FIR, nothing incriminating came against present applicants. After investigation of said FIR, final report was submitted on 15.05.2022 that no offence was made out. 3. At this stage, it would be relevant to note that in regard to occurrence, an FIR was lodged against complainant side wherein after investigation, a charge sheet has already been filed. 4. Learned Senior Advocate further submits that after final report was filed, complainant filed a protest petition wherein name of proposed accused persons were extended from 20 to 49 along with 30-40 unknown persons. In the said list, applicants were named at Sl. No. 23, 31, 33, 36. Said protest petition was considered as a complaint case wherein statement of complainant and witnesses were recorded U/s 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. 5. Learned Senior Advocate further submits that thereafter by way of impugned order dated 12.08.2024, out of said list of 44 proposed accused and 30-40 unknown accused persons, 22 named accused were summoned including applicants. 6. Learned Senior Advocate, by referring relevant part of impugned order i.e. consideration part, submits that learned Magistrate in a very cursory and unreasoned manner, has exonerated about 50% of proposed accused persons and summoned remaining proposed accused persons including applicants. He also submits that impugned order does not assign any specific reason to summon applicants or to summon other proposed accused. 7. He next submits that learned Magistrate has not come up with specific reason that in given set of facts, a protection granted to police officers i.e. applicants U/s 197 Cr.P.C. that in case alleged offence is being committed by them while acting or purporting to act in discharge of their official duties, no Court shall take cognizance of such offence except with previous sanction, whether it would have any effect or not? 8. I have perused the entire impugned order and am of considered opinion that learned Magistrate has not assigned any reason that such sanction is not required. A reference may be taken of the following relevant part of impugned order -: पररववदद कक " अवलककन वकयव गयव। ववदवन अधधवकव कक ससनव जव चसकव हह एवव पतववलद कव लगवयत 49 पसतसत मवमलक मम पररववदद कक दवरव अपनक पररववदपत मम ववपकदगण कमववक 23 तक पसधलस कमरचवररयय कक नवमय कव उलकख वकयव गयव हह। पररववदद कक आवकदन पत मम घटनव मम सवधलपतव कक सवबवध मम थवनव पभवरद अशकक कस मवर व हमरवहदयवन कक नवमय कव घटनव मम शववमल हकनक कव वणरन वकयव गयव हह। पररववदद तथव अनय ररपकटर सव० 889/2020 कक पवत कक ररपकटर मम उन पसधलस पतववलद मम दवधखल हह। उक पथम ससचनव ववरद पवजदकक त पथम ससचनव वक लकग पभवरद कमववक 40 कमववक 38, लगवयत 49 कमववक सव0 34,35, वनरदकक अशकक कस मवर धसवह, कयव भसवमकवयम अदव कक गयय, धजस कम मम उलकख हह, कवमरयय कक नवमय कव उसद कम मम पररववदद अपनक पररववदपत मम पसधलस कवमरयय कक नवमय कव उलकख ववपकदगण कक वकयव गयव हह। पररववदद दवरव अपनक पररववदपत मम ततकवलदन रप मम थवनव पभवरद अशकक कस मवर धसवह कक भसवमकव कक सवबवध मम तथय पकट वववदत हह वकयक गयक हह। पतववलद कक अवलककन सक यह भद वक कवव० अवनदश, घटनवसथल पर पभवरद कवव० ववजय कस मवर, ववहन चवलक ओमवदर धसवह घटनवसथल पर पहह हचक थक। उनकक दवरव घटनव रककनक कक बजवय ववपकदगण कक मदद कक गयद। लगवयत 30, कमववक इसकक अवतररक पसधलस कमरचवरदगण कमववक 27 तथव कमववक 32, 42 कव घटनव मम शववमल हकनक कक सवबवध मम तथय पकट वकयक गयक हह, वनरदकक अशकक कस मवर धसवह कक दवरव वदतदय मकबवईल पर वनदरश कक अनसकम मम घटनवसथल पर पहह हचनक कक तथय कव अवभलकख सक उलकख हकतव हह। उक पसधलस कवमरयय दवरव घटनव कक सवबवध मम कयव- ककई सपष कथन धवरव 200 यव 202 द०प०सव० कक बयवनय मम सवकदगण दवरव सपष नहद वकयव गयव हह। व कमववक सव0-22 एस०डद०एम० कमववक सव0-21 सद०ओ० धसटद रवजकस मवर कक घटनव मम सवधलपतव कक सवबवध मम ककई सपष कथन धवरव 200 व 202 वकयव गयव हह। वक उपरकक अधधकवरदगण कक घटनव मम यह भद नहद बतवयव गयव हह पतयक भसवमकव थद। वक ककतवधधकरद एवव एस०डद०एम० वकसद भद घटनव कक घवटत हकनक पर ससचनव वमलतक हद शवननत वयवसथव कवयम करनक कक उदकशय सक ममकक पर वनवरहन करतक हह और अधदनसथय कक कवयर जवकर अपनक कतरवयय कव कव पयरवककण करतक हह। पसतसत घटनव मम उपरकक अधधकवरदगण कक नसथवत मम उनहम घटनव मम पतयक भसवमकव पकट नहद हकतद हह। ऐसद शववमल हकनक कक बववत तलब वकयव जवनव नयवयकवचत नहय हकतव हह। अपर धजलवधधकवरद पशवसन, वदनववक 05.01.2021 कक एटव दवरव धजलवधधकवरद जनपद एटव कक पकवषत जजच आखयव मम यह उलकख वकयव गयव हह वगरफतवरद कक समय अभद व धलए उपवनरदकक अनसज चमहवन, अमवरवदत आचरण करनक कक उपवनरदकक रवहहल ववधलयवन, आरकद धमरनद उपवनरदकक अनसज शमवर, धसवह, आरकद मधलखवन आरकद समरव सवगर, थवनव कक०नगर एटव पथम दषयव दकषद पतदत हकतक हह। इसकक अवतररक यह भद उलकखनदय हह आरकद गमरव कस मवर, अबदसल कलवम, वक मवमलक मम पररववदद कक द०प०सव० मम नहद वक उक गकलद अववनवश शमवर उफर वक ववपकद अरववज कक पकट मम पतववलद कक अवलककन सक सपष हह गकलद घटनव कक समय लगक हकनक कव तथय पकट हह। पररववदद कव यह रवमस भटकलक दवरव चलवयक कथन हह ववरद जक पथम जवनक पर अरववज कक लगद जबवक पररववदद कक पवजदकक त हह, उसमम पररववदद दवरव ससचनव गकलद चलवयक जवनक पर गकलद अरववज कक लगनक कव उलकख वकयव गयव हह। अरववज कक घटनव मम पतयक शववमल हकनक कक सवबवध मम ककई वववशष कथन धवरव 200 द०प०सव० मम नहद वकयव गयव हह। ररपकटर सवखयव-889/2020 द०प०सव० यव 202 कमववक सव० सव0-15 उलकख वकयव गयव हह, ककई सपष कथन पकट नहद दवरव कवस कक स कक रप मम दवधखल वकयव जवनव पतदत हकतव हह। लगवयत 20 धजन ववपकदगण कक नवमय कव उनकक भद घटनवसथल पर भसवमकव कक सवबवध मम वकयक गयक हह। पसतसत मवमलक कक पररववदद लगवयत 8 शदमतद रकखव शमवर, कमशश अचल शमवर, वमशव, हवषरतत कमशश सलमवन, पसतसत मवमलक कक तथय एवव पररनसथवतयय एवव पतववलद पर उपलबध बयवन अनतगरत धवरव 200 व सवकयय कव पररववदद व गववहवन कक 202 कमववक सव0-1 ववपकद सव0-1 द०प०सव० कक अवलककन सक रवमस भटकलक कक दवरव अनतगरत धवरव 452,147, अववनवश शमवर उफर 148, 149,323,506,392, 307,427 भवरतदय दणड सववहतव व ववपकद सव० 2 समरभ शमवर, अवपरत वमशव, ववपकद ददपक शमवर, गयव पसवद, शदमतद सव0-10 लगवयत 14 ऋषभ व शनद कक दवरव अनतगरत धवरव 452,147, 148, कमलकश, लगवयत 26 149,323,506,427 भव०द०सव०, कवव० अवनदश कमशश ततकवलदन पभवरद धसवह, कस मवर, ववपकद सव० ववपकद कमववक 33 कमववक सव0 31 उपवनरदकक अनसज चमहवन, उपवनरदकक रवहहल ववधलयवन, ववपकद कमववक 39 कवव० समरभ कक दवरव धवरव 452,147,148,149,323,427 भवरतदय दणड सववहतव कव पथम दषयव कव अपरवध बनतव पतदत हकतव हह, धजनकक परदकण हकतस तलब वकयव जवनव नयवयकवचत हकगव।" ववपकद सव० कमवकव 37 धमरनद धसवह व ववपकद कमववक 41 ववपकद सव०-23 वनरदकक अशकक कस मवर, चवलक ओमवदर उपवनरदकक अनसज शमवर, कवव० ववजय कस मवर, ववपकद कमववक 36 कवव० मधलखवन,
Decision
12. Since this order is passed without issuing notice to opposite party-2, therefore, this application is disposed of by remitting the matter back to concerned Court to pass a fresh order, after hearing complainant only, expeditiously and after taking note of Sachin Faujdar (supra). 13. Registrar (Compliance) to take steps. Order Date :- 27.9.2024 N. Sinha