319 CONST

REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPEAL APPEAL NO. NO. 1750 OF 2008

Hardeep Singh

…Appellant Versus

State of Punjab & Ors.

…Respondents With

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1751 o 2008

Manjit Pal Singh

…Appellant Versus

State of Punjab & Anr.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION PETITION "CRL.# NO. $18% o 2008 2008

Babubhai Bhimabhai Bohiria & Anr.

…Appellants

Versus State of !ujarat & Ors.

…Respondents With

Page 1

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION PETITION "CRL.# NO. 720$ o 2010 2010

Rajendra Sharma & Anr.

…Appellants

Versus State of M.P. & Anr.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION PETITION "CRL.# NO. 572% o 200$ 200$

Ra"inder #umar & Anr.

…Appellants Versus

State of Har$ana & Ors.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION PETITION "CRL.# NO. 5$75 o 200$ 200$

%ej Pal & Anr.

…Appellants Versus

State of Har$ana & Ors.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION PETITION "CRL.# NO. $0%0 o 2010 2010

uned Pahal'an

…Appellant Versus

State of (.P.& Anr.

…Respondents With

2

Page 2

SPECIAL LEA!E LEA!E PETITION "CRL.# "CRL.# NO. 5&&1 o 200$ 200$

Rajesh ) Sanjai

…Appellant Versus

State of (.P. & Anr.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION "CRL.# NO. $157 o 200$

Ramdhan Mali & Anr.

…Appellants Versus

State of Rajasthan & Anr.

…Respondents With

SPECIAL LEA!E PETITION "CRL.# NOS. %50&'%50% o 2012

%ej Singh

…Appellant Versus

State of (.P.

…Respondent

JUD(MENT D). B.S. CHAUHAN* J.

*.

%his referen+ referen+ee before before us arises arises out of of a "ariet$ "ariet$ of "ie's "ie's ha"ing ha"ing

 been e,pressed b$ this -ourt and se"eral High -ourts of the +ountr$ on the s+ope and e,tent of the po'ers of the +ourts under the +riminal  justi+e s$stem to arraign an$ person as an a++used during the +ourse

3

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of inuir$ or trial as +ontemplated under Se+tion /*0 of the -ode of -riminal Pro+edure1 *02/ 3hereinafter referred to as the 4-r.P.-.56.

7.

%he in initial re referen+e 'a 'as ma made b$ b$ a t' t'o8udge Be Ben+h

"ide order dated 2.**.799: in the leading +ase of H+),-- Si/h 3-rl. Appeal ;o. *2i/'E >i/'E-)o) -)o)

3*0796 =KR C/ Mad ih=/ Si/h  3Supra61 it emerges that there is no dispute e"en in

these t'o +ases that the stage of +ommittal is neither an inuir$ nor a trial1 for in both the +ases1 the real dispute 'as 'hether Se+tion *0/ -r.P -r.P..-.. +an +an be in"o in"oe ed d at the the time time of +ommi +ommitt ttal al to summ summon on an a++used to fa+e trial 'ho is not alread$ an a++used. =t +an safel$ be said that both the +ases are in harmon$ as to the said stage neither  being a stage of inuir$ inuir$ nor a trial.

77. 77.

On+e On+e the the afore aforesa said id sta stand nd is is +lari +larifi fied ed in in relat relatio ion n to the the stage stage of

+ommittal before the -ourt of Sessions1 the ans'er to the uestion  posed no'1 stands fo+ussed onl$ on the stage at 'hi+h su+h po'ers +an be e,er+ised b$ the +ourt other than the stage of +ommittal and the material on the basis 'hereof su+h po'ers +an be in"oed b$ the +ourt. 'hi+h po'er under Se+tion /*0 @=-tio/ No."i# hat is the stage at 'hi+h -r.P.-. +an be e,er+ised

7/. 7/.

%he %he stag stagee of inu inuir ir$ $ and and tria triall upon upon +og +ogni niLa Lan+ n+ee bein being g taen taen of of

an offen+e1 has been +onsidered b$ a large number of de+isions of this -ourt and that it ma$ be useful to e,tra+t the same hereunder for  proper appre+iation of the stage of in"oing of the po'ers under 1

Page 19

Se+tion /*0 -r.P.-. to understand the meaning that +an be attributed to the 'ord Einuir$5 and Etrial5 as used under the Se+tion.

7C.

=n R+h=-)++* A=R 799C S- *:09 , this -ourt obser"ed that

thou though gh the the 'ord 'ord Etri Etrial al55 is not not defi define ned d in the the -ode -ode11 it is +lea +learl rl$ $

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distinguis distinguishable hable from inuir$. inuir$. =nuir$ =nuir$ must al'a$s al'a$s be a forerunner forerunner to the trial. trial. A three8 three8ud udge ge Ben+h Ben+h of this -ourt in Th- St+t- o Bih+) 3. R+ N+)-h P+/,-4 6 A/).1 A=R *0ih -ourt 'hile 'hile +onsid +onsideri ering ng the >ih=/ =/ Si/ Si/h h 3Supra6* the -ourt

 pro"ision of the old -ode1 the Ka' -ommission5s Re+ommendation and the pro"isions pro"isions in the -r.P.-.1 -r.P.-.1 held that Se+tion Se+tion /*0 -r.P.-. -r.P.-. is an impro"ed pro"ision upon the earlier one. =t has remo"ed the diffi+ult$ of taing +ogniLan+e as +ogniLan+e against the added person 'ould be deemed to ha"e been taen as originall$ against the other +o8a++used. %heref %herefore ore11 on Magist Magistrat ratee +ommit +ommittin ting g the the +ase +ase under under Se+tio Se+tion n 790 -r.P.-. to the -ourt of Sessions1 the bar of Se+tion *0/ -r.P.-. gets 3

Page 34

lifted thereb$ in"esting the -ourt of Sessions +omplete and unfettered  jurisdi+tion of the +ourt of original jurisdi+tion to tae +ogniLan+e of the offen+e 'hi+h 'ould in+lude the summoning of the person or  persons 'hose +ompli+it$ in the +ommission of the +rime +an  prima  facie be  facie be gathered from the material a"ailable on re+ord1 though 'ho is not an a++used before the +ourt.

C:.

=n Dh+) -onstitut tution ion Ben+h Ben+h appro" appro"ed ed the Dh+)+ + P+ 3-B61 the -onsti

de+ision in >ih=/ Si/h 3Supra6 that the Sessions udge has original  po'er to summon a++used holding that @ the the (ess (essio ions ns ?udg ?udgee was was enti entitl tled ed to issu issuee summ summon onss unde underr (ect (ectio ion n 70 70 &ode &ode of &rim &rimin inal al  6rocedure upon the case being committed to him by the Magistrate !he key words in (ection 70 are that >no &ourt of of (ession shall take cognizanc cognizancee of any offence offence as a &ourt of original original jurisdiction jurisdiction unless unless the case has been committed committed to it by a Magistrat Magistratee under this &ode> !he above provision entails that a case must, first of all, be committed to the &ourt &ourt of (ession (ession by the Magist Magistrat rate e !he second second condit condition ion is that only after after the case had been committed committed to it, could the &ourt of (essi ession on

tak take

cogni ogniza zanc ncee

of

the the

offen ffencce

exerc xercis isin ing g

orig origin inal al

 jurisdiction -lthough, an attempt has been made to suggest that the

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cognizance indicated in (ection 70 deals not with cognizance of an offe ffence nce, but but of the the com commitm mitmen entt orde rder pass passed ed by the the lear learn ned  Magistrate, we are not inclined to accept such a submission in the clear wordings of (ection 70 that the &ourt of (ession may take cognizance of the offences under the said (ection 

C0. C0.

=t is is thu thuss apt aptl$ l$ +lea +learr that that unti untill and and unl unles esss the the +as +asee rea+ rea+he hess the the

stage of inuir$ or trial b$ the +ourt1 the po'er under Se+tion /*0 -r.P.-. +annot be e,er+ised. =n fa+t1 this proposition does not seem to ha"e been disturbed b$ the -onstitution Ben+h in Dh+)+ P+ 3-B6. %he dispute therein 'as resol"ed "isualiLing a situation 'herein the +ourt 'as +on+erned 'ith pro+edural dela$ and 'as of the opinion that the Sessions -ourt should not ne+essaril$ 'ait till the stage of Se+tion /*0 -r.P.-. is rea+hed to dire+t a person1 not fa+ing trial1 to appear and fa+e trial as an a++used. e are in full agreement 'ith the interp interpret retati ation on gi"en gi"en b$ the -onsti -onstitut tution ion Ben+h Ben+h that that Se+tio Se+tion n *0/ -r.P.-. +onfers po'er of original jurisdi+tion upon the Sessions -ourt to add an a++used on+e the +ase has been +ommitted to it.

and St+t- 3elhi Administration6 ". L++/ >=+) 6 O).*  A=R *0:J

S- 7