- (1.) Leave granted. At the instance of Smt. Ranjana Koshal a criminal case had been registered against her husband and his sister for the offences under sections 313 and 498-A read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. After investigation the case was charge-sheeted by the police. The case was later committed to the Court of Sessions by a Magistrate at Jabalpur. When the additional Sessions Judge, Jabalpur framed charge against the accused for the offences aforementioned they moved the High Court in revision for quashment of the charge. A learned Single Judge of the High Court of madhya Pradesh quashed the charge solely on the ground that the Jabalpur Court has not territorial jurisdiction to try the case. The said order of the learned Single Judge is being challenged by special leave at the instance of the state of Madhya Pradesh as also Smt. Ranjana koshal the de facto complainant.
(2.) The marriage between Ranjana Koshal and her husband Suresh Kaushal took place at jabalpur and thereafter the couple resided in the nuptial home situated at Indore. Most of the actions alleged against the accused took place at Indore. However, the complaint contains the allegation that Smt. Ranjana Koshal was subjected to physical torture when she was in the family way and she had to be taken back to her parental house at Jabalpur. The miscarriage took place while she was at Jabalpur. Section 313, Indian Penal Code has been included in the charge as the cumulative effect of all the allegations ending with the consequence of the miscarriage which took place at Jabalpur.
(3.) Learned Single Judge found that the offence has been committed at Indore, and therefore, the Court at Jabalpur has no jurisdiction at all for trying the case. This is what learned Single Judge has observed in connection with the same : "The alleged offence under Section 313, indian Penal Code had also been committed outside the city of Jabalpur. The Courts at jabalpur have, therefore, no jurisdiction to take cognizance of the above offences against the petitioners. The competency of the Court to take jurisdiction is determined by the place in which the offence is alleged to have been committed. It is the settled law that the Magistrate within whose local jurisdiction the offence is alleged to have been committed is authorised to take cognizance, and either to try the case himself or to commit it to the Court of Sessions. Since the alleged offence has not been committed within the local jurisdiction of the Magistrate at Jabalpur, the learned Judge to whom the case has been committed by the learned Magistrate of Jabalpur has no power to try the petitioners for the alleged offence, which were allegedly committed wholly outside the local limits of his jurisdiction. ";