High Court
Case Details
1 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 THE HI GH COURT OF SI KKI M AT GANGTOK (Cr im in al Appellat e J u r isdict ion ) O R D E R CRL. REV. P. No. 0 2 of 2 01 3 St at e of Sik k im …Pet it ioner Ver su s Gen ch en Bh u t ia, S/ o Lt . Bu m lay Bh u t ia, R/ o Chandm ar i, Gangt ok , East Sik k im CORAM …Respondent HON’BLE THE ACTI NG CHI EF JUSTI CE M R. JUSTI CE N. K. JAI N Dat e of Order : 06.1 2.2 01 3 For Pet it ion er : M/ s J .B. Pr adhan, Pu blic Pr osecu t or , Kar m a Thinlay, Addl. Pu blic Pr osecu t or wit h S.K. Chet t r i and Pollin Rai, Asst t . Pu blic Pr osecu t or s and Pr ar t hana Ghat an ey, Advocat e. For Respon den t : M/ s A. Mou lik , Sr . Advocat e wit h J .K.P J aiswal Advocat e. 2 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 Jain, ACJ (Oral). Hear d lear ned cou n sel for t he par t ies. 2. The St at e of Sik k im has pr efer r ed t his Cr l. Revision Pet it ion u n der Sect ion 397 r ead wit h Sect ion 401 of t h e Code of Cr im inal Pr ocedu r e (for sh or t , Cr . P.C.) challen ging t h e Or der dat ed 23.08.2013 passed by t he Special J u dge, Pr event ion of Cor r u pt ion Act , Sou t h and West at Nam chi, Sou t h Sik k im in S.T. (Vig) Case No.02/ 2012, wher eby accu sed-r espondent Genchen Bhu t ia has been dischar ged of t h e offence u nder Sect ion 109 IPC r ead wit h Sect ions 13 (2) and 13 (i) (e) of t h e Pr event ion of Cor r u pt ion Act , 1988 (for sh or t , P.C. Act ). 3. Fr om t he su bm issions of t he lear ned cou nsel for t he par t ies as well as t he Or der im pu gn ed, it appear s t hat a char ge-sh eet was su bm it t ed against 3 (t hr ee) accu sed per son s, nam ely, (i) Lak pa Tsher ing Gensapa, (ii) An it a Chet t r i and (iii) Genchen Bh u t ia. The lear ned t r ial Cou r t h ear d ar gu m ent s for fr am ing of char ge and vide it s Or der dat ed 23.08.2013, passed an or der t o fr am e char ge 3 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 against 2 (t wo) accu sed per son s, nam ely, (i) Lak pa Tsher ing Gensapa and (ii) An it a Chet t r i for t he offence u nder Sect ion 13 (i) (e) of t he P.C. Act r ead wit h Sect ion 120B IPC, bu t dischar ged t he accu sed-r espondent of t he offence as m ent ioned above. Being aggr ieved wit h t h e afor esaid or der , t he St at e of Sik k im has pr efer r ed t his Revision Pet it ion. 4. Mr . J .B. Pr adhan, lear ned Pu blic Pr osecu t or su bm it t ed t hat fr om t he per u sal of t he or der of t he lear ned t r ial Cou r t , it is clear t hat it is not a speak in g and well r easoned or der , no r easons have been assigned for dischar gin g t h e accu sed of t he char ges, for wh ich he was char ge sheet ed. He also su bm it t ed t hat fr om t h e or der it appear s t hat t he accu sed has been dischar ged on ly for t he r eason t hat he is not a pu blic ser vant , wher eas, as per t he ju dgm ent of t he Hon’ble Apex Cou r t in t h e case of P. Na l l a mma l a nd Anot her vs. St a t e Repr esent ed by I nspect or of Pol i ce r epor t ed in (1 9 9 9 ) 6 SCC 5 5 9 , t h e said cont r over sy has alr eady been r esolved an d t he accu sed-r espondent , wh o is a pr ivat e per son, cou ld have been char ged alon g wit h r em ain in g pu blic ser vant for abet m ent of t he cr im e. He, t her efor e, 4 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 su bm it t ed t hat t he pr esent con t r over sy is fu lly cover ed by t he decision of t he Hon’ble Apex Cou r t deliver ed in P. Na l l a mma l ’s ca se (su pr a.), t her efor e, or der passed by t he lear n ed t r ial Cou r t be set aside and t he m at t er be r em anded back for fr esh decision. 5. Mr . A. Mou lik , lear ned Senior Cou nsel appear ing on behalf of accu sed-r espondent fair ly su bm it t ed t hat alt h ou gh t his point was ar gu ed in t h e t r ial Cou r t bu t t he law poin t is set t led by t h e decision of t he Hon’ble Apex Cou r t as r efer r ed by t he lear n ed cou nsel for t he pet it ion er . His su bm ission is t hat t he lear ned t r ial Cou r t has consider ed t he evidence on m er it and on ly, t her eaft er , has r ecor ded findin g t hat t her e is no m at er ial eviden ce available on r ecor d against t he accu sed-r espondent so as t o fr am e char ge again st h im . He r efer r ed t he or der im pu gned an d su bm it t ed t hat t her e is n o illegalit y at all in t h e or der passed by t he t r ial Cou r t and t his Revision Pet it ion deser ves t o be dism issed. 6. I have consider ed t h e su bm ission s of t he lear ned cou nsel for t he par t ies and gone t hr ou gh t he or der passed by t h e lear n ed t r ial Cou r t . It is a set t led 5 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 law t hat passing of an or der fr am ing char ge is n ot a m er e for m alit y bu t a ju dicial m ind has t o be applied wh ile passing it . Fr om t he or der , it appear s t hat on ly t he su bm issions of lear ned cou n sel for bot h t he par t ies have been r efer r ed bu t neit h er t he evidence of t he case has been r efer r ed nor discu ssed nor any cogent r eason has been assigned for dischar gin g t he accu sed-r espondent . In t hese cir cu m st an ces, t wo opt ions ar e left for t his
Legal Reasoning
Cou r t . Fir st , is t o hear t he case on m er it again her e or t o r em it t he m at t er t o t he lear ned t r ial Cou r t for passing a fr esh or der aft er hear ing bot h t h e par t ies, in accor dance wit h law. Lear ned cou nsel for bot h t he par t ies su bm it t ed and agr eed t hat t h e m at t er m ay be r em it t ed back t o t h e lear ned t r ial Cou r t for passing fr esh or der in t he m at t er , in accor dance wit h law. 7. Aft er consider ing su bm issions of lear ned cou nsel for t he par t ies, I opt t he secon d opt ion an d r em it t he m at t er back t o t he lear n ed t r ial Cou r t for fr esh con sider at ion of t h e case. 8. Con sequ ent ly, t he Cr im inal Revision Pet it ion is allowed. The im pu gned or der passed by t he lear n ed t r ial 6 CRL. REV. P. No. 02/ 2013 Cou r t dat ed 23.08.2013, qu a r espondent , dischar gin g t h e r espondent is set aside. The m at t er is r em it t ed back t o t he t r ial Cou r t for fr esh consider at ion of t he m at t er . The lear ned t r ial Cou r t is dir ect ed t o pass fr esh or der , aft er affor ding an oppor t u nit y of hear in g t o bot h t he par t ies and exam ining t he en t ir e eviden ce/ r ecor d of t h e case, on fr am ing of char ge, in accor dan ce wit h law. It is needless t o m ent ion t hat a speak ing and well r eason ed or der will be passed. It is also obser ved t hat t he lear ned t r ial Cou r t will n ot be influ en ced by or der of t his Cou r t and will decide t h e case indepen dent ly on t he basis of m at er ials available on r ecor d. 9. Wit h t h e afor esaid obser vat ion s and dir ect ion s, t he Cr im inal Revision Pet it ion st an ds allowed. (N.K. Jain) Act ing Chief Just ice 0 6 .1 2 .20 1 3 pm / j k I n de x : Yes / N o I n t e rn e t : Yes / N o