High Court
Case Details
Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC:188254 Court No. - 78 Case :- APPLICATION U/S 482 No. - 38705 of 2024 Applicant :- Madhu Naagar Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another Counsel for Applicant :- Harikesh,Mohd Raghib Ali Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Vinod Diwakar,J. 1. Heard Shri Sagir Ahmad, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Shri Harikesh Gupta and Mohd. Raghib Ali, learned counsel for the applicant, Shri P.K. Giri, learned Additional Advocate General assisted by Shri J.K. Upadhyay, learned A.G.A for the State- respondent, and perused the record. 2. The instant application has been preferred with the prayer to quash the impugned supplementary charge sheet dated 17.02.2024 and cognizance order dated 1.3.2024 as well as entire criminal proceedings of Case No.579 of 2024, arising out of Case Crime No.0074 of 2023, under Sections 341, 342, 385, 386, 506, 34 I.P.C., registered at P.S. Ecotech-III, District Gautam Budh Nagar, qua the applicant only, pending in the court of learned Civil Judge (Senior Division)-2/Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar. 3. In brief, the prosecution’s case is that complainant Manish Kumar, the authorized representative of Popular Honcos, informed the police that when companies’ vehicle were heading towards Ghaziabad after collecting scrap, the gang-members of Ravi Nagar stopped their vehicle stating that nobody could collect the scrap from the companies situated in Noida and in-and-around area without paying 50% of the profit earned from the scrap business. The companies’ employee were 1 extremely frightened and wound-up their business operations in Noida and Greater Noida and thereby company started suffering huge losses. After gathering courage, the complainant submitted a written
Legal Reasoning
complaint to the police requesting the registration of an FIR against the Ravi Nagar and his gang-members. The gang consist of 100-250 members, against whom numerous cases are regularly registered in Noida, Ghaziabad, and Bulandshahar. 3.1 The primary activities of the gang involves illegal collection of money from businessmen, scrap dealers, contractors, and other vulnerable individuals by use of extending threats to their lives and property. After collecting the money through criminal means, investing it and converting illegal earning into legitimate funds through sham companies controlled and operated by Vikas Nagar, Km. Kajal Jha and Madhu Nagar w/o Ravi Nagar- the gang leader. 3.2 The gang earns crores of rupees every month through the theft of iron rods and scrap. Different gang members have been assigned various responsibilities. Multiple cases have been registered against this gang in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, and nearby districts. Some gang members are directly involved in looting iron rods and stealing scrap from companies, while Vikas Nagar, Madhu Nagar, and Kajal Jha are responsible for laundering the proceeds from these crimes. They play an active role in the gang’s operations. 4. Based on the aforesaid facts, the impugned FIR was registered against gang-leader Ravi Kana and other associates, the police, after conducting investigation filed the charge sheet against the accused persons arraying, the applicant as one of the accused. Aggrieved by the filing of the supplementary charge sheet and impugned summoning order, the applicant has preferred the present application. 5. Learned Senior Counsel for the applicant states that there is no evidence pursuant to the allegations levelled against the applicant; 2 there is no material on record which could justify the summoning of the applicant under sections 341, 342, 385, 386, 506, 34 I.P.C.; the entire charge sheet is silent about the role of the applicant, and for the first time, the applicant's role surfaced in the third supplementary statement of the complainant recorded by the Investigating Officer that she converts the extorted money of her husband into the white money, and based on the sole allegation, the applicant cannot be summoned under the aforesaid sections. He further submits that the summoning order is bad in eyes of law as the learned Magistrate has not clarified as to whether the court has summoned the applicant or has taken the cognizance of the offence. He next submits that on examination of the contents of the summoning order, it is manifestly clear that the learned Magistrate has taken cognizance of the accused and not of the offence, and referred to Section 2(h) and section 2(n) of Cr.P.C. 6. Learned Senior Counsel further invited the Court’s attention to Section 4 of the Evidence Act, where the word 'may presume' is mentioned. Section 4 of the Evidence Act is reproduced hereinbelow: "4. "May presume"- Whenever it is provided by this Act that the Court may presume a fact, it may either regard such fact as proved, unless and until it is disproved, or may call for proof of it. "Shall presume" – Whenever it is directed by this Act that the Court shall presume a fact, it shall regard such fact as proved, unless and until it disproved. "Conclusive proof" – When one fact is declared by this Act to be conclusive proof of another, the Court shall, on proof of the one fact, regard the other as proved, and shall not allow evidence to be given for the purpose of disproving it." 7. Learned Senior Counsel further submits that when Section 4 of the Evidence Act is read together with the contents of the cognizance order, it can be observed that the learned Magistrate has taken cognizance of the offender, and not of the offence. The scope of interpretation is only available to the provision of law. The judicial 3 order shall be read and understood as it is; no interpretation is permissible in law.
Legal Reasoning
8. Per contra, Shri P.K. Giri, learned Additional Advocate General states that the applicant is involved in extortion of money and her husband is the gang-leader; numerous cases are pending trial against the applicant and her husband; the applicant also assisted the main accused in the commission of the crime; and whether the applicant's role has been surfaced at the initial stage, intermediary or at final stage of investigation is immaterial. Learned A.A.G. has drawn attention of the Court to the statement of complainant and one Dinesh Kumar, and states that there are sufficient material to summon the applicant under Sections 341, 342, 385, 386, 506, 34 I.P.C. He next submits that on examination of the contents of the summoning order, it is nowhere mentioned that the learned Magistrate has taken cognizance of the offender and referred to the contents of the
Decision
cognizance order. For clarity, the impugned order is extracted herein below: आज यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध अति(cid:7)रि(cid:9)क्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध आ(cid:9)ोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध प पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध त्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध वि(cid:15)(cid:15)ेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध द्वा(cid:9)ा अभि(cid:22)युक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ा मधु नाग(cid:9) क द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध े वि(cid:15)रुद्ध u/s- " 341,342,385,386,506,34 IPC प्राप्त हुआ। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन ह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ुआ। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन क द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ेश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन डाय(cid:9)ी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन (cid:15) अन्य प्रप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध त्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ों का अवलोकन क द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ा अ(cid:15)लोक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध न विक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध यागया। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनसंज्ञानलिलयेज यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ानेक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ाआधा(cid:9)प पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध या+प्त हुआ। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ै। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनसंज्ञानलिलयागया। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनदज यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध +(cid:9)जिज यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ० हो। पत्रावलीह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ो। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध त्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ा(cid:15)ली व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन प पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ू(cid:15)+विनय(cid:7)विदनांक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध 18.03.24 After hearing the learned counsel for the parties and upon क द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ेश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ो। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकनअभि(cid:22)युक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ाज यह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ेलमें निरुद्ध है। तलब हो।विनरुद्ध ह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ै। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन(cid:7)लब हो।ह अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र विवेचक द्वारा अभियुक्ता मधु नागर के विरुद्ध ो। केश डायरी व अन्य प्रपत्रों का अवलोकन" 9. perusal of the record, it is prima facie established that the applicant was actively involved in the activities of the gang of her husband. Multiple complaints have been lodged against both, the applicant and her husband in this regard, indicating the commission of a cognizable offence. The statements of the complainant and other witnesses, recorded under Section 161 Cr.P.C., clearly highlight the applicant's involvement in facilitating the activities of the gang. It is specifically stated that the applicant played a crucial role in managing and controlling sham companies, which were used to invest and convert the illegally acquired money into legitimate funds. Therefore, no case 4 is made out for quashing the impugned proceedings. Prima facie, the ingredients of offences punishable under Sections 341, 342, 385, 386, 506, and 34 I.P.C. are satisfied from a plain reading of the statements of complainant Manish Kumar and Dinesh Kumar, the Field Manager of Popular Honcos Company. 10. The legal submissions advanced by the learned Senior Counsel hold no merit at this stage, as a plain reading of the FIR and an examination of the material collected during the investigation establishes a prima-facie case against the applicant. No legal impediment has been demonstrated by the learned Senior Counsel regarding the registration of the FIR, the conduct of the investigation, the filing of the charge sheet, or in the summoning order warranting interference by this Court, at this stage. 11. So far as the factual submissions made by the learned Senior Counsel for the applicant, they pertain to questions of fact that fall within the exclusive domain of the trial court for proper adjudication. The appreciation of evidence, and assessment of the credibility and reliability of witness statements do not come within the scope of jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. Based on the material available on record, it cannot be concluded that the impugned criminal proceedings are vitiated by mala-fides or have been maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive to harass the applicant or to settle personal scores. Similarly, no illegality, perversity, or substantial error has been pointed out in the impugned summoning order to justify interference by this Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C. 12. In view of the aforesaid deliberations, the application u/s 482 Cr.P.C. is devoid of merit, and it is accordingly dismissed. Order Date:- 29.11.2024 Anil K. Sharma Justice Vinod Diwakar 5