Thangavel and 24 Others Vs Guruvel

Madras High Court 2 Feb 1989 Criminal M.P. No. 2746 of 1988. (1989) 02 MAD CK 0049
Bench: Single Bench
Result Published
Acts Referenced

Judgement Snapshot

Case Number

Criminal M.P. No. 2746 of 1988.

Hon'ble Bench

David Annoussamy, J

Advocates

V.K. Muthuswamy, for the Appellant;

Final Decision

Allowed

Acts Referred
  • Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) - Section 173, 256, 482
  • Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) - Section 147, 341, 354
  • Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 - Section 7(1)(d)

Judgement Text

Translate:

@JUDGMENTTAG-ORDER

David Annoussamy, J.@mdashThis is a petition u/s 482, Crl. P.C., praying this Court to call for records and quash the proceedings in C.C. No. 43 of 1988 on the file of the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Gobichettipalayam. The circumstances under which this petition arises are as follows: The Respondent filed a complaint against the accused before police on 3-7-1985 alleging commission of offences by the accused under Ss. 147, 341 and 354, I.P.C., and Section 7(1)(d) of the Protection of Civil Rights Act. The police after investigation filed a report u/s 173 Crl.P.C., that the matter amounted to mistake of fact. There upon the Respondent filed a complaint (before magistrate on 18-6-1986. The magistrate referred the matter again for investigation and the police reported again that the case was a false one. Upon receipt of such report, the magistrate posted the case for enquiry on 5-12-1986. On that date, the Respondent complainant was absent and the petition was dismissed. On 17-12-1986 the complainant filed a petition, namely, C.M.P. No. 4103 of 1986 praying the magistrate to recall his order dated 5-12-1986, which petition was allowed by the magistrate who ordered enquiry to be taken up on 2-2-1987.

2. The present petition is directed against the order of the magistrate dated 17-12-1986 recalling his earlier order dated 5-12-1986. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner would state that the magistrate has no power to recall the order passed on the private complaint and his order should, therefore, be set aside and the proceedings quashed. In this connection, he placed before me two decisions, one of the Supreme Court in Bindeshwari Prasad Singh Vs. Kali Singh, and the other of the Calcutta High Court in R.K. Gupta Vs. Sankar Mukherjee and Another, .

3. The Respondent in this petition is found to be absent and no representation is made on his behalf. As per Section 256, Crl. P.C., if the summons has been issued on complaint and if on the day appointed for the appearance of the accused, the complainant does not appear, the magistrate shall acquit the accused unless for some reason he thinks it proper to adjourn the hearing of the case to some other day or dispense with the attendance of the complainant if he is represented by a pleader and the magistrate is of the opinion that the personal attendance of the complainant is not necessary. In this case, the case was not adjourned nor the personal attendance of the complainant was dispensed with. That means, the accused have been acquitted as per Section 256 , Code of Criminal Procedure Once the accused have been acquitted, there is no possibility of reviving the proceedings as held by the Supreme Court in the decision quoted supra. Therefore, this petition is allowed. The proceedings are quashed.

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