Allahabad High Court
Suresh Chandra And Another vs State Of U.P. And Another on 6 June, 2022
Bench: Raj Beer Singh
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Court No. - 51
Case :- APPLICATION U/S 482 No. - 14100 of 2022
Applicant :- Suresh Chandra And Another
Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another
Counsel for Applicant :- Jitendra Pal Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.
Hon'ble Raj Beer Singh,J.
Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned A.G.A. for the State.
By means of this application under section 482 Cr.P.C., the applicant has invoked the inherent jurisdiction of this Court for quashing the entire proceedings of Complaint Case No. 6487/2020 including summoning order dated 15.03.2022 under Sections 427, 506, 435, 436 IPC, P.S. Naya Gaon, District Etah, pending in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate/Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division), Etah.
It has been argued by the learned counsel for the applicants that the impugned complaint has been filed making false and baseless allegations. Initially, opposite party no.2 has filed an application under section 156 (3) Cr.P.C. wherein the police had submitted a report that the alleged fire in the house of complainant occurred accidentally and that opposite party no.2 has filed the application under section 156 (3) Cr.P.C. making false allegations. It has been submitted that the said application was registered as a complaint and thereafter, the applicants have been summoned vide the impugned order dated 15.03.2022. No independent witness has been examined under section 202 Cr.P.C. It has been submitted that the allegations made by the complainant are thoroughly false and that no prima facie case is made out.
Learned A.G.A. has submitted that in view of the allegations made in the complaint and the statements of complainant and witnesses under section 202 Cr.P.C., a prima facie case is made out against applicants.
I have considered the rival submissions of the parties.
The legal position on the issue of quashing of criminal proceedings is well-settled that the jurisdiction to quash a complaint, FIR or a charge-sheet should be exercised sparingly and only in exceptional cases. However, where the allegations made in the FIR or the complaint and material on record even if 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, the charge-sheet may be quashed in exercise of inherent powers under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. In well celebrated judgment reported in AIR 1992 SC 605 State of Haryana and others Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal, Supreme Court has carved out certain guidelines, wherein FIR or proceedings may be quashed but cautioned that the power to quash FIR or proceedings should be exercised sparingly and that too in the rarest of rare cases.
In the instant matter, the submissions raised by learned counsel for the applicant call for determination on questions of fact which may be adequately adjudicated upon only by the trial court and even the submissions made on points of law can also be more appropriately gone into only by the trial court. Adjudication of questions of facts and appreciation of evidence or examining the reliability and credibility of the version, does not fall within the arena of jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. In view of the material on record it can also not be held that the impugned criminal proceeding are manifestly attended with mala fide and 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.
In view of the material on record and considering the law laid down by Hon'ble Apex Court in case of State of Haryana Vs. Bhajan Lal, 1992 SCC (Cr.) 426, R.P. Kapur Vs. State of Punjab, A.I.R. 1960 S.C. 866 and State of Bihar Vs. P.P. Sharma, 1992 SCC (Cr.) 192, no case for quashing of impugned proceedings/complaint is made out. Hence, the prayer as made above is hereby refused.
However, keeping in view the facts of the matter, it is directed that in case the applicants appear and surrender before the court below within 30 days from today and apply for bail, their bail application shall be considered and decided expeditiously, in accordance with the settled law. For a period of 30 days from today or till the applicants surrender before the court below, whichever is earlier, no coercive action shall be taken against them in the aforesaid case.
With the aforesaid observations, the instant application is disposed of finally.
Order Date :- 6.6.2022
Madhurima
