Israr, Shafi Ahmad and Smt. Ruqsana vs State of U.P. and Munni Begum

Ravindra Singh, J.—Heard Sri Umesh Chandra Mishra and Sri Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, learned Counsel for the applicants and learned A.G.A.

This application has been filed with a prayer to quash the order dated 19.10.2005 passed by II-A.C.J.M., Budaun in case No. 502 of 2005 whereby the learned Magistrate concerned has rejected the final report, taken the cognizance and summoned the applicants to face the trial for the Sections 498A, 304B, 201 IPC and Section 3/4 D.P. Act and order dated 31.1.2007 passed by learned Special Judge (S.C/S.T. Act), Budaun in criminal revision No. 270 of 2005 whereby the revision filed by the applicants has been dismissed.

The facts in brief of this case are that the F.I.R. of this case has been lodged by O.P. No. 2 Smt. Munni Begum on 5.8.2004 in case crime No. 544 of 2004 under Sections 498A, 304B, 201 IPC and Section 3/4 D.P. Act at P.S. Dataganj, Budaun, it was investigated by the I.O. who submitted the final report dated 20.11.2004 in the court of learned Magistrate concerned. Against that final report the O.P. No. 2 Smt. Munni Begum filed a protest petition dated 4.2.2005. Thereafter the learned II-A.C.J.M. Budaun perused the police report and considered the protest petition and came to the conclusion that the protest petition may be treated as a complaint and the same was rejected as compliant on 18.5.2005 because it has been clearly stated by the O.P. No. 2 in the protest petition that the statements of the witnesses were not recorded by the I.O., the same were written as desired by the I.O. Thereafter the statement of O.P. No. 2 was recorded u/s 200 Cr.P.C. and the statements of other witnesses namely Ahmad Hasan; P.W.I; Peer Bux, P.W.2; Km. Nasreen, P.W.3; Meer Taki, P.W.4; Babu Hasan, P.W.5 and Dr. M.K. Verma, P.W.6 were recorded u/s 202 Cr.P.C. after considering the protest petition and the statements recorded under Sections 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. the learned Magistrate concerned came to the conclusion that prima facie offence u/s 498A, 304B, 201 IPC and Section 3/4 D.P. Act is made out and summoned the application to face the trial for the aforesaid offences and rejected the final report on 19.10.2005.

Being aggrieved from the order dated 19.10.2005 the applicants filed a criminal revision No. 270 of 2005, the same has been rejected by learned Special Judge (SC/ST Act), Budaun on 31.1.2007. Thereafter the applicants have preferred the present application. It is contended by learned Counsel for the applicants that the impugned order dated 19.10.2005 passed by learned II-A.CJ.M. Budaun is illegal because the learned Magistrate concerned was not satisfied with the police report as such the cognizance was not taken u/s 190(1)(b) Cr.P.C. and proceeded under Chapter 15 Cr.P.C by treating the protest petition as complaint. Thereafter the statements u/s 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. was recorded and learned Magistrate took the cognizance and summoned the applicants to face the trial and rejected the final report. The rejection of final report was not proper. The learned Special Judge has also committed the error in dismissing the criminal revision. The cognizance has been taken u/s 190(1)(b) only on the basis of the protest petition and the statements recorded u/s 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. in which other document was filed by O.P. No. 2, In such circumstances the summoning u/s 304B I.P.C. is also illegal. The learned Magistrate has committed another manifest error by taking the cognizance u/s 190(a) Cr.P.C. The Magistrate was under obligation to proceed further as a complaint case. There was no reason to give up the procedure adopted after examining the witnesses again to follow the procedure u/s 190(1)(b) of Cr.P.C. by rejecting the final report. It is further contended that the alleged offence is punishable by court of Sessions, but all the witnesses have not been examined u/s 202 Cr.P.C. Therefore, the cognizance taken by the learned Magistrate concerned is illegal.

In reply of the above contention, it is submitted by learned A.G.A. that in the present case the final report has been submitted against which protest petitioner has been filed by O.P. No. 2 alleging therein that the I.O. had not recorded the statements of the witnesses but their statements have been written in the case diary as desired by the I.O. In such circumstances, the learned Magistrate rightly treated the protest petition as a complaint vide order dated 18.5,2005 thereafter the statements of witnesses under Sections 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. were recorded, considering the same the learned Magistrate has taken the cognizance and summoned the applicants in exercise of powers conferred u/s 190(1)(a). The learned Magistrate has not taken cognizance u/s 19(1)(b). The rejection of final report does not mean that the learned Magistrate again adopted the procedure which has been given up by passing the order u/s 190(1)(b) Cr.P.C. there is no illegality in the rejection of the final report because learned Magistrate was under obligation to pass the order on the final report also because it was a police report: submitted after the investigation. There is no illegality in the impugned order. The present application is devoid of merit and is liable to be dismissed.

Considering the facts, circumstance of the case, submissions made by learned Counsel for the applicants, learned A.G.A. and from the perusal of the record it appears that in the present case the final report has been submitted by the I.O. on which the protest petition has been filed by the O.P. No. 2, the first informant of this case alleging therein that statements of the witnesses were not record, in such circumstances it was not proper for the learned Magistrate to pass any order after considering the alleged statements of the witnesses, in such circumstances the learned Magistrate was having two options. The first option was to direct for further investigation of this case and the second option was to great the protest petition as complaint. It appears that learned Magistrate concerned opted the second option treating the protest petition as a complaint because it was a safer option than the first option i.e. directing the I.O. for further investigation because the conduct of the I.O. was Highly objected by the first informant. The learned Magistrate treated the protest petition as a complaint vide order dated 18.5.2005 thereafter the statement under Sections 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. was recorded after considering the same the I.O. came to the conclusion that prima facie offence under Sections 498A, 304B, 201 IPC and Section 3/4 D.P. Act is made out and summoned the application to face the trial. This order has been passed in exercise of powers conferred under conferred u/s 190(1)(a) Cr.P.C. But learned Magistrate has rejected the final report after'' taking the cognizance. The rejection of the final report does not mean that the learned Magistrate has again opted the procedure adopting for passing the order in exercise of powers conferred u/s 190(1)(a) Cr.P.C. It can not be said that after adopting the procedure of the complaint case the learned Magistrate against adopted the procedure prescribed to pass the order u/s 190(1)(b) Cr.P.C. The learned Magistrate was under obligation to pass an order on the police report because after doing investigation the police report was submitted. It is submitted under the statutory rights the learned Magistrate has committed any error in rejecting the final report for the same on which the learned Magistrate has taken the cognizance and summoned the applicants to face the trial. Impugned order is not suffering from any illegality or irregularities, it has been passed u/s 190(1)(a) because the learned Magistrate was having four options to pass the order on the police report:

to accept the police report

to reject the police report and take the cognizance on the basis of the material adopted by the I.O.

To pass order for further investigation

To treat protest petition as a complaint.

The impugned order has been passed opting the fourth option, there is no illegality, therefore the prayer for quashing the impugned order is refused.

However, it is directed that in case applicants appear before the court concerned within 30 days from today, if they apply for bail, the same shall be heard and disposed of expeditiously under the provisions of law.

With this observation, this application is finally disposed of.