JUDGEMENT
SUDHIR AGARWAL,J. -
(1.) THIS application under Section 482 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as "Cr.P.C.) seeks quashing of charge-sheet dated
15.5.13 in Case No.396 of 2013, under Sections 341, 336, 332, 353, 143, 395, 397, 398, 188, 323, 307 I.P.C. and Section 3 Public Property Damages (Prevention) Act , 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act, and section 3 Explosives
Substances Act, Police Station Meja, District Allahabad. The usual grounds
taken are that the applicants have been implicated falsely, they are innocent,
Police has not made investigation properly, there is no credible evidence and
the entire proceedings are on account of enmity etc.
(2.) THE power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. is not to be exercised in a routine manner, but it is for limited purposes, namely, to give effect to any order
under the Code, or to prevent abuse of process of any Court or otherwise to
secure ends of justice. Time and again, Apex Court and various High Courts,
including ours one, have reminded when exercise of power under Section 482
Cr.P.C. would be justified, which cannot be placed in straight jacket formula,
but one thing is very clear that it should not preampt a trial and cannot be used
in a routine manner so as to cut short the entire process of trial before the
Courts below. If from a bare perusal of first information report or complaint,
it is evident that it does not disclose any offence at all or it is frivolous,
collusive or oppressive from the face of it, the Court may exercise its inherent
power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. but it should be exercised sparingly. This
will not include as to whether prosecution is likely to establish its case or not,
whether the evidence in question is reliable or not or whether on a reasonable
appreciation of it, accusation would not be sustained, or the other
circumstances, which would not justify exercise of jurisdiction under Section
482 Cr.P.C. I need not go into various aspects in detail but it would be suffice to refer a few recent authorities dealing all these matters in detail, namely,
State of Haryana and others Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal and others 1992 Supp
(1) SCC 335, Popular Muthiah Vs. State represented by Inspector of
Police (2006) 7 SCC 296, Hamida vs. Rashid @ Rasheed and Ors. (2008)
1 SCC 474, Dr. Monica Kumar and Anr. vs. State of U.P. and Ors. (2008) 8 SCC 781, M.N. Ojha and Ors. Vs. Alok Kumar Srivastav and Anr. (2009) 9 SCC 682, State of A.P. vs. Gourishetty Mahesh and Ors. JT 2010
(6) SC 588 and Iridium India Telecom Ltd. Vs. Motorola Incorporated
and Ors. 2011 (1) SCC 74.
In Lee Kun Hee and others Vs. State of U.P. and others JT 2012 (2) SC 237, it was reiterated that Court in exercise of its jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. cannot go into the truth or otherwise of the allegations and appreciate evidence, if any, available on record. Interference would be
justified only when a clear case of such interference is made out. Frequent and
uncalled interference even at the preliminary stage by High Court may result
in causing obstruction in the progress of inquiry in a criminal case which may
not be in public interest. It, however, may not be doubted, if on the face of it,
either from the first information report or complaint, it is evident that
allegation are so absurd and inherently improbable on the basis of which no
fair-minded and informed observer can ever reach a just and proper
conclusion as to the existence of sufficient grounds for proceeding, in such
cases refusal to exercise jurisdiction may equally result in injustice, more
particularly, in cases, where the complainant sets the criminal law in motion
with a view to exert pressure and harass the persons arrayed as accused in the
complaint.
(3.) HOWEVER , in this matter, after investigation, Police has found a prima facie case against accused and submitted charge-sheet in the Court below. After
investigation the police has found a prima facie case of commission of a
cognizable offence by accused which should have tried in a Court of Law. At
this stage there is no occasion to look into the question, whether the charge
ultimately can be substantiated or not since that would be a subject matter of
trial. No substantial ground has been made out which may justify interference
by this Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C.;