Citation : 2022 Latest Caselaw 9965 Bom
Judgement Date : 29 September, 2022
-1- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
NAGPUR BENCH : NAGPUR.
CRIMINAL APPLICATION (APL) NO.731 OF 2020
APPLICANT : 1. Ramesh Manohar Madawi, Age: 43
yrs, Occupation: Government Service,
R/o. Best Officer Quarters, Ghatkopar
East, Mumbai.
//VERSUS//
NON-APPLICANTS : 1. The State of Maharashtra, through
PSO of Police Station Arvi, District:
Wardha.
2. Purshottam Dhotre, Age : 60 years,
Occupation: Retired, R/o. C/o.
MSRTC, Buldhana.
**************************************************************
Mr. P.W. Mirza, Advocate for the Applicant.
Mr. S.S. Doifode, Addl. P.P. for Non-applicant No.1/State.
Mr. V.H. Kedar, Advocate for Non-applicant No.2.
**************************************************************
CORAM : MANISH PITALE AND
VALMIKI SA MENEZES, JJ.
RESERVED ON : 23rd AUGUST, 2022.
PRONOUNCED ON : 29th SEPTEMBER, 2022.
-2- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
JUDGMENT (Per: Manish Pitale, J.)
Heard finally with the consent of the learned counsel
appearing for the rival parties. Admit.
02] The applicant herein has approached this Court
invoking inherent power under Section 482 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as "Cr.P.C."), for
quashing of First Information Report (F.I.R.) and charge-sheet for
offences under Sections 409, 468 and 471 read with Section 34 of
the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as "I.P.C.").
By way of amendment, a further prayer is made for quashing and
setting aside order dated 21.08.2020, passed by the Judicial
Magistrate, First Class, Arvi, whereby an application for discharge
filed on behalf of the applicant, was dismissed.
03] On 26.10.2021, this Court had passed an order
permitting amendment of the application for adding the aforesaid
prayer, despite objection raised on behalf of the non-applicant
No.1/State, by referring to the judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme
Court. When this application was finally heard, the said objection
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was reiterated on behalf of the non-applicant No.1/State, as well
as the non-applicant No.2 i.e. informant - complainant.
04] The sequence of events, leading to filing of the F.I.R.
and initiation of criminal proceedings is that, the applicant at the
relevant date was working as the Depot Manager of the
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (hereinafter
referred to as "the Corporation"). On 07.03.2013, overwriting was
allegedly noticed in a register maintained for diesel filled in the
buses of the Corporation, as well as receipts issued by a private
petrol pump from which the diesel was filled, as per an agreement
between the Corporation and the Petrol Pump. It was alleged that
when the Accountant of the Corporation noticed such
overwriting and found that an inflated bill was sought to be
prepared to the extent of 118 liters of diesel, he reported the same
to the applicant i.e. the Depot Manager. Even as per the
allegations, the applicant stopped the processing of the bills and
payment towards diesel that was filled on the said date, in order to
enquire into the matter.
-4- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
05] One Mr. Dhotre, the Security and Vigilance Officer of
the Corporation, was asked to enquire into the matter. He
recorded statements of concerned persons, including co-accused
Mr. Belge, working as Assistant and concluded that the
overwriting and attempt at raising inflated bills to the extent of
118 liters of diesel, was carried out on the directions of the
applicant i.e. the Depot Manager and that for excessive diesel
amounting to Rs.6,353/-, the applicant had received cash amount
of Rs.5,000/- from the employee of the concerned petrol pump,
who was also arrayed as an accused. It appears that in pursuance of
the findings given by the Security and Vigilance Officer, a censure
was issued to the applicant and the matter was directed to be
further enquired into.
06] On 02.12.2013 i.e. about 9 months after the alleged
incident, the Security and Vigilance Officer submitted report to
the Police Station at Arvi, making the aforesaid allegations against
the applicant, in pursuance of which F.I.R. No.238 of 2013 dated
03.12.2013, was registered against the applicant and the aforesaid
co-accused persons for offences under Sections 409, 468 and 471
-5- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
read with Section 34 of the I.P.C.
07] On the basis of the aforesaid material, during the course
of departmental enquiry, charge-sheet dated 18.12.2013, was also
issued to the applicant for the charges of conspiring with other
persons to cause financial loss to the Corporation, indiscipline,
negligence which caused serious loss to the Corporation as well as
inconvenience to the public at large and misappropriation and
cheating as regards the property of the Corporation.
08] In pursuance of issuance of charge-sheet, enquiry was
conducted and statements of all persons concerned with the
incident dated 07.03.2013, were recorded and enquiry report was
prepared and forwarded to the applicant by letter dated
14.08.2014. In the report, the Enquiry Officer found that when
the aforesaid incident occurred, not only was the Security and
Vigilance Officer directed to enquire into the matter, but the
Chief Storage Officer had also recorded statements of the
concerned employees. It was found that two employees i.e. one
Mr. Wahane and other Mr. Talekar, who were questioned, had
stated one version to the Security and Vigilance Officer and
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another to the other Officer. During the course of enquiry by the
Enquiry Officer, when the said employees were confronted with
the conflicting statements, they were unable to give a proper
explanation. It was also found that the co-accused Mr. Belge had
stated before the Security and Vigilance Officer that the
overwriting and tampering with the register and the receipts, was
undertaken on the direction of the applicant, but before the
Enquiry Officer, the said co-accused stated that the aforesaid
statements were made due to the pressure exerted by the Security
and Vigilance Officer.
09] The Enquiry Officer in the said report eventually found
that the said employees Mr. Wahane and Mr. Talekar had
prepared the fabricated bills and entries in the register by
overwriting, due to which penalty of withholding of increments
was imposed on them. Insofar as the applicant was concerned, it
was found that the material on record demonstrated that the
applicant could not be found guilty and that the allegation that he
had received Rs.5,000/- cash from the co-accused i.e. the
employee of the petrol pump, was also not believable on the basis
-7- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
of material on record. On this basis, it was found that since the
applicant had already been censured, no further action was
necessary in pursuance of the charge-sheet dated 18.12.2013 and
accordingly, the matter was filed.
10] In the meantime, investigation in pursuance of the
F.I.R. was completed and charge-sheet dated 06.02.2014, came to
be filed. The applicant had initially approached this Court by
filing an application under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. for
quashing of the F.I.R., but in pursuance of filing of the charge-
sheet, he withdrew the same and filed an application for discharge
before the Magistrate. By impugned order dated 21.08.2020, the
application for discharge was dismissed. The applicant has not
only sought quashing of the F.I.R. and the charge-sheet in the
present application, but by way of amendment, he is also seeking
quashing and setting aside of the order of the Magistrate.
11] Mr. P.W. Mirza, learned counsel appearing for the
applicant, at the outset, submitted that an objection raised on
behalf of the non-applicants that the present application ought
not to be entertained, because the applicant had already chosen to
-8- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
apply for discharge and the order of the Magistrate could be
challenged in revisional jurisdiction, is not sustainable. It was
claimed on behalf of the non-applicants that since the applicant
had chosen the aforesaid channel of relief, the present application
under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. ought not to be entertained. In
this regard, the learned counsel appearing for the applicant relied
upon judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of
Prabhu Chawla Vs. State of Rajasthan and another reported in
AIR 2016 SC 4245, wherein it was laid down that merely because
revisional jurisdiction could be invoked, the inherent power of
this Court under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. could not be said to
be unavailable.
12] The learned counsel for the applicant further submitted
that when the applicant stood exonerated in the departmental
enquiry on virtually the same allegations that were the basis of the
F.I.R. and the charge-sheet, the criminal proceedings ought to be
terminated at this stage itself, for the reason that the standard of
proof in criminal cases is much higher. Reliance was placed on
judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Ashoo
-9- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
Surendranath Tewari Vs. Deputy Superintendent of Police, EOW,
CBI and another reported in (2020) 9 SCC 636 , as well as
judgment of this Court in the case of Sanjay s/o. Laxman
Kholapurkar Vs. State of Maharashtra reported in 2021 ALL MR
(Cri) 3808.
13] It was further submitted on behalf of the applicant that
none of the ingredients of the offences alleged against the
applicant were even prima facie made out by the material on
record and therefore, the F.I.R. as well as the charge-sheet
deserved to be quashed and set aside. In this regard, reliance was
placed on judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the cases
of Sheila Sebastian Vs. R. Jawaharraj and another Etc. reported in
AIR 2018 SC 2434 and Mohammed Ibrahim and others Vs. State
of Bihar and another reported in (2009) 8 SCC 751.
14] It was further submitted that this Court has
extraordinary power under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. to grant
relief to the applicant in the facts and circumstances of the present
case. Reliance was placed on judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme
Court in the case of Anand Kumar Mohatta Vs. State (Govt. of
-10- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
NCT of Delhi) Department of Home reported in AIR 2019 SC
(Criminal) 310. It was submitted that continuation of the criminal
proceedings in the facts and circumstances of the present case,
would amount to unnecessary harassment of the applicant,
particularly when on the same set of allegations, he stood
exonerated in the departmental enquiry. In addition, it was
submitted that in the absence of sanction, the criminal proceeding
initiated against the applicant could not proceed and that for this
reason also, the present application deserved to be allowed.
15] On the other hand, Mr. Doifode, learned Additional
Public Prosecutor appearing on behalf of non-applicant
No.1/State and Mr. V.H. Kedar, learned counsel appearing for
non-applicant No.2 i.e. informant - complainant, submitted that
the present application deserved to be dismissed on the short
ground that the applicant had already availed of the remedy of
discharge, which had been rejected by the Magistrate. The only
avenue available for the applicant, was to file an appropriate
revision application in accordance with law before this Court.
According to the learned counsel appearing for the non-
-11- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
applicants, the applicant having initially filed an application under
Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. to challenge the F.I.R. and having
withdrawn the same for applying for discharge upon the charge-
sheet being filed, the present application was nothing but an
abuse of the process of the Court.
16] It was further submitted that merely because the
applicant stood exonerated in the departmental enquiry, the same
could not be a ground for quashing of the F.I.R. and the charge-
sheet. It was submitted that statements recorded during the course
of investigation did prima facie indicate the involvement of the
applicant in the alleged offences and that the essential ingredients
of the said offences were clearly made out. It was submitted that
the allegations were serious in nature and that therefore, the
applicant ought not to be granted any relief at this stage,
particularly because a clear case was made out for the matter to go
to trial. On the aspect of sanction, the learned counsel appearing
for the non-applicants relied upon judgment of the Hon'ble
Supreme Court in the case of Shambhoo Nath Misra Vs. State of
U.P. and others reported in AIR 1997 SC 2102 , to submit that in
-12- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
the facts of the present case concerning allegations of fabrication
of the record, sanction for prosecution was not necessary. On this
basis, it was submitted that the application deserved to be
dismissed.
17] Heard learned counsel appearing for the rival parties
and perused the material on record. It is necessary to first deal
with the preliminary objection raised on behalf of the non-
applicants that the present application deserves to be dismissed,
for the reason that the applicant had already applied for discharge
and the application was dismissed by the Magistrate. According to
the learned counsel for the non-applicants, the only remedy
available to the applicant in this situation, was to file an
appropriate revision application before this Court. To answer the
said contention, the applicant has relied upon judgment of the
Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Prabhu Chawla Vs. State of
Rajasthan and another (supra). In the said judgment, the Hon'ble
Supreme Court has held that availability of alternative remedy of
revision under Section 397 of the Cr.P.C. cannot by itself be a
ground to dismiss the application filed under Section 482 of the
-13- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
Cr.P.C. In the said judgment, the Hon'ble Supreme Court relied
upon earlier judgments where it was held that in a given situation,
this Court can exercise its inherent power under Section 482 of
the Cr.P.C., if a case is made out by the applicant and that nothing
contained in Section 397(2) of the Cr.P.C. can limit or affect the
exercise of inherent power by the High Court. In paragraph 6 of
the said judgment, the Hon'ble Supreme Court held as follows:
"6. In our considered view any attempt to explain the law further as regards the issue relating to inherent power of High Court under Section 482, Cr.P.C. is unwarranted. We would simply reiterate that Section 482 begins with a non-obstante clause to state: "Nothing in this Code shall be deemed to limit or affect the inherent powers of the High Court to make such orders as may be necessary to give effect to any order under this Code, or to prevent abuse of the process of any Court or otherwise to secure the ends of justice." A fortiori, there can be no total ban on the exercise of such wholesome jurisdiction where, in the words of Krishna Iyer, J. "abuse of the process of the Court or other extraordinary situation excites the court's jurisdiction. The limitation is self-restraint, nothing more.". We venture to add a further reason in support. Since Section 397 Cr.P.C. is attracted against all orders other than interlocutory, a contrary view would limit the availability of inherent powers under Section 482, Cr.P.C. only to petty interlocutory orders! A situation wholly unwarranted and undesirable."
-14- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
18] In view of the aforesaid position of law, we are of the
opinion that merely because the remedy of revision was available
to the applicant to challenge the order of the Magistrate rejecting
his application for discharge, it cannot be said that the present
application under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. is not maintainable.
We are conscious that in such circumstances, the applicant is
required to make out a case that further continuation of the
criminal proceedings would amount to an abuse of the process of
law and that to secure the ends of justice, this Court would
certainly exercise its inherent power. Therefore, it becomes
necessary to examine the contention raised on behalf of the
applicant that continuation of the criminal proceedings in the
facts and circumstances of the present case, would indeed amount
to an abuse of the process of the law.
19] In order to buttress the aforesaid contention, the
applicant has relied upon the position of law, clarified by the
Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Ashoo Surendranath
Tewari Vs. Deputy Superintendent of Police, EOW, CBI and
another (supra). It has been held therein that exoneration in a
-15- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
departmental enquiry on same set of allegations ought to result in
terminating the criminal proceedings initiated against the accused
person. The basis of the said position of law is that the standard of
proof in a criminal proceeding, on the touchstone of proof beyond
reasonable doubt, is much higher than the lower standard of proof
in a departmental enquiry, which is based on preponderance of
probabilities. The position of law in that regard was clarified in
the judgment in the case of Radheshyam Kejriwal Vs. State of
West Bengal reported in (2011) 3 SCC 581, wherein it was held as
under:
"38.The ratio which can be culled out from these decisions can broadly be stated as follows:
(i) Adjudication proceedings and criminal prosecution can be launched simultaneously;
(ii) Decision in adjudication proceedings is not necessary before initiating criminal prosecution;
(iii) Adjudication proceedings and criminal proceedings are independent in nature to each other;
(iv) The finding against the person facing prosecution in the adjudication proceedings is not binding on the proceeding for criminal prosecution;
(v) Adjudication proceedings by the Enforcement Directorate is not prosecution by a competent
-16- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
court of law to attract the provisions of Article 20(2) of the Constitution or Section 300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure;
(vi) The finding in the adjudication proceedings in favour of the person facing trial for identical violation will depend upon the nature of finding. If the exoneration in adjudication proceedings is on technical ground and not on merit, prosecution may continue; and
(vii) In case of exoneration, however, on merits where the allegation is found to be not sustainable at all and the person held innocent, criminal prosecution on the same set of facts and circumstances cannot be allowed to continue, the underlying principle being the higher standard of proof in criminal cases."
20] The Hon'ble Supreme Court further concluded in the
said judgment as follows:
"39.In our opinion, therefore, the yardstick would be to judge as to whether the allegation in the adjudication proceedings as well as the proceeding for prosecution is identical and the exoneration of the person concerned in the adjudication proceedings is on merits. In case it is found on merit that there is no contravention of the provisions of the Act in the adjudication proceedings, the trial of the person concerned shall be an abuse of the process of the court."
21] The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Ashoo
Surendranath Tewari Vs. Deputy Superintendent of Police, EOW,
-17- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
CBI and another (supra), quoted the above paragraphs 38 and 39
of the judgment in the case of Radheshyam Kejriwal Vs. State of
West Bengal (supra), approvingly and in the facts of the said case
held that the petitioner therein need not face criminal
proceedings.
22] It is vehemently submitted on behalf of the applicant
that the position of law as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme
Court in the case of Radheshyam Kejriwal Vs. State of West
Bengal (supra) and reiterated in the case of Ashoo Surendranath
Tewari Vs. Deputy Superintendent of Police, EOW, CBI and
another (supra), applies in favour of the applicant. In order to
examine the said contention, it would be necessary to refer to the
findings of the Enquiry Officer in the aforesaid enquiry report,
forwarded to the applicant alongwith letter dated 14.08.2014. We
find that the charge-sheet dated 18.12.2013, indeed levelled
allegations against the applicant, akin to the allegations made in
the report, leading to the registration of the aforesaid F.I.R. In the
departmental enquiry, statements of employees of the
Corporation were recorded and it was found that the applicant
-18- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
could not be held guilty of the charges, as the alleged overwriting
and fabrications, could not be attributable to the applicant, or
even on the direction of the applicant. It was found that the co-
accused Mr. Belge specifically stated that the Security and
Vigilance Officer, who had initially enquired into the matter, had
exerted pressure on the co-accused to falsely implicate the
applicant. It was found that in such circumstances, at worst, the
applicant could be said to have been negligent in supervising the
functioning of his sub-ordinates, while he was working as the
Depot Manager of the Corporation, when the incident occurred
on 07.03.2013. On this basis, it was concluded that no action
could be taken against the applicant, in pursuance of the aforesaid
charge-sheet, which led to the departmental enquiry, particularly
when the applicant was already censured for negligence.
23] When the statements of witnesses and the material
placed alongwith the charge-sheet submitted in pursuance of the
aforesaid F.I.R., are considered, it is found that such investigation
was virtually based on the very same allegations that were levelled
in the departmental enquiry. The statements of witnesses show
-19- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
that the F.I.R. itself was registered after about 9 months. It is also
found that the Investigating Authority is placing reliance on
statements of two employees of the Corporation i.e. Mr. Wahane
and Mr. Talekar, who were found to have made conflicting
statements in the departmental enquiry. It was found that at one
place, they had implicated the applicant as the person, at whose
behest the alleged overwriting had taken place and at another
place, they had not implicated the applicant. The only statement
that then remains is that of the co-accused Mr. Belge. In fact,
statement of the Accountant Mr. Nanhe shows that he found the
overwriting in the register as well as the receipts issued by the
petrol pump and when he brought the same to the notice of the
applicant, who was working as the Depot Manager, the first
direction given by the applicant was to stop processing of the bills
on the basis of such documents and to stop payment for filling of
diesel on the date of the incident, till the matter was enquired
into. The statement of the Accountant, in fact, indicates an
appropriate step taken by the applicant as the Depot Manager of
the Corporation. It is also an admitted position that payment was
not disbursed by the Corporation for the diesel filled on the date
-20- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
of the incident.
24] All other statements of the so-called witnesses during
the course of investigation, show that they stated about being
completely unaware as to who was responsible for the overwriting
and the fabrications and that they came to know much later that
criminal investigation was initiated against the applicant and the
co-accused persons. Even as regards the statement of co-accused
Mr. Belge that he had handed over cash amount of Rs.5,000/- to
the applicant, which was allegedly given by the employee of the
petrol pump i.e. the other co-accused person, is found to be in
contradiction to the statement of the very same person in the
departmental enquiry, where he stated that the aforesaid allegation
was made against the applicant under the threat given by the
Security and Vigilance Officer. It is significant that the F.I.R.
stood registered after a delay of about 9 months at the behest of
the same Security and Vigilance Officer. Therefore, the entire
material available alongwith the charge-sheet, including the
statements of the witnesses even prima facie does not indicate
involvement of the applicant.
-21- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
25] Insofar as ingredients of the offences are concerned, the
allegation pertaining to Section 468 of the I.P.C. regarding forgery
needs to be appreciated in the backdrop of the law laid down by
the Hon'ble Supreme Court in that regard. In the case of Sheila
Sebastian Vs. R. Jawaharraj and another Etc. (supra), the Hon'ble
Supreme Court in the context of the offence of forgery held as
follows:
"19.A close scrutiny of the aforesaid provisions makes it clear that, Section 463 defines the offence of forgery, while Section 464 substantiates the same by providing an answer as to when a false document could be said to have been made for the purpose of committing an offence of forgery under Section 463, IPC. Therefore, we can safely deduce that Section 464 defines one of the ingredients of forgery i.e., making of a false document. Further, Section 465 provides punishment for the commission of the offence of forgery. In order to sustain a conviction under Section 465, first it has to be proved that forgery was committed under Section 463, implying that ingredients under Section 464 should also be satisfied. Therefore unless and until ingredients under Section 463 are satisfied a person cannot be convicted under Section 465 by solely relying on the ingredients of Section 464, as the offence of forgery would remain incomplete."
26] Thus, Section 463 of the I.P.C. becomes crucial in this
context, which pertains to definition of forgery and it opens with
-22- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
the word "whoever makes a false document" with Section 464
defining as to what is "making a false document". A perusal of the
said provisions would show that the aforesaid offence necessarily
requires prima facie material to show that the person against
whom the allegations are made, has made or created a false
document or indulged in forgery. In the present case, the material
on record does not even prima facie disclose the ingredients of the
said offence.
27] This has been further elaborated in the judgment of the
Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Mohammed Ibrahim and
others Vs. State of Bihar and another (supra). The said judgment
also deals with the ingredients of the offence of cheating defined
in Section 415 of the I.P.C. and made punishable under Section
420 thereof. Applying the ratio of the aforesaid judgment to the
facts of the present case, it is found that even prima facie the
ingredients of the offences alleged against the applicant are not
made out. The offence under Section 409 of the I.P.C. involving
criminal breach of trust by a public servant would necessarily
require the material on record to demonstrate ingredients of
-23- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
criminal breach of trust as defined in Section 405 of the I.P.C. In
the present case, as noted above, barring the statement of co-
accused Mr. Belge, there is nothing to even prima facie indicate
that the applicant had dishonestly misappropriated property of the
Corporation entrusted to him. Even the statement of the co-
accused Mr. Belge, when compared with his specific statement
made in the departmental enquiry, shows that according to him,
the Security and Vigilance Officer had threatened and coerced
him to make such statements against the applicant. Therefore, this
Court is convinced that even prima facie the allegations made
against the applicant do not disclose the ingredients of the said
offence, on the basis of the material placed on record with the
charge-sheet.
28] As regards the contention pertaining to absence of
sanction, this Court agrees with the submission made on behalf of
the non-applicants that when fabrication and misappropriation of
funds by a public servant are involved, sanction for prosecution
may not be necessary, because such acts cannot be said to be acts
done as part of the official duty, as held by the Hon'ble Supreme
-24- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
Court in the Shambhoo Nath Misra Vs. State of U.P. and others
(supra). But, the question of sanction pales into insignificance, in
view of the above conclusion that we have arrived at, to the effect
that exoneration of the applicant in the departmental enquiry for
virtually the same allegations ought to lead to termination of the
criminal proceedings. To permit the criminal proceedings to
continue further would amount to an abuse of the process of law
and ends of justice will be met by invoking our inherent power
under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. for quashing the F.I.R. as well as
the charge-sheet. Considering the aforesaid conclusions, it
becomes obvious that the Magistrate erred in refusing to discharge
the applicant.
29] As noted above, the Enquiry Officer in the
departmental enquiry found that, at worst, the applicant could be
said to have been negligent in supervising his sub-ordinates, for
which he had already suffered the penalty of censure. In these
circumstances, we are inclined to agree with the learned counsel
for the applicant that the present application deserves to be
allowed.
-25- 922.APL.731.2020. Judgment.odt
30] In view of the above, the application is allowed in terms
of the prayers made in the application.
31] Consequently, F.I.R. No.238 of 2013 dated 03.12.2013
registered against the applicant at Police Station Arvi, Dist
Wardha, as also the charge-sheet bearing No.14/14 dated
06.02.2014, are quashed and set aside. The order of the
Magistrate dated 21/08/2020, dismissing the application for
discharge filed by the applicant, is rendered meaningless and it is
consequentially set aside.
32] As a result, Regular Criminal Case (RCC) No.29 of
2014, pending before the Court of Judicial Magistrate, First Class,
Arvi, District Wardha, is also quashed and set aside.
(VALMIKI SA MENEZES, J.) (MANISH PITALE, J.)
Vijay
Signed By:GHANSHYAM S
KHUNTE
Signing Date:29.09.2022 17:43
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