← Library
High Court of Punjab and HaryanaLPA/2032/2014allowed

Jasbir Kaur v. Chandigarh Administration & ORS

2024-07-26Mr. Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia,Mr. Justice Vikas Bahl37 pages



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The head of the State level Complaints Authority shall be chosen by the State Government out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice; the head of the district level Complaints Authority may also be chosen out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice or a Judge of the High Court nominated by him. These Authorities may be assisted by three to five members depending upon the volume of complaints in different States/districts, and they shall be selected by the State Government from a panel prepared by the State Human Rights Commission/Lok Ayukta/State Public Service Commission. The panel may include members from amongst retired civil servants, police officers or officers from any other department, or from the civil society.

They would work whole time for the Authority and would have to be suitably remunerated for the services rendered by them. The Authority may also need the services of regular staff to conduct field inquiries. For this purpose, they may utilize the services of retired investigators from the CID, Intelligence, Vigilance or any other organization. The State level Complaints Authority would take cognizance of only allegations of serious misconduct by the police personnel, which would include incidents involving death, grievous hurt or rape in police custody.

2 also inquire into allegations of extortion, land/house grabbing or any incident involving serious abuse of authority. The recommendations of the Complaints Authority, both at the district and State levels, for any action, departmental or criminal, against a delinquent police officer shall be binding on the concerned authority." A perusal of the above judgment would show that it was observed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court that the State Level Complaint Authority would take cognizance of allegations of serious misconduct by the police personnel, which would include incidents involving death, grievous hurt or rape in police custody and the district level Complaints Authority would, apart from above cases, may also inquire into allegations of extortion etc. and the recommendations of the said authority against delinquent police officials shall be binding. No reference has been made with respect to there being any power with the PCA to recommend or take action against a private person.

21.

Reliance in the writ petition has further been placed by respondent no.4 (petitioner in the writ petition) on the letter dated 23.03.2010 (Annexure P-11) vide which the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the setting up of the Police Complaints Authorities at the Union Territory level in pursuance of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Prakash Singh's case (supra). The same also included the Union Territory Chandigarh as is apparent from a perusal of the said letter and which letter also mentioned the details of powers and functions of the said Police Complaints Authority. Further reference in the writ petition in paragraph 19 has been made to the Government notification dated 29.03.2010 vide which the Central Government had extended to the Union

  Territory of Chandigarh, the Punjab Police Act 2007 as in force in the State of Punjab and also to the notification dated 23.06.2010 (Annexure P-13) (in paragraph 20 of the writ petition) vide which in pursuance of the letter dated 23.03.2010 (Annexure P-11) of the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, the Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 54 of the Punjab Police Act, 2007 was pleased to constitute the Police Complaints Authority for Union Territory of Chandigarh. Clause 3 of the Notification dated 23.06.2010 (Annexure P-13) which deals with the powers and functions of the Police Complaints Authority, which is relevant for considering the first issue whiich arsies in the present set of cases is reproduced hereinbelow:- 2/ 3  .4 *    &   

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    &   &%%$  % 0$   $0$  & A perusal of the above clause would show that the Police Complaints Authority has jurisdiction to enquire into allegations of "serious misconduct" against police personnel. Serious misconduct has also been explained in the explanation and the same consists of acts such as death in police custody, arrest or detention without due process of law and other

  aspects and Clause (g) refers to any incident involving serious abuse of authority. It has further been provided in sub clause (b)(ii) that the police officer heading the police force in Union Territory Chandigarh is to be given an opportunity to present the view of the department and the authority has the right to review its findings after additional facts, if any, are brought to its notice which were earlier not in the notice of the authority. Sub clause (iii) (b) provides for taking departmental action based on such findings. 22.

A reading of the above said clauses and also the reading of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Prakash Singh & Ors (supra) makes it clear that the jurisdiction of the Police Control Authority is to enquire into the allegations against police officers and not against private persons. Even the action is required to be taken against police officials alone. It is for the said reason that the police officer heading the police force is required to be given an opportunity to present the department's view and also power has been given to initiate departmental action. 23.

The said issue is no longer res-integra and the Division Bench of this Court in the case of Ranjit Singh Bath and another (supra) has held that the Police Complaints Authority has no jurisdiction to go into the merits of the dispute between the parties and the jurisdiction is limited to the extent of enquiring the allegations of serious misconduct against the police personnel only. In the above said case, the authority vide order dated 08.09.2015 had directed that the complaint of respondent no.2 therein be reinvestigated and the said order was challenged by the petitioners therein on the ground that the authority had no jurisdiction to direct investigation of the complaint filed by respondent no.2 against the petitioner who was a private



 person. The Co-ordinate Bench after considering the powers and functions of the Police Complaints Authority came to the conclusion that the Police Complaints Authority had no power to go into the merits of the complaint filed by any person against another person. In the said case also, there was a dispute between respondent no.2 therein and the petitioner therein with reference to an agreement to sell dated May 2011 and complaint was filed by respondent no.2 therein against the petitioner therein to the police on 20.01.2014 and thereafter respondent no.2 therein had filed a complaint to the PCA on 17.11.2014 praying for taking suitable action against the erring official on the ground that the matter was not properly investigated and further prayer was made for registration of the FIR.

The Police Complaints Authority although did not take any action against any police officials, however it went into the merits of the dispute between the parties and directed that there was further scope of investigation of the complaint and ordered that the matter be re-enquired into. The Division Bench in the abovesaid judgment observed that the said order was not within the jurisdiction of the Police Complaints Authority as it could not get into the merits of dispute between the parties. Accordingly, the direction to that extent was set aside and even consequential proceedings were also set aside, although in the said case FIR had also been registered.

It would be relevant to note that even the counsel appearing for UOI in the abovesaid case had submitted that the PCA had jurisdiction only to look into the complaint against police officials and could not examine the complaint filed by the complainant against other persons.

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It would be relevant to note that Clause 3 of the Notification dated 08.11.2013 which has been reproduced in the above said judgment is verbatim the same as Clause 3 of the notification which has been annexed with the writ petition (Annexure P-13) and the relevant portion of which has been reproduced hereinabove.

25.

The law laid down in the above said judgment would fully apply in the present case. It is not in dispute that as per the order dated 25.05.2012 (Annexure P-6), no action has been taken against any police officials and the FIR has been ordered to be registered against the present appellants who are private parties and not police officials. No police officer by name has been made party in the writ petition nor any prayer has been made for taking action against any police official. The present appellants were not made party in the complaint dated 23.03.2012 (Annexure P-5) nor they were given any opportunity of hearing nor their version was considered by the Police Complaints Authority. Specific objection was taken in the written statement filed by one of the appellants to the effect that the order

 3 dated 25.05.2012 was void-ab-initio. The relevant portion of the reply of one of the appellants 'LIC' who was respondent no.5 in the writ petition is reproduced hereinbelow:-  +, -, +-/+ %&  D$$@   %&0 $$ A<(     )9  )(  9

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The learned Single Judge did not take into consideration the said objection while upholding the order dated 25.05.2012 vide which the FIR was ordered to be registered against private persons i.e. present appellants.

27.

It would also be relevant to mention that in the present proceedings while considering the objection raised by private respondent no.4 with respect to maintainability of the present LPAs, the Division Bench of this Court had also opined that the order dated 25.05.2012 was without jurisdiction. The relevant portion of the said order has been reproduced hereinbelow:- ++ <      %  %& & $     

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The SLP filed by respondent no.4 against the above said order dated 06.07.2018 was withdrawn on 07.09.2018. The relevant portion of the order passed in the above said SLP is reproduced hereinbelow:- "Date: 07-09-2018 These matters were called on for hearing today.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE UDAY UMESH LALIT HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE INDIRA BANERJEE For Petitioner (s) Petitioner-in-person.

For Respondent(s) UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following

O R D E R

After arguing the matter for some time, petitioner who appeared in person seeks permission to withdraw the special leave petitions.

Permission is granted.

The special leave petitions are dismissed as withdrawn." 29.

It is thus, clear that the order passed by the Police Complaints Authority dated 25.05.2012 (Annexure P-6) directing the registration of the FIR against the present appellants who are not police officials is without jurisdiction and is not sustainable and the judgment of the learned Single Judge upholding the said order without considering the said important aspect deserves to be set aside on the said ground alone. The first issue, thus stands decided in favour of the appellants.

 2 Cloak of criminal proceedings:

30.

It would also be relevant to note that the dispute between the parties has civil trappings. The rival stands of the appellants as well as private respondent no.4 have been noticed above in paragraph 13 to 15 and paragraph 16, 17 respectively while noting the arguments raised on behalf of the appellants and respondent no.4. The fact that on 19.06.2007 the 'LIC' had issued sale notice for inviting the general public for purchase of immovable properties at reserve price and that in response to the same, the appellant Jasbir Kaur and private respondent no.4 had expressed their interest jointly vide letter dated 15.03.2008 for purchasing the six properties which were sought to be auctioned and also the fact that the Branch Manager had issued letter dated 18.03.2008 to the appellant Jasbir Kaur and private respondent no.

4 and had asked them to furnish documents so that the deal could be finalised are not much in dispute. The respondent no.4 even in his complaint dated 24.03.2011 (Annexure P-1) has admitted the said facts. As noticed above, it is the case of the appellant Jasbir Kaur that she had paid the substantial amount of sale consideration of Rs.8 lacs vide draft no.708406 dated 29.04.2008 and even sale certificates dated 17.04.2008, 30.04.2008, 12.05.2008, 15.07.2008 and 18.04.2009 were issued in favour of both Jasbir Kaur and respondent No.4 and the same have been annexed along with the written statement. It is further the case of the appellants that appellant Jasbir Kaur never backed out from the said agreement and it is respondent no.4 who had created false documents including the sale agreement dated 15.04.2008 and no dues certificate dated 31.

03.2009 to claim that he is the sole owner and has thus, committed cheating with her.



 is the case of respondent no.4 that the present appellant Jasbir Kaur changed her mind after the initial proposal and backed out from the agreement and the respondent no.4 pursued the transaction and the agreement to sell dated 15.04.2008 was executed in his favour.

31.

It is not in dispute that respondent no.4 had filed a consumer complaint and the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in the first instance allowed the said complaint and had directed the 'LIC' to issue sale certificate in favour of respondent no.4 along with other reliefs. Two appeals against the said order were filed by Jasbir Kaur and 'LIC' and the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission vide order dated 11.09.2012 was pleased to allow the said appeals. Paragraphs 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 29 to 32 of the said appeal are reproduced hereinbelow:- >" D : . > (    - *     H .( ? 1 $$=$(  :( .

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9(3 A perusal of the above order would show that it was noticed that the present appellants had raised serious allegations against respondent no.4 and the entire aspect required consideration of voluminous record and complicated questions which could be decided only by the civil court and that even with respect to the agreement which was relied upon by respondent no.4, the remedy of respondent no.4 was to file suit for specific performance.

32.

The said order passed by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission was upheld by the National Commission vide order dated 25.09.2014 and even the SLP no.441-2015 was dismissed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order dated 27.01.2015 and while dismissing the SLP, it was observed that liberty was granted to respondent no.4 herein to take steps as is permissible in common law. Even the second SLP filed against the common orders passed by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission i.e., Special Leave to Appeal (C) no.11398/2016 was also dismissed vide order dated 07.11.2016. It would also be relevant to note that respondent no.4 has filed civil suit no.625/2018 against 'LIC' and Jasbir Kaur for declaration to the effect that he is the owner of the six properties in

 question. Similarly, Jasbir Kaur has filed civil suit no.12106/2013 against LIC Housing Finance Limited and Satish Kumar Saini for declaration to the effect that she is owner to the extent of 63.70% and that the present respondent no.4 is owner to the extent of 36.30% share in the property in question.

33.

The Hon'ble Supreme Court has repeatedly observed that there is a growing tendency to convert civil disputes into criminal cases on account of the impression that civil law remedies are time consuming and do not adequately protect interest of the party and in case a person is entangled with criminal prosecution, there is a likelihood of imminent settlement and that such a practice is required to be depreciated. It has further been observed that where the dispute of civil nature has been given colour of criminal offence then the Court should pass necessary orders to protect the interest of the person who is being sought to be implicated in the criminal proceedings. Reference in this regard may be made to the judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Mitesh Kumar J. Sha vs.

State of Karnataka and others, reported as 2021 AIR (Supreme Court) 5298; M/s Indian Oil Corporation vs. M/s NEPC India Ltd. & Ors. reported as (2006)6 SCC 736; Syed Yaseer Ibrahim vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and another passed in Criminal Appeal No.295 of 2022 decided on 28.02.2022; Uma Shankar vs. State of Bihar reported as 2005(10) SCC 336 and Hotline Teletubes and Components Ltd. & others vs. State of Bihar and another reported as 2005(10) SCC 261.

34.

After having considered the facts and circumstances of the present case, we are of the view that the pleas with respect to the transaction

 in question, which have been raised by all the parties would be best decided in the civil proceedings initiated by the parties and resort to criminal proceedings is uncalled for.

Maintainability of Review Application:

35.

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