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Supreme CourtDivision Bench

State of Punjab vs Raj Singh and Another

Supreme Court Of India · Decided on 16 January 1998 · Citation: (1998) ACR 735 : AIR 1998 SC 768 : (1998) AIRSCW 483 : (1998) 1 ALD(Cri) 332 : (1998) 1 ALT(Cri) 220 : (1998) CriLJ 1104 : (1998) 1 Crimes 122 : (1998) 1 JT 145 : (1998) 2 LW(Cri) 441 : (1998) 1 SCALE 130 : (1998) 2 SCC 391 : (1998) 1 SCR 223 : (1998) 1 S

HON’BLE JUDGES
M. K. Mukherjee, J · K.T. Thomas, J
ACTS & SECTIONS REFERRED
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 190, 195(1), 340 · Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 419, 420, 467, 468
RESULT
Allowed
CASE NUMBER
Criminal A. No. 82 of 1998 (arising out of SLP (Criminal) No. 2053 of 1997)
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Judgment

3 paragraphs · 372 words
1.

Leave granted. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

2.

We are unable to sustain the impugned order of the High Court quashing the F.I.R. Lodged against the respondents alleging commission of offences under Sections 419, 420, 467 and 468 I.P.C. by them in course of the proceeding of a civil suit, on the ground that Section 195(1)(b)(ii) Cr. P.C. prohibited entertainment of and investigation into the same by the police. From a plain reading of Section 195 Cr.P.C. it is manifest that it comes into operation at the stage when the Court intends to take cognizance of an offence u/s 190(1) Cr. P.C.; and it has nothing to do with the statutory power of the police to investigate into an F.I.R. which discloses a cognisable offence, in accordance with Chapter XII of the Code even if the offence is alleged to have been committed in, or in relation to, any proceeding in Court. In other words, the statutory power of the Police to investigate under the Code is not in any way controlled or circumscribed by Section 195 Cr.P.C. It is of course true that upon the charge-sheet (challan), if any, filed on completion of the investigation into such an offence the Court would not be competent to take cognizance thereof in view of the embargo of Section 195(1)(b) Cr. P.C., but nothing therein deters the Court from filing a complaint for the offence on the basis of the F.I.R. (filed by the aggrieved private party) and the materials collected during investigation, provided it forms the requisite opinion and follows the procedure laid down tin section 340 Cr. P.C. The judgment of this Court in Gopalakrishna Menon and Another Vs. D. Raja Reddy and Another, , on which the High Court relied, has no manner of application to the facts of the instant case for there cognizance was taken on a private complaint even though the offence of forgery was committed in respect of a money receipt produced in the Civil Court and hence it was held that the Court could not take cognizance on such a complaint in view of Section 195 Cr. P.C.

3.

For the foregoing reasons, we allow this appeal and set aside the impugned order.