Crl.Rev.Pet.No. 3264 of 2010
Case Details & Bench
- Court
- High Court of Kerala
- Hon'ble Judges
- V.K.Mohan
- Judgment Date
- 2011-02-22
- Court Decision / Holding
- Criminal Revision Petition allowed in part: the order dated 29.01.2009 of the Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court No. III (ADHOC), Manjeri is set aside. The matter is remitted back to the same court for fresh consideration in accordance with law, after hearing both prosecution and accused. The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Perinthalmanna is directed to re-transfer the files pertaining to C.P.No.34 of 2008 in Crime No.727 of 2008 to the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court No. III (ADHOC), Manjeri, forthwith.
- Final Disposition
- Disposed of with the order set aside and remanded for fresh consideration; re-transfer of records to ASJ FT Court No. III (ADHOC), Manjeri, forthwith for proper disposal after hearing.
Parties to the Case
Appellants / Petitioners
- E. Moideenkutty
Respondents
- Abdulla Haji
- The State of Kerala represented by the Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala, Ernakulam
Legal Representation & Advocates
Counsels for Petitioners
- • A. Mohammed Mustaque
- • U. P. Balakrishnan
- • K. R. Avinash (Kunnath)
- • T. Praveen
- • Smt. Lakshmi Rajan
Counsels for Respondents
- • K. M. Sathyanatha Menon
- • Smt. Rekha C. Nayar (Public Prosecutor)
Case Synopsis & Summary
This is a Criminal Revision Petition filed by the de facto complainant challenging the order of the Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court No.III (ADHOC), Manjeri, which held that the offence under Section 308 IPC was not attracted and transferred the case to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Perinthalmanna. The underlying proceedings arose from Crime No.727 of 2008 (Perinthalmanna Police) leading to Committal Case No. 34 of 2008 and S.C. No.395/2008 in the Sessions Court. The prosecution alleged that the sole accused, driven by enmity over a demolition dispute, assaulted CW1 with a hammer, inflicting injuries to the head, potentially grievous in nature. The police report and affidavits indicated multiple blows; the Sessions Judge’s order concluded that the injury was not fatal and that the offence disclosed did not warrant trial by the Sessions Court, thus transferring the matter to the Magistrate under Section 228 Cr.P.C. The revision petitioner argued the Sessions Judge erred by weighing evidence at the charge-framing stage and exceeding jurisdiction; the respondents countered that the injuries were insufficient to attract Section 308 IPC, citing Tukaram Gundu Naik v. State of Maharashtra. The High Court, after consideration, found the Sessions Judge’s approach legally unsustainable and factually misplaced and set aside the order, remitting the matter for fresh consideration and directing re-transfer of the files to the ASJ’s court for proper disposal after hearing both sides.
Provisions of Law Cited
Legal Doctrines & Maxims
- At the stage of framing a charge, the court is not to weigh evidence; the test is whether the prosecution evidence, if unrebutted, would warrant a conviction.
Submissions & Arguments
Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners
The petitioner's counsel contended that the Sessions Judge exceeded jurisdiction and erred in weighing the evidence while framing the charge, wrongly concluding that the injury was not fatal and that Section 308 IPC was not attracted, thereby transferring the case to the Magistrate. They urged that the proper approach is not to weigh materials at charge-framing stage and that the order is unsustainable in law and on facts.
Contentions of Respondents
The respondents argued that the injury was insufficient to attract Section 308 IPC and supported the Sessions Judge’s order. They placed reliance on Tukaram Gundu Naik v. State of Maharashtra to justify the transfer and asserted the court did not err in evaluating the evidence at the charge stage.
Cited Precedents (1)
| Case Name | Citation | Treatment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tukaram Gundu Naik v. State of Maharashtra | [(1994)1 SCC 465] | Distinguished | Cited by respondents to support non-applicability; court distinguished it on factual differences (injury being in a different context) and did not apply it to the present case. |
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