M.Muniyasamy v. The Inspector Of Police
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 23.04.2019
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.SESHASAYEE Crl.O.P.[MD]No.5263 of 2019 and Crl.M.P.(MD)No.3321 of 2019 1.M.Muniyasamy 2.S.Muthu Murugan 3.R.Ariyanayagam 4.N.Anbarasan 5.V.Gunasekaran 6.S.Thiruppathi 7.R.Harikrishnan 8.D.Elanthiraiyan 9.R.Muniyandi 10.B.Silambarasan 11.Y.David Kennedy 12.A.Thiruvengadam 13.S.Ilango 14.H.Anandhakumar 15.G.Muralimohan 16.M.Christopher Kennady 17.P.Antony Criminaly 18.M.Johnkennedy 19.R.Rajeswaran 20.S.Johnkennedy 21.V.Vijayaram 22.M.Ponraj 23.M.Chinnathambi 24.K.Selvaraj 25.A.Ignacimuthu 26.N.Seeni Ibrahim 27.P.Muthuraj 28.V.Murugesan 29.S.Shanmugaraja 30.R.Chandiran 31.K.Ganesamoorthi 32.J.J.Leoin 33.N.Raja 34.S.Alexander 35.M.Ravi 36.S.Jeyaraj 37.N.Anand 38.A.John Britto 39.J.Sahaya Mathiarasu 40.K.Ravi 41.T.Kalimuthu 42.R.Vasantha Kumar
43.S.Kannan 44..M.Thamarai Kani 45.J.Jacob Deva Asirvaham 46.A.Jesu Arulanantham 47.S.Mohandoss 48.P.Devadass 49.C.Godwin Sam Chandar 50.C.Thatheuraj 51.M.Velmurugan 52.S.Sudhakar 53.K.Arumugam 54.S.Sahayaraj 55.K.Murugesan 56.V.Murugesan 57.V.Ramu 58.K.Sekilar 59.G.Kanagaraj 60.C.Chandrasekaran 61.G.Sundar 62.U.Rajesh 63.A.Murugavel 64.A.Ramar 65.T.Kulasekarapandiyan 66.C.Krishnamoorthy 67.M.Muruganandam 68.N.Gomagan 69.J.Jeyaseelan 70.K.Michael Raj 71.E.Isan Samuel Arockiadass 72.S.Ravindran 73.M.Senthil Kumar 74.M.Muthukrishnan 75.A.Jesu Raja 76.A.Britto 77.P.Annapooranam 78.J.Jenet Nirmala 79.S.B.Senthamil Selvi 80.K.Roselind Heni Jane 81.P.Hemamalini 82.K.Muniammal 83.s.Jeyalakshmi 84.V.Radhamani 85.T.Shanthinirmala 86.M.Muneeswari 87.P.K.Saraswathi 88.Arthi Jeba Angel 89.S.Mathavi 90.R.Umadevi 91.K.Muthumari 92.T.Rajeswari 93.S.Francis Mary 94.R.Sahayashyamala
95.M.Parvathy 96.S.Roslin Pushpam 97.A.Maria Pushpam 98.P.Pancha : Petitioners/Accused Nos.1 to 98 Vs.
1.The State through The Inspector of Police, Kenikkarai Police Station, Ramanathapuram District.
(Crime No.326 of 2018) : Respondent/Complainant 2.M.Kalaiarasan : Respondent/Defacto Complainant PRAYER : Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C., to call for the records pertaining to the impugned FIR in Crime No.326 of 2018 dated 26.11.2018 pending on the file of the first respondent and quash the same as illegal as against the petitioners alone.
For Petitioners : Mr.T.Lajapathi Roy For R-1 : Mr.A.P.G.Ohm Chairma Prabhu Government Advocate (Crl.Side)
ORDER
The present petition is filed to quash the FIR in Crime No.326 of 2018 registered for the offence under Section 151 Cr.P.C..
2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) for the first respondent.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners herein are the part of the Association of Government Employees and they are alleged to have participated in an agitation demanding certain benefits from the Government and the case under Section 151 Cr.P.C., came to be registered. He added that Section 151 Cr.P.C., is not a penal provision, but it only enables preventive detention for a period not exceeding 24 hours when the Police Officer comes to know of a design to commit any cognizable offence by anybody and enable the Police Officer to arrest the person so designing without warrant.
4. There is merit in the submissions of the learned counsel for the petitioners. Section 151 Cr.P.C., reads under:- "(1) A police officer knowing of a design to commit any cognizable offence may arrest, without orders from a Magistrate and without a warrant, the person so designing, if it appears to such officer that the commission of the offence cannot be otherwise prevented.
2) No person arrested under sub-section (1) shall be detained in custody for a period exceeding twenty-four hours from the time of his arrest unless his further detention is required or authorised under any other provisions of this Code or of any other law for the time being in force."
5. As rightly argued, this provision only enables preventive detention for a period of not exceeding 24 hours subject to the condition that if the Police Officer has come to know that the persons to be detained under the said provision have design to commit any cognizable offences, and arresting them after obtaining necessary orders from the Magistrate under warrant is not feasible.
6. Inasmuch as Section 151 Cr.P.C., is not a penal provision, no case can be registered. Secondly on the expiry of 24 hours the proceeding dies on its own.
7. Seen from whichever angle, nothing can be justified to the continuous existing of the FIR in Crime No.326 of 2018 and it is liable to be quashed. Accordingly FIR in Crime No.326 of 2018 is quashed and this Criminal Original Petition is allowed. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed. Sd/- Assistant Registrar (CS II) // True Copy // Sub Assistant Registrar(CS) To 1.The Inspector of Police, Kenikkarai Police Station, Ramanathapuram District.
2.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.
+1cc to Mr.T.LAJAPATHI ROY, Advocate, SR.No. 62322 Crl.O.P.[MD]No.5263 of 2019 TA KK/SAR/19.06.2019/4P-4C