JUDGEMENT
R.R.PRASAD, J. -
(1.) HEARD Learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner and Learned Counsel appearing for the C.B. I. Learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the acused persons of R.C. no.33(A)
of 1996 were being tried earlier by the court designated as 7th A.J.C, Dumka at Ranchi where 35
witnesses were examined on behalf of the prosecution. Consequent upon transfer of 7th A.J.C,
the case was transferred to the court of 5th A.J.C where witnesses no.36 to 61 were examined on
behalf of the prosecution. Thereafter a case bearing Cr.M.P No. 865 of 2010 was filed raising an
issue that 5th J.A.C does not have territorial jurisdiction to try the case. That case was disposed of
vide order dated 22.2.2011 which reads as follows.
Heard Mr.Chittaranjan Sinha, Learned Counsel for the petitioner and Md. Mokhtar
Khan, Learned Counsel for the C.B.I.
The basis objection of the Learned Counsel for the petitioner is that the court at Ranchi
has no territorial jurisdiction.
Learned Counsel was proposed that administratively the Chief Justice can confer
jurisdiction of Ranchi court which was agreed upon. So, the file may be placed before
the Chief Justice to confer orders for jurisdiction of Ranchi Court. All the proceedings
before the court at Ranchi would not be vitiated on account of the jurisdictional issue
involved in this case.
If the accused wants any special witness to be recalled, then reasons to be recoded in
his petition and the court may permit. The court will also have the right to reject the
application, if it considers that the witness is not necessarily to be examined.
With the aforesaid orders, this petition is disposed of.
(2.) THAT order was challenged before the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Special Leave to Appeal (Crl) No. 2409 of 2011 but the Hon'ble Supreme Court declined to interfere with the
impugned order. However, it was observed that the petitioner is free to seek clarification if need
arise in respect of order dated 22nd February, 2011 and the consequential order of the
Hon'ble the Chief Justice passed on the administrative side. Thereupon, without seeking any
clarification of the order dated 22.2.2011 passed by this Court, an application was filed before the
court below praying therein to recall witness nos.37, 43, 49 and 62 for their cross examination.
That application was dismissed, vide order dated 29.7.2011 holding therein that the petitioner had
earlier been afforded with full opportunity to cross -examine witness nos. 37, 43 and 49 and as
such, they need not to be recalled for cross -examination.
So far witness no.62 is concerned, it was recorded that he also needs not to be recalled as defence has refused to cross -examine him. That order is under challenge.
(3.) MR . Sinha, learned Sr. counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that out of those four witnesses, witness nos. 37,43, 49 warants to be recalled for their cross -examination on the point of
the prosecution of the petitioner being hit by the principle of double jeopardy as contemplated
under Section 300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure as on the evidences of those three
witnesses, the petitioner has been convicted in another case bearing R.C.No.22(A) of 1996 and so
far witness no.62 is concerned, he was not cross -examined for the reason that the court where he
was examined had no territorial jurisdiction to try the case.;
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