Devendra Kumar and Bheem Sen vs State of U.P. and Rakesh Gupta

Poonam Srivastava, J.—Heard learned counsel for the applicants and learned A.G.A. for the State.

The order issuing notice u/s 111 Cr.P.C. and the proceeding initiated u/s 107/116 Cr.P.C. in pursuance to the aforesaid notice registered at case No. 649 of 2005 pending before the 1 Additional City Magistrate, Aligarh has been challenged in this application. The main ground of challenge is that notices were issued in cyclostyle format and this alone shows that there is no application of mind by the Presiding Officer and learned 1 Additional City Magistrate signed the order mechanically. In the circumstances, entire proceedings initiated on the basis of a notice without recording any satisfaction of the Magistrate that it calls for preventive measures, stand vitiated in law and is liable to be quashed. Reliance has been placed on the decision of this Court in the case of Siya Nand Tyagi v. State of U.P. XXX 1993 ACC 146, wherein this Court had quashed proceedings on account of the reason that initiation of proceedings under Sections 111, 151, 107, 116, 114 were on the basis of a notice in a printed format and there was complete absence of application of mind by the Magistrate concerned. Thus it was concluded that it is not a judicial order but passed rnachanically While quashing the proceedings, reliance has been placed in the case of Mohan Lal v. State of U.P. 1997 ACC page 333, the Court had observed "there arc a series of decisions, in which it has been held that provisions contained in Section 111 of the Code are mandatory and the non-compliance thereof vitiates the entire proceedings." Similarly, in the case of Madhu Limaye v. S.D.M. Mongyr, the Apex Court, in para 36 of its judgment observed:

We have seen the provisions of Section 107. That Section says that action is to be taken in the manner here-in-after provided and this clearly indicates that it is not open to a Magistrate in such a case to depart from the procedure to any substantial extent. This is very salutary became the liberty of the person is involved and the law is rightly solicitous that this liberty should only be curtailed according to its own procedure and not according to the whim of the Magistrate concerned. It behoves us, therefore, to emphasis the safeguards built into the procedure because from there will arise the consideration of the reasonableness of the restrictions in the interest of public order or in the interest of the general public.

In the instant case, a copy of notice annexed as annexure No. 2 to the affidavit filed in support of this application is on a printed format and the blank space has been filled by mentioning name of the accused. In the same circumstances, this Court had also quashed proceedings in another criminal misc. application No. 8246 of 2005, which has been annexed as annexure No. 3 to the affidavit filed in support of this application.

Looking to the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that learned Magistrate failed to apply his mind and arrived at a subjective satisfaction. For these reasons, proceedings in case No. 649 of 2005 pending before 1 Additional City Magistrate, Aligarh is quashed This application is allowed.