JUDGEMENT
MADAN, J. -
(1.) THIS petition under Art. 226 of the Constitution of India is directed against alleged arbitrary and illegal investigation in respect of F. I. R. No. 54/90 for offence under S. 498 A, 406 and 120b IPC. Police station Jhotwara, Jaipur and for relief regarding re-opening of the final report No. 53/91, dated 30th June,1991, drawn up by the District Special Investigation Cell, Jaipur under direction and supervision of the then Dy. Inspector General, Jaipur Range.
(2.) THE facts giving rise to the filing of this petition briefly stated are that the petitioner was married with Smt. Chandrakanta on 20th November,1988 according to Hindu Customary Rites. THE couple lived together happily till January ,1990 at the petitioner's residential quarter No. 80 Dak Colony, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur. It has been stated in the petition that the petitioner was interested in purchase of some residential plot prior to the celebration of his marriage and a deal was struck for the purchase of the plot through one Shri Srigopal Sharma, Sub-Postmaster in the year 1987 who was interested to oblige the petitioner with a view to pursuade the petitioner to marry the daughter of the said Postmaster and to which the petitioner had consented. THE petitioner had made full payment in respect of plot in July,1988 to Shri Srigopal the abovenamed postmaster who had managed to procure the concerned file for the allotment letter in favour of the petitioner in respect of Subhash Sindhi Housing Co-operative Society Ltd. ,jaipur. It is further stated in the petition that on examination of the aforesaid file of the Co-operative Society the petitioner discovered two receipts of the years 1981-82, one regarding Membership of the Society and the other in respect of final payment. Enquiries made by the petitioner from said Shri Srigopal Sharma revealed that the society had the practice to manage its own affair in its own way. THE petitioner was told that his name had been shown as Member of the above society in the year 1981 itself and he could not have any anxiety for anything else. In March, 1988 above named Shri Srigopal Sharma started constructing house on plot No. 4 in the same colony in which the petitioner's plot No. 94 was located.
It is further stated in the petition that Shri Srigopal sent his son Virendra alias Pappu on 20. 10. 1988 to the petitioner with an oral message to raturn the allotment letter as well as the concerned documents of plot No. 94 as it was not adviseable to sell the plot to the petitioner, since the intended date of the petitioner's marriage was to take place shortly. It is stated that three days after the first meeting with Pappu, i. e. , on 23. 10. 1988, Pappu again visited the petitioner along with the letter, dated 23. 10. 1988, written by Srigopal Sharma on his letter head. The contents of the said letter revealed that Srigopal had advised the petitioner that he should forget about the deal regarding Plot No. 94 as the same had already been sold to some one else and that the petitioner should instead opt for plot No. 38. The petitioner however, thought it proper to keep photostat copies of the documents required back by Srigopal and which he kept safely with him. Srigopal Sharma also gave an undertaking to the petitioner of arranging another plot according to the petitioner's choice either on Ajmer Road or in Malviya Nagar. In the mean while marriage of the petitioner was solemnised with Chandrakanta, daughter of Srigopal on 20. 11. 1988. Subsequently in the view of the assurance given to the petitioner by Srigopal, the petitioner started constructing a house on plot No. 38 along with his father and started living in the said house after completion of the construction w. e. f. October, 1989. Notwithstanding the above, Srigopal could not get the allotment of the plot No. 38 in favour of the petitioner or his father inspite of repeated moves made by the petitioner and his wife Smt. Chandrakanta for the reasons best known to said Srigopal. Subsequently Srigopal decided to get his daughter Chandrakanta to be dis-associated from the petitioner. Under these circumstances a conspiracy was hatched by said Srigopal along with the petitioner's wife Smt. Chandrakanta against the petitioner. It was under these circumstances that the petitioner was constrained to file a criminal complaint against his father-in-law Srigopal Sharma, brother-in-law Virendra, maternal uncle Amarchand and others under S. 107/116 Cr. P. C. in the court of Addl. Collector and Magistrate First Class (HQ) Jaipur on 24. 11. 1989. No affective steps could be taken on the said complaint on account of non-availability of the Presiding Officer. It is further stated in the petition that on account of the aforesaid reason, the petitioner's wife Smt. Chandrakanta lodged a report in writing with police station, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur against her father Srigopal and others on 24. 11. 1989. On the basis of the said report a case was registered at serial No. 1003 on 24. 11. 1989 by the local police and investigation was entrusted to one A. S. I. Shri Bhanwar singh of inquiry. On 26. 11. 1989 srigopal and his party men forcibly entered the petitioner's house No. 38 and got it vacated by forcibly turning out the prtitioner along with his parents.
It is further stated in the petition that subsequent to the aforesaid event, Srigopal Sharma hired some 'gundas' i. e. bad characters to forcibly take away the petitioner's wife Chandrakanta from the custody of the petitioner on 25th and 26. 11. 1989. The petitioner was consequently compelled to leave his residence on 17. 11. 1989 and left for his native place Beerkari District Alwar along with his wife Chandrakanta and started residing in the said village. Subsequently a meeting of some respectable persons was arranged by the petitioner in December, 1989 to whom the petitioner narrated the entire story. On the intervention of some respectable persons a compromise was arrived at between the parties but Srigopal insisted that first of all his daughter Chandrakanta should be brought back to him; whereas Chandrakanta was not ready and willing to go back to her father. On 7. 01. 1990 on the intervention of one temple priest near Badli village on Sikandra Geejargarh road, a meeting was arranged with Srigopal and his party men. Prior to the said meeting on misrepresentation of some facts by Srigopal, the petitioner rushed to Jaipur at the residence of Srigopal by Metador No. RSH 8646 where the petitioner was detained in unlawful custody of Srigopal in a room of his house No. 4, Jagdish Colony, Laxminagar, Jhotwara, Jaipur. On 8th of January, 1990 the petitioner's wife Chandrakanta who came in search of her husband was also detained along with the petitioner's relatives. In this manner Srigopal and his associates succeeded in accomplishment of illegal act. Smt. Chandrakanta was detained at her father's residence while the petitioner and his relatives were set free at about 10. 30 pm. on 10. 01. 1990.
It is further contended by the petitioner that in this manner Srigopal who had won over his daughter Chandrakanta had succeeded by pressurising her to depose against the petitioner and his associates by fabricating a story regarding misappropriation of some jewellery items etc.
In view of the above circumstances, the petitioner was constrained to lodge reports with police station, Jhotwara and Malviya Nagar respectively regarding the aforesaid occurrence dated 7. 01. 1990 and 8. 01. 1990 but no action was taken by the police and the petitioner filed private complaints regarding above two occurrences in the court of law of the competent jurisdiction regarding F. I. R. No. 192/90, police station, Jhotwara, Jaipur under Ss. 147, 323, 342, 365, 384, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120 IPC. F. I. R. No. 185/90, police station Malviya Nagar, Jaipur under S. 379 IPC. Besides the above,the petitioner also made complaints in writing to several authorities by registered and other letters.
(3.) THAT is a counter-blast to the above, Srigopal also got registered some criminal cases against the petitioner, his parents and his associates vide FIR Nos. 241/90, 169/90, 92/90 and 82/90 and one divorce petition No. 221/90 under S. 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act in Family Court, Jaipur and petition for grant of maintenance under S. 125 Cr. P. C. (Case No. 92/90) against the petitioner.
It is further contended that soon after the Final Reports were drawn up by the police on the basis of the complaints made by the petitioner, the investigation was taken up by S. P. (3) C. I. D. , I. G. P. , C. I. D. and Vigilance , Jaipur for taking necessary departmental action against Srigopal and others in accordance with law and C. C. S. (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
It was contended by Shri Yadav , learned counsel for the petitioner that notwithstanding the above, the non-applicants No. 1 to 3 did not conduct the investigation properly and fairly which resulted in violation of petitioner's fundamental rights to life and liberty under Arts. 21 and 22 of the Constitution of India and that the petitioner has been left with no other alternative remedy except to move this court by this petition under Art. 226 of the Constitution. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the investigation of the case F. R. No. 54/90 under S. 498a, 406 and 120b IPC and F. R. No. 53/91 of police station, Jhotwara, Jaipur be withdrawn from the police and appropriate directions be given against the respondents in view of the provisions of S. 173 (2) and S. 173 (8) Cr. P. C and the said Final Reports be forwarded to the Magistrate of the competent jurisdiction in compliance with the provisions of S. 173 (2) Cr. P. C. Provision of S. 173 (2) and S. 173 (8) Cr. P. C. provide as under:- "s. 173 (2)- (i) As soon as it is completed, the officer-in-charge of the police station shall forward to a Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence on a police report, a report in the form prescribed by the State Government, stating: - (a) the names of the parties: (b) the nature of the information: (c) the names of the persons who appear to be acquainted with the circumstances of the case: (d) Whether any offence appears to have been committed and, if so, by whom : (e) Whether the accused has been arrested : (f) Whether he has been released on his bond and, if so, whether with or without sureties : (g) whether he has been forwarded in custody under S. 170. (ii) The Officer shall also communicate, in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government, the action taken by him, to the person, if any, by whom the information relating to the commission of the offence was first given. S. 173 (8)- Nothing in this section shall be deemed to preclude further investigation in respect of offence after a report under sub-section (2) has been forwarded to the Magistrate and, whereupon such investigation, the officer-in-charge of the police station obtains further evidence, oral or documentary, he shall forward to the Magistrate, a further report or reports regarding such evidence in the form prescribed : and the provisions of sub- section (2) to (6) shall as far as may be , apply in relation to such report or reports as they apply in relation to a report forwarded under sub-section (2) ".
;