Naresh Chand Jain vs State of U.P. and Others

D.P.S. Chauhan, J.—By means of the present petition u/s 482, Cr. P.C., 1973 (hereinafter, for brevity, referred to as Cr. P.C.), the petitioner has sought the relief for quashing of the complaint in case No. 172 of 1980, Sheo Kumar v. Naresh Chand Jain u/s 500 of the Penal Code (hereinafter, for brevity, referred to as I.P.C.) pending in the court of Judicial Magistrate Kathras, District Aligarh.

The background leading to the filing of the complaint, in question, is the acquittal of Sri Sheo Kumar in case No. 2034 of 1974 from the charge u/s 406, IPC by the Judicial Magistrate Meerut under its order dated 14-7-1980. It was on the basis of the FIR dated 15-5-77 lodged by the petitioner at Police Station Civil Lines Meerut against Sheo Kumar, the driver of the petitioner''s Mini Bus No. UTG-837 plying on the City Railway Station to Medical College route on the basis of the permit, who took-away the said Bus on the pretext of getting it repaired but did not bring back the same, the criminal case on the submission of the chargesheet by police against Sheo Kumar started.

The complainant, who is respondent in the present case has neither put in appearance nor has he filed any counter affidavit. His passive attitude reflects that he is not interested in the matter. I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner Sri L. P. Naithani, Senior Advocate and also the Addl. Public Prosecutor, who in fact is not interested in the matter.

Learned counsel for the petitioner has come forward with the case that as per statement contained in para 3 of the complaint, the allegations in the FIR which are said to have been made false for defaming the complainant''s reputation, constitute the real basis of the complaint and the same is the cause of action. He has further stated that the complaint did not disclose the starting point of limitation and also did not disclose the fact of publication of the alleged defamatory statements in the FIR, so to constitute the offence of defamation. On this basis he contends that the Magistrate, who took the cognizance of the offence u/s 500, IPC on the basis of the complaint on 1-8-1980, did not apply his mind on the question of limitation as the complaint was ex facie beyond the period of limitation provided u/s 468, Cr. P.C. Further, he did not apply his mind in looking into the allegations of fact contained in the complaint as to when the alleged defamatory statements were published so to constitute the offence of defamation. The entire proceedings are thus without jurisdiction.

Section 468, Cr. P.C. provides for limitation for launching the criminal prosecution, which is quoted hereunder:

Bar to taking cognizance after lapse of the period of limitation.--

(1) Except as otherwise provided elsewhere in this Code, no Court shall take cognizance of an offence of the category specified in Sub-section (2), after the expiry of the period of limitation.

(2) The period of limitation shall be --

(a) six months, if the offence is punishable with fine only;

(b) one year, if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year;

(c) three years, if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term exceeding one year but not exceeding three years.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the period of limitation in relation to offence which may be tried together, shall be determined with reference to the offence which is punishable with the more severe punishment or, as the case may be the most severe punishment."

This provision is a newly introduced provision and as the Supreme Court has said in a case State of Punjab Vs. Sarwan Singh, , that the object for putting a bar of limitation for prosecution under it is clearly to prevent the parties from filing cases after a long lapse of time, as a result of which material evidence may disappear and also to prevent the abuse of the process of the court by filing vexatious * and belated prosecutions long after the date of offence. The object which the Statute seems to observe is clearly inconsonance with the cardinal principles of fairness of trial as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that any prosecution whether by the State or a private complainant must abide by the letters of law or to take the risk of prosecution failing on the ground of limitation.

The offence u/s 500, IPC which attracts the punishment for imprisonment for a term of two years is undisputedly covered under Clause (c) of Sub-section (2) of Section 468, Cr. P.C. Under Clause (1), what is prohibited is taking of cognizance of an offence. The word ''cognizance'' is not defined in the Code but Section 190, Cr. P.C. provides that the Magistrate may take cognizance of an offence upon receiving complaint of facts which constitute such offence, or upon a police report of such fact, or upon information received from any person other than the police officer, or upon his own knowledge that such offence has been committed. It contemplates that the fact must be such so as to disclose the offence. The cognizance of an offence can be taken on a complaint in writing or orally in view of the definition of complaint given in Sub-clause (d) of Section 2, Cr. P.C. The word ''taking of the cognizance'' in Section 190, Cr. P.C. has no reference to any formal action. The word cognizance came up for consideration before the Supreme Court in case of Ajit Kumar Palit Vs. State of West Bengal, and the Supreme Court has said (at page AIR 1963 SC 770 ) :

"The word ''cognizance'' has no esoteric or mystic significance in criminal law or procedure. It merely means -- become aware of and when used with reference to a Court or Judge, to take notice of judicially. It was stated in Gopal Marwari and Others Vs. Emperor, by the learned Judges of the Patna High Court in a passage quoted with approval by this Court in R.R. Chari Vs. The State of Uttar Pradesh, , that the word ''cognizance was used in the Code to indicate the point when the Magistrate or Judge takes judicial notice of an offence and that it was a word of indefinite import, and is not perhaps always used in exactly the same sense. As observed in Emperor v. Sourindra Mohan ILR 37 Cal 412. ''taking cognizance does not involve any formal action; or indeed action of any kind, but occurs as soon as a Magistrate, as such, applies his mind to the suspected commission of an offence." Where the statute prescribes the materials on which alone the judicial mind shall operate before any step is taken obviously the statutory requirement must be fulfilled."

So the terminus point for the purpose of limitation is taking of the cognizance by the Magistrate of the offence. For the purpose of limitation, starting point is to be seen and the starting point in case like present one could be the date on which the defamatory statements contained in the FIR are published. Learned counsel for the petitioner has placed reliance on the case of Punjab and Haryana High Court in Ghanshyam Dass v. Shyam Sunder Lal reported in Ghansham Dass Vs. Sham Sundar Lal, . This case is not attracted as in this case the first information report containing defamatory statements was lodged on 20-5-75 and the report was submitted on 13-7-1977 and the trial ended in acquittal on 11-2-1980. It was undisputed that the complaint filed was beyond limitation from the date of the first information report containing the defamatory statements and also from the date of submission of charge-sheet and no explanation was given in the complaint. The question, as to whether the date of the FIR can be the date on which the limitation for filing the complaint starts, has not been decided in the said case. However, in the present case the date of lodging of FIR containing statements alleged to be defamatory was lodged on 12-5-1977 and from this date the complaint is beyond limitation but the limitation would not be counted from this date in view of exception (9) of Section 468, Cr. P.C. The date of filing of chargesheet is not disclosed in the complaint and in the absence of the material before this court, it would not be fair to record finding either way.

It is clear that the Magistrate before taking of the cognizance did not satisfy himself about the bar of limitation as imposed by Section 468, Cr. P.C., as the complaint did not contain the date when the chargesheet was filed in the court, or when the alleged defamatory statements contained in the FIR were published. So it is clear that the Magistrate while taking of the cognizance of the offence u/s 500, IPC failed to apply his mind to the question of limitation. Apart from it, since the complaint did not contain the date as to when the defamatory statements contained in the FIR were published, there could be no offence of defamation unless the statements are published. The Magistrate failed to consider this aspect of the matter also while taking of cognizance of the offence on the basis of the complaint.

The power u/s 482, Cr. P.C. is to be exercised ex debit justitiae to do the real and substantial justice for administration of which the alone courts exists. It would not be proper after pendency of the case in this court for about 8 years to send back the matter for explanation of delay. Explanable u/s 473, Cr. P.C. Apart from it, the conduct of the complainant shows negligence and he has not been interested in the matter. It would be inconsonance with the object of the provision of Section 482, Cr. P.C. and also in the interest of justice that the proceedings in question, which remained pending in this court for about 8 years, be not allowed to continue any further.

The petition is accordingly allowed. The complaint in case No. 172 of 1980 Sheo Kumar v. Naresh Chand Jain pending in the court of Judicial Magistrate, Hathras is hereby quashed. The interm stay order dated 27-1-1982 passed by this court is discharged.