M.Suresh v. The State Of Tamilnadu
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 12.09.2024
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE K.MURALI SHANKAR and Crl.M.P(MD)No.9572 of 2024 1.M.Suresh 2.S.Mervin Babu : Petitioners/A1 & A2 Vs.
1.State represented by The Inspector of Police, V.K.Puram Police Station, Tirunelvei District.
(Crime No.203 of 2021) 2.A.Sundarraj ... Respondents PRAYER : Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 528 of BNSS., to call for the records pertaining to the impugned FIR in Crime No.203 of 2021, dated 21.04.2021 on the file of the first respondent for the offence under Sections 341, 294(b), 427 and 506(ii) IPC and quash the same as illegal as far as the petitioners are concerned. For Petitioners : Mr.T.Thirumurugan For Respondents : Mr.P.Kottai Chamy Government Advocate (Crl. Side) for R1.
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ORDER
This Criminal Original Petition has been filed, invoking Section 482 Cr.P.C., seeking orders, to call for the records pertaining to the impugned FIR in Crime No.203 of 2021, dated 21.04.2021 on the file of the first respondent for the offence under Sections 341, 294(b), 427 and 506(ii) IPC and quash the same as illegal as far as the petitioners are concerned.
2. The petitioners are the accused 1 and 2 in Crime No.203 of 2021 on the file of the V.K.Puram Police Station, Tirunelveli District.
3. The case of the prosecution is that due to previous enmity, on 21.04.2021 the petitioners waylaid the defacto complainant, abused him in filthy language and threatened him with dire consequences and they have also damaged the mirror of the auto worth about Rs.2,000/-. Hence, the compliant.
4. On the basis of the complaint lodged by the second respondent, FIR came to be registered in Crime No.203 of 2021 for the offence under Sections 341, 294(b), 427 and 506(ii) of IPC, against the petitioners/accused.
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5. The learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that on the basis of the complaints given by the second petitioner, two FIRs came to be registered in Crime No.229 of 2020 and Crime No.84 of 2021 and in order to take vengeance, the present false complaint came to be lodged.
6. The learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side) appearing for the State would submit that in the FIR it has been specifically stated that the petitioners had abused the defacto complainant, attacked him and caused criminal intimidation. He would further submit that the complaint discloses cognizable offence and as such, the same has to be investigated and considering the nature of the allegations and the existence of prima facie case, this is not a fit case for quashing the FIR at this stage.
7. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of State of Haryana and others Vs. Bhajan Lal and others reported in 1992 SCC (Cri) 426 has enumerated 7 categories of cases, where the power can be exercised under Section 482 of Code of Criminal Procedure and the same are extracted hereunder:- "102. In the backdrop of the interpretation of the various relevant provisions of the Code under Chapter XIV 3/8
and of the principles of law enunciated by this Court in a series of decisions relating to the exercise of the extraordinary power under Article 226 or the inherent powers under Section 482 of the Code which we have extracted and reproduced above, we give the following categories of cases by way of illustration wherein such power could be exercised either to prevent abuse of the process of any court or otherwise to secure the ends of justice, though it may not be possible to lay down any precise, clearly defined and sufficiently channelised and inflexible guidelines or rigid formulae and to give an exhaustive list of myriad kinds of cases wherein such power should be exercised.
(1) where the allegations made in the First Information Report or the complaint, even if they are taken at their face value and accepted in their entirety do not prima facie constitute any offence or make out a case against the accused;
(2) where the allegations in the First Information Report and other materials, if any, accompanying the F.I.R. do not disclose a cognizable offence, justifying an investigation by police officers under Section 156(1) of the Code except under an order of a Magistrate within the purview of Section 155(2) of the Code;
(3) where the uncontroverted allegations made in the FIR or 'complaint and the evidence collected in 4/8
support of the same do not disclose the commission of any offence and make out a case against the accused;
(4) where the allegations in the FIR do not constitute a cognizable offence but constitute only a non-cognizable offence, no investigation is permitted by a police officer without an order of a Magistrate as contemplated under Section 155(2) of the Code;
(5) where the allegations made in the FIR or complaint are so absurd and inherently improbable on the basis of which no prudent person can ever reach a just conclusion that there is sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused;
(6) where there is an express legal bar engrafted in any of the provisions of the Code or the concerned Act (under which a criminal proceeding is instituted) to the institution and continuance of the proceedings and/or where there is a specific provision in the Code or the concerned Act, providing efficacious redress for the grievance of the aggrieved party;
(7) where a criminal proceeding is manifestly attended with mala fide and/or where the proceeding is maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive for wreaking vengeance on the accused and with a view to spite him due to private and personal grudge." 5/8
8. In Dr.Dhruvaram Murlidhar Sonar Vs. The State of Maharashtra and others reported in 2019 (18) SCC 191, the Hon'ble Apex Court has specifically held that exercise of powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to quash the proceedings is an exception and not a rule. It is settled law that the inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. is wide but at the same time, the same is to be exercised sparingly, carefully and with caution and only when such exercise is justified by the tests specifically laid down in the Section itself.
9. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Kaptan Singh Vs. The State of Uttar Pradesh and others reported in 2021 (3) Crimes 247 has stated that, that Court in catena of decisions has observed that the High Court is not required to go into the merits of the allegations and/or enter into the merits of the case as if the High Court is exercising the appellate jurisdiction and/or conducting the trial and that question is required to be examined keeping in view, the contents of FIR and prima facie materials, if any, requiring no proof and at such stage, the High Court cannot appreciate evidence nor can it draw its own inferences from contents of FIR and materials relied on.
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10. It is pertinent to note that if the petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C. was filed at the stage of FIR, the allegations in the FIR/complaint only are required to be considered and whether a cognizable offence is disclosed or not is required to be considered.
11. In the case on hand, as rightly contended by the learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side), whether the present complaint is false or the occurrence alleged therein is true, is a matter for investigation and the same cannot be gone into at this stage. A cursory perusal of the FIR makes out a prima facie case against the accused and it is a matter for investigation and as such, the question of quashing the FIR at this stage does not arise at all. Hence, this Court concludes that this is not a fit case to invoke Section 482 Cr.P.C., for quashing the FIR at this stage and the same is liable to be dismissed.
12. In the result, this Criminal Original Petition stands dismissed. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed. 12.09.2024 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No das 7/8
K.MURALI SHANKAR,J.
das To 1.The Inspector of Police, V.K.Puram Police Station, Tirunelvei District.
2.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.
Order made in and Crl.M.P(MD)No.9572 of 2024 Dated:12.09.2024 8/8