High Court of KeralaSingle JudgeThe petition (Crl.M.C. 3994/2021) is dismissed;...

CRL.M.C. 3994 of 2021

Case / Petition Number:CRL.MC 3994/2021
Neutral Citation::null

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court of Kerala
Hon'ble Judges
  • K. Haripal
Judgment Date
2021-09-13
Court Decision / Holding
Crl.M.C. devoid of merit and is dismissed.
Final Disposition
The petition (Crl.M.C. 3994/2021) is dismissed; the High Court declines to exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. and leaves the charge-sheet proceedings intact.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Samuel
  • Najad

Respondents

  • State of Kerala represented by Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam
  • Sub Inspector of Police, Kareelakulangara Police Station, Alappuzha District

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • P.M. Ziraj
  • • Irfan Ziraj

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala
  • • Sri Renjith T.R., Senior Public Prosecutor

Case Synopsis & Summary

This Kerala High Court judgment deals with a Criminal Misc. Case under Section 482 Cr.P.C. filed by two accused, Samuel and Najad, seeking to quash the final report in Crime No. 333/2021 of Kareelakulangara Police Station, Alappuzha. The police had registered a suo motu case against the petitioners for offences including IPC sections 188, 268, 269, 278 read with 34 and Section 120(e) of the Kerala Police Act, arising from transporting abattoir waste in a Leyland Dosth vehicle without authorization. The petitioners claim they were employees of Shamlad, authorized to collect abattoir waste and that the waste is a valuable raw material for fertilisers and fish feed; they allege rival elements caused the police to arrest them to please antagonists, and that Annexure-7 to Annexure-12 details were not properly produced. The petition argues there is no basis for the allegations, Section 188 IPC cannot be invoked without a complaint, and Section 195 Cr.P.C bars initiation of proceedings in the circumstances. The prosecution counters that the crime was detected in the early hours of 25/06/2021 and that several offences are alleged; it also asserts the petitioners were not shown to be authorized. The court examines the argument in light of Mukesh Singh v. State (Narcotics Branch, Delhi) which overruled Mohan Lal, but nonetheless holds that 482 Cr.P.C. cannot be invoked to prematurely determine facts and disposes of the petition, noting disputes of fact that require trial. The petition is dismissed for lack of merit.

Provisions of Law Cited

Section 188 IPCSection 268 IPCSection 269 IPCSection 278 IPCSection 34 IPCSection 120(e) Kerala Police ActSection 195 Cr.P.CSection 482 Cr.P.C

Legal Doctrines & Maxims

  • Mukesh Singh v. State (Narcotics Branch of Delhi), 2020 (5) KHC 1 (SC) — principle that there is no bar on informant investigating and laying the charge sheet; Mohan Lal v. State of Punjab overruled
  • Mohan Lal v. State of Punjab, 2018 KLT 852 (SC) — previously held informant could not investigate/charge; overruled by Mukesh Singh
  • Varinder Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh, 2019 (1) KLT 615 (SC) — cited; not controlling this judgment
  • Extraordinary jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to quash should be exercised only in exceptional circumstances

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The petitioners, employees of an abattoir waste business, asserted they were authorized to collect and transport abattoir waste for recycling; they argued the waste is a valuable raw material and that the prosecution is motivated by rival groups, not genuine offences. They contended there was no basis for the allegations, that Section 188 IPC requires a prior complaint and thus Section 195 Cr.P.C. bars initiation, and that the informant (police) cannot suo motu file a charge sheet per the Mohan Lal principle, which Mukesh Singh later overruled. They urged the Court to exercise its 482 Cr.P.C. powers to quash, given no evidence of unauthorized disposal and disputed facts best resolved at trial.

Contentions of Respondents

The Senior Public Prosecutor contended the accused were found in a nocturnal act of attempting to dispose poultry waste in a public area, with offences including 188 IPC and others; he argued the petitioners lacked authorization to handle such waste; Annexures 7–12 were not produced; even if 188 IPC is barred by 195 Cr.P.C., other offences remain; the matter should proceed to trial; the jurisdiction under 482 Cr.P.C. is limited and cannot substitute for a full trial process.

Cited Precedents (3)

Case NameCitationTreatmentExplanation
Mohan Lal v. State of Punjab2018 KLT 852 (SC)OverruledConstitution Bench Mukesh Singh v. State (Narcotics Branch of Delhi) held Mohan Lal is not good law, enabling informant to investigate and file charge sheets.
Mukesh Singh v. State (Narcotics Branch of Delhi)2020 (5) KHC 1 (SC)PositiveConstitutional bench decision cited to support no bar on informant's role; Mohan Lal overruled.
Varinder Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh2019 (1) KLT 615 (SC)Mentioned OnlyCited by counsel; not adopted as controlling authority in the decision.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.HARIPAL** **MONDAY, THE 13[TH] DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2021 / 22ND BHADRA, 1943** ## **CRL.MC NO. 3994 OF 2021** **CC 267/2021 OF JUDICIAL MAGISTRATE OF FIRST CLASS -II, HARIPAD, ALAPPUZHACRIME NO.333/2021 OF KAREELAKULAMGARA POLICE STATION** ## **PETITIONERS/ACCUSED 1 AND 2:** - **1 SAMUEL AGED 23 YEARS,,S/O.SUDHAKARAN, KRISHNA NIVAS, KARUNGAPPILLY, KOLLAM DISTRICT.** - **2 NAJAD** - **AGED 27 YEARS,S/O.RASHEEDKUTTY, PULATHARAYIL HOUSE, BEHIND GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL, KARUNGAPPALLY, KOLLAM DISTRICT.** **BY ADVS. P.M.ZIRAJ IRFAN ZIRAJ** ## **RESPONDENTS/COMPLAINANT:** - **1 STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM - 692 031.** - **2 SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE KEREELAKULANGARA POLICE STATION, ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT-690 572.** **SR.PP - SRI. RENJITH T.R.** - T **HIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON** **06.09.2021, THE COURT ON 13.09.2021 DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:** Crl.M.C.3994/21 2 ## **ORDER** Accused in CC No.267/2021 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate-II, Haripad have moved this Crl.M.C. under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, praying to quash Annexure-2 final report in crime No.333/2021 of Kareelakulangara police station in Alappuzha district. That is a suo motu case registered by the 2[nd] respondent, Sub Inspector of police of Kareelakulangara police station against petitioners on 25/6/2021 alleging offence under Sections 188, 268, 269, 278 read with 34 of IPC and under Section 120(e) of the Kerala Police Act. Annexure-1 FIR indicates that the petitioners were found transporting abattoir waste, chicken waste, in Leyland Dosth lorry KL-23-Q-6610, without any authorisation by the Sub Inspector near Nadappurayil Fuels in Nangyarkulangara junction, awaiting opportunity to dumb the waste in public place, on the west of the old National Highway. The Sub Inspector took the vehicle into custody along with the petitioners, the crime was registered and on conclusion of investigation, the charge sheet was laid before the Judicial First Class Magistrate-II, Haripad, where the case was taken on file as CC Crl.M.C.3994/21 3 No.267/2021 on the above stated allegations. The petitioners seek to quash the proceedings under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. 2. I heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and also the learned Senior Public Prosecutor. 3. According to the learned counsel for the petitioners, the petitioners are employees of one Shamlad, who is doing business in collecting and removing abattoir waste from Kollam district and also from the limits of Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram. Documents have also been produced to say that he has been authorised to collect abattoir waste from different other sources. Therefore he wanted to rebut the contention of the prosecution that such wastes were collected unauthorizedly by the petitioners. According to him, abattoir waste is a valuable raw material for manufacturing organic fertilisers, fish food etc. That day the petitioners, employees of said Shamlad, were transporting waste collected from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam to be given to Parakkal Industries, an organic fertilizer factory in Ernakulam. At that time, under the influence of his business rivals, the 2[nd] respondent was illegally taking the vehicle into custody and such a crime was registered to please the rival gang. On 25/06/2021, a few Crl.M.C.3994/21 4 persons under the leadership of one Abdullah, Altaf and Iqbal along with three identifiable persons broke the front glass of the vehicle of the petitioners. Immediately thereafter the employer of the petitioners went to Kareelakulangara police station and submitted Annexure-14 complaint. As directed by the police authorities the petitioners took the vehicle near the police station. At that time, the 2[nd] respondent came there, saw the vehicle parked near the police station and then abused the petitioners and threatened them to implicate them in non bailable criminal cases and thereafter a suo motu crime was registered. He was acting on behalf of the rival groups of the employer of the petitioners against which the said Shamlad had given complaints to the higher authorities. The learned counsel also submitted that Annexure-20 crime was registered at the instance of the 2[nd] petitioner alleging offence under Sections 341, 294(b), 323, 324 and 427 read with 34 of the IPC. The learned counsel also asserted that these proceedings were initiated at the instance of his rival groups. On the basis of the complaint given by the employer the Inspector has already been transferred. So the learned counsel submitted that it is a false prosecution, which is liable to be quashed. Crl.M.C.3994/21 5 4. The learned counsel has raised mainly three contentions to quash the final report in crime No.333/2021. Firstly, as stated earlier, there is absolutely no basis in the allegations and they have been falsely implicated; it cannot be believed that the waste which would fetch them Rs.16/- per Kg. would be dumped in public place, for no return; secondly, that offence under Section 188 of the IPC could not have been raised against the petitioners without a complaint and bar under Section 195 of the Cr.P.C. prohibits initiation of proceedings and thirdly, the case was registered, investigation was conducted and charge sheet was laid by the 2[nd] respondent, which is bad in view of the decision in **Mohan Lal v. State of Punjab [2018 (3) KLT 852 (SC)]** . He also cited **Varinder Kumar v. State of** ## **Himachal Pradesh [2019 (1) KLT 615 (SC)].** 5. The learned Senior Public Prosecutor has disputed the arguments of the learned counsel. According to him, the crime was detected at 1.45 a.m. on 25/06/2021; the time of occurrence is very important. In other words, the petitioners were trying to dispose chicken waste in public place in the early hours of the day which was Crl.M.C.3994/21 6 caught red handed by the 2[nd] respondent. Even if the petitioners are innocents, they can move the trial court for getting them discharged. 6. According to the learned Public Prosecutor, apart from Section 188 of the IPC other offences are also alleged against the petitioners. There is no material to say that the petitioners are authorised to deal with abattoir waste. He has also submitted that Annexures 7 to 12 have not been produced before the Investigating Officer. 7. As rightly pointed out by the learned Public Prosecutor, even if it is found that prosecution under Section 188 of IPC is barred under Section 195 of the Cr.P.C., still there are other offences alleged against the petitioners, for proceeding with the same there is no legal bar. 8. Secondly, the contentions based on **Mohan Lal** or **Varinder Kumar,** cited supra, cannot salvage the situation. It is true that the crime was registered, the case was investigated and charge sheet was laid by the very same person. But, in the light of the decision of the Constitution Bench of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, consisting of five Judges in **Mukesh Singh v. State (Narcotic Branch of Delhi)** Crl.M.C.3994/21 7 **[2020 (5) KHC 1 (SC)]** , there is no legal bar in the informant himself investigating and laying the charge sheet. In the decision, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has clearly held that **Mohan Lal** ’s case is not good law. Therefore, that argument also falls to the ground 9. The argument that the petitioners are innocents that they have been falsely implicated under the influence of rival group of the employer of the petitioners etc. cannot be considered by this Court while exercising jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. It is a matter of evidence as to whether the petitioners had carried abattoir waste unauthorisedly and illegally. They were found by the 2[nd] respondent in suspicious circumstances at the early hours of 25/6/2021. They were intercepted by the police in the darkness of night. It is for the petitioners to say that they are employees of an authorised abattoir waste dealer and that they were acting on his behalf etc. This Court is quite conscious of the fact that the jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. to quash the proceedings cannot be arbitrarily exercised to cut short the normal process of criminal trial except in exceptional circumstances. Here the contentions of the parties are mutually exclusive. While the petitioners have claimed that they were Crl.M.C.3994/21 8 transporting abattoir waste on behalf of the authorised dealer etc., the learned Senior Public Prosecutor has disputed the same. In other words, there are disputed questions of facts to be decided which can be resolved only after taking evidence. 10. Moreover, at this stage, this Court is not justified in embarking upon an enquiry as to the probability, reliability or genuineness of the allegations made against the petitioners. This Court cannot decide the case based on the statements given by witnesses under Section 161 of the Cr.P.C., or having regard to the fact that no independent witness is cited in the witness list. On these considerations, I am not convinced that the extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. can be exercised in the case. The Crl.M.C. is devoid of merit and is dismissed. Sd/- **K.HARIPAL JUDGE** okb/9.9. //True copy// P.S. to Judge Crl.M.C.3994/21 9 ## **APPENDIX OF CRL.MC 3994/2021** ## PETITIONERS' ANNEXURE |Annexure|1|TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT IN| |---|---|---| |||CRIME NO.333 OF 2021 OF KAREELAKULAMGARA| |||POLICE STATION.| |Annexure|2|TRUE COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT IN CONNECTION| |||WITH CRIME NO.333 OF 2021 OF KAREELAKULANGARA| |||POLICE STATION.| |Annexure|3|TRUE COPY OF THE SEIZURE MAHASSAR DATED| |||25/6/2021 IN CONNECTION WITH THE ALLEGED| |||SEIZURE OF VEHICLE PREPARED BY THE SECOND| |||RESPONDENT IN CRIME NO.333 OF 2021 OF| |||KAREELAKULANGARA POLICE STATION.| |Annexure|4|TRUE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF CW1 MR.MANOJ.| |Annexure|5|TRUE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF THE CW2| |||MR.VISHNU.| |Annexure|6|TRUE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF CW3 MR.UNNI.| |Annexure|7|TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER DATED 8/4/2020 ISSUED| |||BY THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, KOLLAM.| |Annexure|8|TRUE COPY OF THE AUTHORIZATION LETTER DATED| |||17/11/2020 ISSUED BY THE HEALTH OFFICER OF| |||THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.| |Annexure|9|TRUE COPY OF THE SANCTION LETTER DATED| |||28/01/2020 ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY, KOLLAM| |||MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.| |Annexure|10|TRUE COPY OF THE SANCTION LETTER DATED| |||07/10/2020 ISSUED BY THE OACHIRA GRAMA| |||PANCHAYATH.| |Annexure|11|TRUE COPY OF THE SANCTION LETTER DATED| |||24/06/2021 ISSUED BY THE ATTINGAL| |||MUNICIPALITY.| |Annexure|12|TRUE COPY OF THE LIST OF VEHICLES PERMITTED TO| |||TRANSPORT ABATTOIR WASTE IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM| |||MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ISSUED BY HEALTH| |||SUPERVISOR OF MUNICIPALITY TO THE DIRECTOR| |||GENERAL OF POLICE SATED 12/5/2021.| Crl.M.C.3994/21 10 |Annexure|13|TRUE COPY OF THE INTERIM ORDER OF THIS HON'BLE| |---|---|---| |||COURT DATED 02/06/2021 IN WP(C) NO.11684 OF| |||2021.| |Annexure|14|TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT DATED 25/06/2021| |||SUBMITTED BY THE EMPLOYER BEFORE THE SECOND| |||RESPONDENT.| |Annexure|15|TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT DATED 18/07/2021| |||SUBMITTED BY THE EMPLOYER OF PETITIONERS| |||BEFORE THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,| |||KAYAMKULAM.| |Annexure|16|TRUE COPY OF THE RECEIPT DATED 30/6/2021| |||ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF DEPUTY| |||SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KAYAMKULAM.| |Annexure|17|TRUE COPY OF THE RECEIPT DATED 2/7/2021 ISSUED| |||FROM THE OFFICE OF DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF| |||POLICE, KAYAMKULAM.| |Annexure|18|TRUE COPY OF THE RECEIPT DATED 19/7/2021| |||ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF DEPUTY| |||SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KAYAMKULAM.| |Annexure|19|TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT SUBMITTED BY THE| |||EMPLOYER OF PETITIONERS DATED 31/7/2021 BEFORE| |||THE ADDITIONAL SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,| |||KOLLAM.| |Annexure|20|TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT IN| |||CRIME NO.334/2021 OF KAREELAKULANGARA POLICE| |||STATION.| |Annexure|21|TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE HONOURABLE| |||APEX COURT IN MOHANLAL VS. STATE OF PUNJAB| |||REPORTED IN 2018 KLT 852 (SC).|