Rengaswami Reddiar vs Gunnammal

M. Natesan, J.—This revision has been preferred by the plaintiff in a civil suit against whom an order has been passed by the learned District

Munsif of Kulitalai directing the filing of a complaint u/s 476, Criminal Procedure Code, for an enquiry into offences under Sections 193. and 209,

Indian Penal Code, against the plaintiff on motion made by the defendant. The learned District Judge, Tiruchirappalli, on appeal, has confirmed the

order.

The facts leading to the proceedings may be set out briefly. The petitioner herein, the plaintiff against whom the complaint is to be laid, is the

deceased husband''s brother of the respondent herein, the defendant in the suit which the petitioner laid. The suit, Original Suit No. 588 of 1959,

on the file of the District Munsif''s Court, Kulitalai, was for recovery of a sum of Rs. 2,000 due on a promissory note, dated 1st January, 1958. It

was the case of the plaintiff that this amount was advanced by him to the defendant for the purchase of a land by her for Rs. 3,000, Exhibit B-1

being the sale deed. According to the plaintiff he had a sum of Rs. 1,000 belonging to his brother with him. This suit was contested by the

defendant and she put forward a plea that she did not execute any promissory note for Rs. 2,000 but that she borrowed only a sum of Rs. 700 on

a promissory note in June, 1958. She pleaded that a sum of Rs. 500 was paid by her towards the said debt, and that the present plaintiff obtained

her thumb-impression for the said payment on the alleged promissory note for Rs. 2,000 falsely representing that the said endorsement was taken

on the promissory note for Rs. 700. While giving evidence in the suit, the plaintiff, in the chief examination itself, stated that the defendant had not

executed a promissory note for Rs. 700 and had not repaid Rs. 500 towards the same. The suit was decreed in favour of the plaintiff on 1st July,

1960. On 21st October, 1960, the plaintiff filed another suit, Original Suit No. 560 of 1960, against the defendant for the amounts due on a

promissory note for Rs. 700, dated 5th January, 1958. On 6th February, 1961, the plaintiff''s Advocate withdrew the suit, Original Suit No. 560

of 1960, endorsing on the plaint that it was not pressed. It is after the withdrawal of the suit, on 3rd March, 1961, the defendant filed Original

Petition No. 5 of 1961, for action u/s 476, Criminal Procedure Code, and prosecution of the plaintiff for offences under Sections 193, Indian

Penal Code (giving false evidence), 209, Indian Penal Code, (dishonestly making false claim) and 210, Indian Penal Code (fraudulently obtaining

decree for sum not due). The learned District Munsif himself held that no case had been made out for sanction to prosecute the plaintiff for an

offence u/s 210 and as set out in the beginning, complaint was directed to be filed for offences under Sections 193, and 209, Indian Penal Code.

Mr. K.S. Desikan, learned Counsel appearing for the plaintiff (petitioner) urges three points in this revision. The first contention is that Section

479-A, Criminal Procedure Code, is a bar to the present proceedings u/s 476, Criminal Procedure Code. It is next contended that there has been

no proper appraisal whether it was expedient in the interests of justice that an enquiry should be made, in this case, the approach in this behalf

being erroneous. Thirdly, it is contended that there is absolutely no ground whatsoever for proceedings u/s 209, Indian Penal Code.

The first contention, in my opinion, has no force. Section 479-A, Criminal Procedure Code, relates to a witness who in the opinion of a civil,

revenue or criminal Court, has intentionally given false evidence in a judicial proceeding or has intentionally fabricated false evidence for the

purpose of being used in any stage of the judicial proceeding. In such a case, if, for the eradication of the evils of perjury and fabrication of false

evidence and in the interests of justice the Court, considers that such witness should be prosecuted for the offence which appears to have been

committed by him it shall, at the time of the delivery of the judgment or final order disposing of such proceeding, record a finding to the aforesaid

effect giving reason and make a complaint. This postulates a Court coming to a conclusion as to the falsity of the evidence before the judgment or

final order. Section 479-A, Criminal Procedure Code, cannot, therefore, apply to a case where after disposal of the case later it is discovered that

judgment has been secured by perjured or false evidence and the witness has spoken falsehood. Sub-clause (6) of Section 479-A which is a bar

to other proceedings, reads only thus:

No proceeding shall be taken u/s 476 to 479 inclusive for the prosecution of a person for giving or fabricating false evidence, if in respect of such a

person proceedings may be taken under this section.

On the facts of this case, proceedings u/s 479-A could not have been taken The case for the defendant is that the falsehood became apparent and

clear when the plaintiff, having deposed on oath in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959 that there was no promissory note for Rs. 700 executed by the

defendant, later after securing the decree in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959, launched the suit, Original Suit No. 560 of 1960, on 21st October,

1960, in respect of a promissory note for Rs. 700. The plaint in that case has been verified as setting out facts true to the knowledge of the plaintiff.

In the earlier proceeding he had denied the existence of a promissory note by the defendant for Rs. 700 and shortly thereafter he filed the suit on a

promissory note for Rs. 700. It is, therefore, stated that it later became established that he had given false evidence in the earlier proceedings

In C.P. Kasi Thevar Vs. Chinniah Konar, , Somasundaram, J., observes:

It is, therefore, quite clear that at the time when the judgment was delivered the Magistrate was not in a position to form an opinion and that is an

essential prerequisite for Proceeding u/s 479-A, Criminal Procedure Code. The circumstance, namely, that the Court must form an opinion about

the falsity of the evidence, and, at the time of the delivery of the judgment it should have formed such an opinion are not present in this case.

Section 479-A, Criminal Procedure Code, will not there-fore, apply to the facts of this case and, if Section 479-A will not apply to the facts of this

case, certainly Clause (6) cannot apply, because Cause (6) can be invoked only to cases to which Section 479-A will apply.

The cases of the Supreme Court in Shabir Hussein Bholu Vs. State of Maharashtra, , and Babu Lal Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and Others, ,

referred to by learned Counsel for the petitioner are not of much help to the petitioner. As observed by Shah, J., in Babu Lal Vs. State of Uttar

Pradesh and Others, .

It is clear from the terms of sub section(6), (of Section 479-A), that the procedure prescribed there by alone applies if the case falls within Sub-

section (1).But sub-section(1) has a limited operation: it applies only to the prosecution of a witness appearing before the Court who has

intentionally given false evidence in any stage of the judicial proceeding or has in intentionally fabricated false evidence for the purpose of being

used in any stage of the judicial Proceeding. the sub-section may therefore be resorted to only in a case which falls within the first paragraph of

Section 139 of the Indian Penal Code and allied Section 194 and 195 when it is committed by a witness appearing before the Court.

In Raghubir Prasad Dudhwallah v. Chamanlal Mehra (1964) 1 S.C.J.415 : (1964) M.L.J. 233, , it is observed by Das Gupta J., delivering

judgment for the Supreme Court:

There is divergence of judicial opinion on the question whether if action could have been taken by the criminal Court u/s 479-A but was not taken,

action can still be taken u/s 476 of the Criminal Procedure Code. But that question does not arise for consideration before us. The question here is:

Assuming that where action could have been taken under section479-A of the Criminal Procedure Code but was not taken by the criminal Court

concerned for offences of giving false evidence in any stage of a judicial proceeding or for intentional fabrication of false evidence for the purpose

of being used in any stage of a judicial proceeding, no action can be taken u/s 476 of the Criminal Procedure Code, is it further correct to say that

no such action u/s 476 of the Criminal Procedure Code, can be taken even in respect of offences of forgery or conspiracy to commit forgery?

It is held in that case that Section 479-A has no application to prosecution for offences other than an offence u/s 193 and cognate Sections in

Chapter XI of the Indian Penal Code. In my view it is clear that in regard to cases which do not strictly fall u/s 479-A and no action is possible

under that section even in respect of an offence referred to in Section 193 and cognate offences in Chapter XI of the Indian Penal Code, the

procedure prescribed in Section 476, Criminal Procedure Code, can be followed. It follows also from the above discussion and on the decisions

of the Supreme Court referred to above that so far as the offence u/s 209, Indian Penal Code, in the present case is concerned, the procedure u/s

479-A would in no event be available. The case has not proceeded to trial and the present petitioner has not been examined as witness. The bar of

Section 479-A to the present proceedings is, therefore, untenable.

Now to take up the tenability of complaint for an offence u/s 2o9, Indian Penal Code, the observations of Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, J., sitting

with Chatterjee, J., in Jadu Nandan Singh v. Emperor I.L.R.(1909) Cal. 250, have also to be borne in mind. Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, J., laid out

a wholesome caution to be observed:

No sanction should be granted, or prosecution directed, unless there is a reasonable probability of conviction, though the authority granting a

sanction u/s 195 or taking action u/s 476, should not decide the question of guilt or innocence. Great care and caution are required before the

criminal law is set in motion, and there must be a reasonable foundation for the charge in respect of which prosecution is sanctioned or directed.

The charge u/s 209, Indian Penal Code, for dishonestly making false claim in Court in the present proceeding is relied upon with reference to suit

Original Suit No. 560 of 1960, which the petitioner instituted on the basis of the promissory note for Rs. 700. According to the defendant herself,

she had executed this promissory note for Rs. 700. It was her case that she had paid a sum of Rs. 500 towards this promissory note. That

question has not been gone into and the suit was withdrawn before the trial. It may be that the plaintiff deposed falsely when in the earlier suit he

denied the execution of the promissory note for Rs. 700 by the defendant. But that does not make the suit on the promissory note for Rs. 700 a

false claim. The defendant admits of her executing the promissory note for Rs. 700. When the suit is on a promissory note admittedly executed by

the defendant, can it he said that the plaintiff was making a false claim in Court. In this case it cannot be said that either the one or the other, the

statement in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959, or the allegation in Original Suit No. 560 of 1960, must be false, as it is the positive case of the

defendant who has initiated the proceeding that it is the deposition in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959, that is false. The Courts below have lightly

brushed aside the defendant''s admission of the execution of the promissory note for Rs. 700 as irrelevant, observing that it is a matter for

investigation by the criminal Court whether any offence had been committed or not. The Courts below have overlooked that there is no prima facie

case even thought the latter claim is a false one. The fact that the plaintiff withdrew it is neither here nor there. Evidently he withdraw the suit when

he realised the consequences of his former deposition and its likely reaction on the latter claim. It cannot, in the circumstances, bearing in mind the

caution suggested by Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, J., be said that a complaint for an offence u/s 209, Indian Penal Code, would satisfy the test

generally adopted for laying a complaint u/s 476, Criminal Procedure Code, the existence of a prima facie case for further enquiry on complaint.

I shall now take up the contention of learned Counsel for the petitioner that the finding that the prosecution was expedient in the interests of

justice cannot be maintained and is vitiated. Learned Counsel points out that: a perusal of the order shows that the Courts below have mixed the

existence of prima facie case and expediency for prosecution in the interests of justice, as if on the presence of the former the latter followed. With

reference to this aspect of the matter, the learned District Justice holds:

The circumstances under which the plaintiff gave evidence on oath denying the existence of the pronote for Rs. 700 and the circumstances under

which he made the claim subsequently on the very pronote clearly show that in the interests of justice it is expedient that he should be prosecuted.

In both the Courts below the discussion is as to whether the offence has been made out for the case to go to a criminal Court. The plea of the

plaintiff that his statement in the former deposition was a slip or lapse of memory is rejected as incredible and it is remarked that no reason had

been given for withdrawing the latter suit. The statement in the present proceedings by the plaintiff that the suit was not pressed on account of the

alleged impecunious position of the respondent is characterised as false. Obviously it is so. It is also clear that the statement in the chief-

examination in the former suit was a deliberate statement and he would not have been unconscious of it when he later filed the suit on the

promissory note for Rs. 700. But do these facts themselves conclude that prosecution is necessary and expedient in the interests of justice? In my

view, this matter has to be considered apart from the prima facie case of the offence having been made out. The guilt of the accused which could

be established is not the only question that is relevant when the Court has to form an opinion as to the expediency of prosecution in the interests of

justice. The following observations in Shabir Hussein Bholu Vs. State of Maharashtra, , if I may say so with respect may be usefully referred to in

this context:

Restricting ourselves to a case where the offence consists of intentionally giving false evidence in any stage of ""judicial proceeding"" it is no doubt

true that as u/s 476 it is the Court which disposes of such judicial proceeding which primarily has to act u/s 479-A. There does not appear to be

any real distinction between Section 476 and Section 479-A as to the Court which can take action. u/s 476 the action may proceed suo motu or

on application while u/s 479-A, no application seems to be contemplated. But there is nothing in this provision which makes a distinction between

flagrant offences and offences which are not flagrant or between serious offences and offences which are not serious. For exercising the powers

conferred by this section the Court has in the first instance to form an opinion that the person against whom complaint is to be lodged has

committed one of the two categories of offences referred to therein. The second condition is that the Court has come to the conclusion that for the

eradication of the evils of perjury and fabrication of false evidence and in the interests of justice it is expedient that a witness should be prosecuted

for an offence which appears to have been committed by him. Having laid down these conditions, Section 479-A prescribes the procedure to be

followed by the Court. If the Court does not form an opinion that the witness has given intentionally false evidence or intentionally fabricated false

evidence no question of making a complaint can properly arise. Similarly where the Court has formed an opinion that though the witness has

intentionally given false evidence or intentionally fabricated false evidence the nature of the perjury or fabrication committed by him is not such as to

make it expedient in the interests of justice to make a complaint, it has a discretion not to make a complaint. But it does not follow from this that it

can later on resort to Section 476 and make a complaint against the witness. For, even u/s 476 the Court must, before making a complaint, be

satisfied that it was expedient in the interests of justice to make an enquiry into the offence committed by the witness.

That is after forming an opinion as to the existence of prima facie case, the Court will have to consider further, whether it is expedient to launch

prosecution in the case in the interest of justice. This, in my view, will be on genereal grounds without reference to the particular complainant or

particular offender. The bare fact that it is noticed later that false evidence has been given in a proceeding, in my view, will not be sufficient for

concluding expediency of prosecution. No doubt perjury, falsehood and frauds when detected in the course of judicial proceedings must be

punished and punished severely. The Courts will not lightly look on litigants obtaining benefit by foul means or witnesses who perjure themselves to

help their party. But before launching prosecution, one has to bear in mind that hundreds of actions are tried yearly in which the Court finds the

evidence irreconcilably conflicting and wherein one or the other side must have wilfully and deliberately perjured. The Courts do often pronounce

on the falsity of evidence while coming to findings. If prosecution is to be launched in every case, and particularly at the instance of the opposite

party, then there will be no limit to litigation between the parties. The danger of parties vindictively proceeding against their opponents by initiating

proceedings u/s 476, Criminal Procedure Code, has to be kept in mind. This aspect of the matter must make the Court pause and consider the

expediency of prosecution in a particular case with reference to its facts and not launch prosecution at the instance of parties in every case where

perjury is discovered.

Now, in the present case it must be noticed that the first Court, itself has held that an offence punishable u/s 210, Indian Penal Code, has not

been made out. Though it was the case of the defendant in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959, that the promissory note was fabricated on a

representation that an endorsement of payment was being taken on the promissory note for Rs. 700, a perusal of the cross-examination of the

plaintiff, in that case would show that no attempt was made to make out this plea. The present petitioner had, in the chief-examination itself, stated

that the defendant had not executed a promissory note for Rs. 700 and had not paid Rs. 500 towards the same. There is not even a suggestion in

the cross-examination of the plaintiff with reference to this part of the evidence putting forward the defendant''s own version in the matter which she

has pleaded in the written statement. The cross-examination was directed elaborately to the capacity of the plaintiff to advance moneys and the

only question put to the plaintiff which may relate to the particular defence is apparent from the answer elicited.

It is not true that Exhibit A-1 is forged.

The cross-examination was not directed to showing in these proceedings that the plaintiff was deposing falsely when he stated in chief-examination

that there was no promissory note for Rs. 700. What prompted the defendant for adopting such an attitude in the cross-examination one need not

speculate now. But the fact remains that in those proceedings there was no specific cross-examination of the denial by the plaintiff of the

promissory note for Rs. 700. A perusal of the judgment in Original Suit No. 588 of 1959 shows that the statement in question has not materially

affected the decision in the case. The Court has only set out the denial by the plaintiff of the promissory note for Rs. 700. As already stated, the

defendant had not placed evidence on record in that case from which an inference could have been made that the promissory note for Rs. 2,000

had been fabricated. The judgment was allowed to become final. In the circumstances, it cannot be said that this denial of the promissory note for

Rs. 700 by the plaintiff in the former proceeding had any material bearing in these proceedings. Whatever it may be, when he later instituted the suit

and withdrew it, he had lost the money due thereunder, if any was due to him. The withdrawal of the later suit which had been inconsistent with the

statement in the earlier proceeding is a matter which the Court may properly take into consideration in considering the expediency of launching

prosecution. As already stated, the Courts below have not paid proper attention to the consideration of the expediency of prosecution. In my view,

this failure has vitiated the order of the Courts below. This Court would not ordinarily interefere u/s 115, Civil Procedure Code, with the exercise

of discretion by the Courts below. But when the exercise of discretion is vitiated by failure to bear in mind the principles on which the discretion

should be exercised and material grounds that could affect the exercise of discretion have been lost sight of, this Court can properly interfere. In my

view, the interests of justice do not require that a complaint should be made in this case.

In the result the order in Original Petition No. 5 of 1961, directing the filing of a complaint is set aside and this revision is allowed. There will be

no order as to costs.