Karan Chopra v. State of Punjab and Another




    
                   

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 /    "It is respectfully prayed that in the facts and circumstances of the case the petition may kindly be allowed and the impugned order dated

03.01.2022 (Annexure P"3) passed in complaint case bearing NACT"3308 of 2018, CNR No.PBAS030075602018, under section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 by the Ld. Trial Court vide which the petitioner has been declared proclaimed Person and FIR No.0058 dated 03.03.2022, under section 174"A of IPC 1860, registered at Police Station Civil Lines, District Police Commissionerate, Amritsar (Annexure P"4) along with all other proceedings emanating thereof, may kindly be quashed in view of the facts and circumstances of the present case, in the interest of Justice." $   ' 0   123

   

 4  5   "12. First Information contents (Attach separate sheet, if necessary):

o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 2o o o o InotheoCourtoofoAmanpreetoKauroJudicialoMagistrate-1oClassoNexto Date,o Purposeo ofo caseo Orderso ando Judgmentso aso wello aso othero CASEo INFORMATIONo ISo AVALLABLEo ONo http://ecourts.gov.ino Intimationo regardingo Proclaimedo Persono NACT/3308/2018oJAGDISHo ARORAo S/Oo RAMoNARAINoR/0o362,oGREENoAVENUEoAMRITSARoVERSUSoKARANo CHOPRAo S/Oo RANDHIRo CHOPRAo R/Oo 101/4,o GALIo NO.4,o GOPALo NAGAR,oMAJITHAoROADoAMRITSARoUnderoSection:138o?.?.oActoPoliceo Station:oCIVILoLINESoTo,oTheoSHO,oPoliceoStationoCIVILoLINESoInotheo aboveonotedocaseotheoaccusedoKARANoCHOPRAoS/OoRANDHIRoCHOPRAo R/Oo101/4,oGALIoNO.4,oGOPALoNAGAR,oMAJITHAoROADoAMRITSARo declaredoproclaimedopersonobyothisocourtovideoorderodatedo03.01.2022oyouo areoherebyodirectedotooenterohisonameoinorelevantoregisteroandotakeoactiono underosectiono174-AoofoIPCoandoproduceotheoaboveosaidoaccusedoinothiso courtoasoandowhenoheoisoarrestedoinotheoaboveosaidocase.o(AmanpreetoKaur)o JudicialoMagistrate-1stoClassoAmritsar.o o o Todayo ato theo Policeo Station:o Ato thiso time,o upono receipto ofo theo aforesaidoorderoatotheopoliceostation,oaocaseounderotheoaforesaidooffenceoando sectionsohasobeenoregisteredoandoenteredoinotheoregister,oandoaocopyoofotheo FIRo alongo witho theo originalo ordero iso beingo sento byo posto foro furthero investigationotooASIoKaranjeetoSingh,o2582/ASR,oIn-charge,oChokioGreeno Avenue,o Amritsar.o Theo SHOo Sahibo ando theo Controlo Roomo haveo beeno informedobyotelephone.oSupplementaryoRapatoNo.o34,oTimeo01:16oPM."o o3.o o Learnedo counselo foro theo petitionero haso submittedo thato theo impugnedo FIR,o haso itso genesis,o ino ao criminalo complainto filedo againsto theo petitionero(herein)ounderoSectiono138oofoNegotiableoInstrumentsoActoofo1881,o inoproceedingsowhereofotheopetitionerowasodeclaredoasoaoproclaimedopersono&o henceotheoimpugnedoFIRocameotoobeogotoregisteredoagainstotheopetitioner.oo Learnedo counselo foro theo petitionero haso arguedo thato theo ordero aso alsoo theo proceedingsodeclaringotheopetitioneroasoaoproclaimedopersonoareomanifestlyo illegaloandoagainstotheomandatoryoprovisionsoofolaw.oItohasobeenofurtheroiteratedo thatotheocriminalocomplaintounderoSectiono138oofoNIoAct,o1881ohasoalreadyo beenowithdrawnoasotheorivalopartiesohadoenteredointooaocompromise/settlemento ando henceo noo usefulo purposeo wouldo beo servedo byo continuationo ofo theo proceedingsoquaotheoimpugnedoFIR.oToobuttressothisoaspectoofohisoargument,o o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 3o o learnedocounseloforotheopetitionerohasoreliedouponotheoorderodatedo06.11.2024o passedobyotheoconcernedoJudicialoMagistrateowhichoreadsothus:o o o "Fileotakenoupotodayoonoanoapplicationoforoputtingoupotheofileo ando withdrawo theo complaint.o Aso originalo fileo pertainingo too thiso complaintohasobeenoconsignedotoorecordoroomoAmritsaroasoaccusedo inotheopresentocaseohasobeenodeclaredoProclaimedoPerson.oAhlmado isodirectedotoosummonedotheooriginalofileofromojudicialorecordoroomo Amritsaro ando puto upo thiso applicationo alongo witho originalo file.o Originalofileosummonedofromorecordoroom.oComplainantosufferedoao statementothatomatterohasobeenocompromisedobetweenotheoparties.o Heo withdrawo theo presento complainto ando sameo mayo kindlyo beo dismissedoasowithdrawn.oInoviewoofotheostatementosufferedobyotheo complainant,otheopresentocomplaintostandsodismissedoasowithdrawn.o Fileo beo consignedo too theo recordo room,o Amritsaro aftero dueo compliance."o o o Onotheostrengthoofoaboveoarguments,olearnedocounseloforotheo petitionerohasopressedoforograntoofopetitionoinohand.oo

4.o o Learnedocounseloappearingoforotheocomplainant-respondentoNo.2o haso ratifiedo theo factumo ofo compromise/settlemento havingo beeno arrivedo ato betweenotheoparties.oAccordingly,oheohasoiteratedothatotheorespondentoNo.2-complainanto haso noo objectiono ino caseo theo offenceo iso permittedo too beo compoundedoandotheopetitioneroisoorderedotoobeoacquitted.ooo

5.o o Similarly,olearnedoStateocounselothatoheohasonooobjectionoinocaseo theooffenceoisopermittedotoobeocompoundedobyothisoCourtoandotheopetitioneroiso orderedotoobeoacquitted.ooo

6.o o Io haveo heardo learnedo counselo foro theo rivalo partieso ando haveo perusedotheopaper-book.oo

7.o o Theoseminaloquestionothatoarisesoforoconsiderationoinotheopresento petitiono iso aso too whethero theo impugnedo FIRo (aso alsoo proceedingso arisingo therefrom)ounderoSectiono174-AoofotheoIPCodeservesotoobeoquashedoinotheo o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 4o o *.o o Ato thiso juncture?o ito .ou(do beo appositeo too refero hereino too ao jud 0entoofothisoCourtopassedoinoCRM-M-51049-2019ot$t*e"oa%oMohammado HanifoAttariovs.oStateoofoHaryana, decidedoono,8.,=.$,$-?ore(evanto.hereofo readsoasounder:o "3. In view the fact that after the principle proceedings in which the petitioner was declared Proclaimed Offender stand concluded, the question would arise is: 'whether in the given circumstances, proceedings under Section 174A of the IPC pursuant to FIR No.425 dated 17th of November, 2017 can be allowed to continue.

¶4The question framed ibid is no more res integra and already stands answered by Co"ordinate Bench of this Court in CRM"M"43813"2018 titled as "Baldev Chand Bansal v. State of Haryana and another" vide order dated 29.01.2019, which held as under: "Prayer in this petition is for quashing of FIR No.64 dated

15.02.2017 filed under Section 174A of the Indian Penal Code registered at Police Station Sector"5, Panchkula and all other subsequent proceedings arising thereof as well as order dated

24.10.2016 passed by the trial Court vide which a direction was issued to register the aforesaid FIR." XX XXX XXXX Learned counsel for the petitioner has relied upon the decisions rendered by this Court in "Vikas Sharma v. Gurpreet Singh Kohli and another (supra), 2017, (3) L.A.R.584, Microqual Techno Limited and others v. State of Haryana and another, 2015 (32) RCR (Criminal) 790 and "Rajneesh Khanna v. State of Haryana and another" 2017 (3) L.A.R. 555 wherein in an identical circumstance, this Court has held that since the main petition filed under Section 138 of the Act stands withdrawn in view of an amicable settlement between the parties, therefore, continuation of proceedings under Section 174A of IPC shall be nothing but an abuse of the process of law. XX XXX XXXX In view of the same, I find merit in the present petition and accordingly, present petition is allowed and the impugned order dated 24.10.2016 passed by Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, Panchkula as well as FIR No.64 dated 15.02.2017 registered under Section 174A of the Indian Penal Code at Police Station Sector"5, Panchkula and all other subsequent proceedings arising thereof, are hereby quashed." o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 5o o

¶5Same is the view of another Co"ordinate Bench in the "Ashok Madaan v. State of Haryana and another" reported as 2020 (4) RCR (Criminal) 87, wherein it has been held that: "No doubt, the learned counsel for the respondent has vehemently argued that the offence under Section 174A I.P.C. is independent of the main case, therefore, merely because the main case has been dismissed for want of prosecution, the present petition cannot be allowed, however, keeping in view the fact that the present FIR was registered only on account of absence from the proceedings in the main case which had been subsequently regularised by the court while granting bail to the petitioner, the default stood condoned. In such circumstances, continuation of proceedings under Section 174A LP.C. shall be abuse of the process of court.

¶7Accordingly, the petition is allowed. FIR No. 446 dated

21.08.2017, registered under Section 174A I.PC. at Police Station Kotwali, District Faridabad, as well as consequential proceedings shall stand quashed." *.&.o o Moreorecent(/,otheo"on@b(eoSupretieoCourtoinoaojud 0entotit(edo asoDaljitoSinghovs.oStateoofoHaryanaoandoAnother,oCritiina(oAppea(o#o.9-)Ao ofo$,$9odecidedoono,$.,&.$,$)?ohasohe(dothat:o o "7.3 Now, what happens if the status under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is nullified i.e., the person subjected to such proclamation, by virtue of subsequent developments is no longer required to be presented before a Court of law. Then, can the prosecution still proceed against such a person for having not appeared before a Court during the time that the process was in effect. The answer is in the affirmative. We say so for the following reasons:"

(i) The language of Section 174A, IPC says "whoever fails to appear at the specified place and the specified time as required by proclamation…". This implies that the very instance at which a person is directed to appear, and he does not do so, this Section comes into play;

(ii) What further flows from the language employed is that the instance of non"appearance becomes an infraction of the Section, and therefore, prosecution therefor would be independent of Section 82, Cr.P.C. being in effect;

(iii) So, while proceedings under Section 174A IPC cannot be initiated independent of Section 82, Cr.P.C., i.e., can only be started post the issuance of proclamation, they can continue if the said o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 6o o o (iv)oWeofindothatotheoDelhioHighoCourtohasotakenothisoview,oi.e.,o thatoSectiono174A,oIPCoisoaostand-aloneooffenceoinoMukeshoBhatiao v.Stateo(NCToofoDelhi)o2022oSCCoOnLineoDelo1023;oDivyaoVermao v.oStateo2023oSCCoOnLineoDelo2619;oSameenao&oAnr.ov.oStateo thGNCToofoDelhio&oAnr.oCrl.oM.C.oNo.1470oofo2021,oDatedo17 oMay,o 2022oForotheoreasonsoafore-stated,oweoagreeowithotheofindingsomadeo inotheseojudgments/orders.oAtotheosameotime,oitostandsoclarifiedothato weohaveonotocommentedoonotheomeritsoofotheocases.o o (v)o Grantedo thato theo offenceo prescribedo inoSectiono 174AoIPCo iso indeedostand-alone,ogivenothatoitoarisesooutoofoanooriginalooffenceoino connectiono witho whicho proceedingso underoSectiono 82oCr.P.C.o iso initiatedoandoinotheosaidooffenceotheoaccusedostands,osubsequently,o acquitted,oitowouldobeopermissibleoinolawoforotheoCourtoseizedoofotheo trialounderosuchooffence,otootakeonoteoofosuchoaodevelopmentoandotreato theosameoasoaogroundotoodrawotheoproceedingsotooaoclose,oshouldo suchoaoprayerobeomadeoandotheocircumstancesoofotheocaseosoowarrant.o o 8.oo Inoconclusion,oweoholdothatoSectiono174AoIPCoisoanoindependent,o substantiveo offence,o thato cano continueo eveno ifo theo proclamationo underoSectiono 82,o Cr.P.C.o iso extinguished.o Ito iso ao stand-aloneo offence.oo xxxxxxxxx"ooo o o However,otheoHon'bleoSupremeoCourtoquashedotheoimpugnedo FIRo(therein)ounderoSectiono174-AoofotheoIPCosince,ointeroalia,otheooriginalo offenceoinotheoformoofocriminalocomplaintounderoSectiono138oofoNIoAct,o1881o inotheosaidocaseohadobeenosettledoandowithdrawnobyotheorivaloparties.oo

9.o o Ito iso foro theo Higho Court,o whileo exercisingo itso innateo plenaryo powersounderoSectiono528oofoBNSS,o2023/482oofoCr.P.C.,o1973,otooratiocinateo thatoitoshouldonotoapplyotheolawoinoanoaustere,oacademicoandoexactingotechnicalo manner,owithoutoconsideringoitsopracticaloimplications.oTheoLawoisonotomerelyo ao seto ofo programmed,o nailed-to-the-groundo rules,o too beo appliedo withouto context.oItomustobeoenforced,owhileobearingoinomind,othatoitsopurposeoisotoo ensureosubstantiveojusticeobetweenotheoparties.oTheostatutoryoprovisionoofo Sectiono174-AoofoIPC,owhenoperusedoinotheolightooforatioodecidendioofotheo judgmento ofo theo Hon'bleo Supremeo Courto ino Daljito Singh'so caseo (supra),o 2026.05.11 16:34 unequivocallyoshowsothatoanoFIRounderoSectiono174-AoofotheoIPCodoesonoto o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 7o o proprioovigoreobecomeoliableotoobeoquashed,oinocaseotheorivalopartiesohaveo enteredo intoo ao compromiseo ando sucho criminalo complaint/FIRo haso beeno compromisedo ando quashed/withdrawno accordingly.o However,o ato theo sameo time,otheofactumoofotheocriminalocomplaint/FIRo(inofurtheranceoofoproceedingso whereof)ohavingobeenocompromised/settled,oisoindubitably,oaorelevantofactoro toobeoconsideredowhileodealingowithoaopleaoforoquashingoofoanoFIRo(asoalsoo proceedingsoemanatingotherefrom)ounderoSectiono174-AoofoIPC.ooThisofacto assumesogreaterosignificanceoconsideringothatotheoinitialoproceedingsopertaino exclusivelyotooaoprivateocriminalocomplaintounderoSectiono138oofoNIoAct,o1881,o whichotheolegislatureohasoexpresslyoclassifiedoasoaocompoundableooffence.oo Sucholitigation,oespeciallyoinotheobackdropoofooriginalooffenceohavingobeeno compromisedo willo haveo ano adverseo impacto ono theo overburdenedo Court-dockets.o Allowingo sucho prosecution,o wheno initialo complainto haso beeno settled/withdrawno wouldo undermineo theo legislativeo intento ando distorto theo remedialonatureoofoSectiono138oofoNIoActoofo1881.ooItowouldotantamountotoo contraveningotheoprinciplesoofofairness,oproportionality,oandojusticeoinocriminalo proceedings.oAoliteralointerpretationomayosometimesoleadotoounjustooutcomeso thatoalsoocontradictotheolaw'sounderlinedopurpose.oTherefore,otheoHighoCourto underoitsoinherentojurisdictionomustobalanceotheoletteroofoLawowithoitsospirit,o ensuringofairoandoequitableoresults.oThisoapproachounderscoresoLaw'soroleoaso anoapparatusoforofosteringosocietaloharmonyoandoaddressingotheoreal-worldo complexities,o efficaciouslyo aso alsoo effectively,o rathero thano mereo literal/technicalocompliance.oooo

10.o o TheoinherentojurisdictionounderoSectiono528oBNSS,o2023/Sectiono 482oCr.P.C.,o1973oisoprimarilyoaimedoatopreventingoabuseoofojudicialoprocesso andosecuringotheoendsoofojustice.ooThus,owhenotheodisputeoisoessentiallyopersonalo NAVEEN NAGPAL inonatureoandoaogenuineocompromiseohasobeenoreached,otheoHighoCourtomayo o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 8o o interveneotooquashotheocriminaloproceedings,orecognizingotheocontinuationo thereofowouldobeonon-productiveoandounjustoinotheogivenocircumstances.oTheo inherentopowersoofoaoHighoCourtoareopowersowhichoareoincidentalorepleteo powers,owhichoifodidonotosooexist,otheoCourtowouldobeoobligedotoositostilloando helplesslyoseeotheoprocessoofolawoandoCourtsobeingoabusedoforotheopurposesoofo injustice.ooInootherowords;osuchopower(s)oisointrinsicotooaoHighoCourt,oitoisoitso veryo life-blood,o itso veryo essence,o itso immanento attribute.o o Withouto sucho power(s),oaoHighoCourtowouldohaveoformobutolackotheosubstance.ooTheseopowerso ofo aoHigho Courtohenceodeserveo toobeo construedowitho theowidesto possibleo amplitude.oTheseoinherentopowersoareoinoconsonanceowithotheonatureoofoaoHigho Courtowhichooughtotoobe,oandohasoinofactobeen,oinvestedowithopower(s)otoo maintainoitsoauthorityotoopreventotheoprocessoofolaw/Courtsobeingoobstructedooro abused.oItoisoaotriteopositoofojurisprudenceothatothougholawsoattemptotoodealowitho allocasesothatomayoarise,otheoinfiniteovarietyoofocircumstancesowhichoshapeo eventsoandotheoimperfectionsoofolanguageomakeoitoimpossibleotoolayodowno provisionsocapableoofogoverningoeveryocase,owhichoinofactoarises.oAoHighoCourto whichoexistsoforotheofurtheranceoofojusticeoinoanoindefatigableomanner,oshouldo therefore,ohaveounfetteredopower(s)otoodealowithosituationsowhich,othoughonoto expresslyoprovidedoforobyotheolaw,oneedotoobeodealtowith,otoopreventoinjusticeo orotheoabuseoofotheoprocessoofolawoandoCourts.ooTheojuridicalobasisoofotheseo plenaryopower(s)oisotheoauthority;oinofactotheoseminalodutyoandoresponsibilityo ofoaoHighoCourt;otoouphold,otooprotectoandotoofulfillotheojudicialofunctionoofo administeringo justice,o ino accordanceo witho law,o ino ao regular,o orderlyo ando effectiveomanner.ooInootherowords;oSectiono528oofoBNSS,o2023oreflectsopeerlesso powers,owhichoaoHighoCourtomayodrawouponoasonecessaryowheneveroitoisojusto andoequitableotoodooso,oinoparticularotooensureotheoobservanceoofotheodueoprocesso o CRM-M-12653-2026o o o o o o 9o o ofolaw,otoopreventovexationoorooppression,otoodoojusticeonayosubstantialojusticeo betweenotheopartiesoandotoosecureotheoendsoofojustice.o

11.o o Keepingo ino viewo theo entiretyo ofo theo attendingo factso ando circumstancesoofotheocaseoinohand;oespeciallyotheooriginalooffenceobeingoano offenceounderoSectiono138oofoNegotiableoInstrumentsoActoofo1881,otheooriginalo offenceoallegedotoohaveobeenocommittedoinotheoyearo2018,otheosubjectomattero ofotheooriginalooffenceohavingobeenosettledoamicablyobetweenotheopartiesoando theocriminalocomplaintounderoSectiono138oofoNegotiableoInstrumentsoAct,o1881o havingobeenowithdrawnoonotheobasisoofosuchosettlement/compromise;othiso CourtodeemsoitoappropriateothatotheoimpugnedoFIRoasoalsooalloproceedingso emanatingotherefromodeserveotoobeoquashed.oo

12.o o Itois,ohence,odirectedoasounder:o

(i)o o Theoimpugnedoorderodatedo03.01.2022o(AnnexureoP-3)opassedoino complainto caseo bearingo NACT-3308o ofo 2018o filedo undero sectiono 138o ofo NegotiableoInstrumentsoAct,o1881,obyotheolearnedotrialoCourtovideowhichotheo petitionero haso beeno declaredo proclaimedo persono ando FIRo No.0058o datedo

03.03.2022,ounderosectiono174-AoofoIPCo1860,oregisteredoatoPoliceoStationo CiviloLines,oDistrictoPoliceoCommissionerate,oAmritsaro(AnnexureoP-4)oalongo withoallootheroproceedingsoemanatingothereofostandsoquashed.o

(ii)o o Allopendingoapplication(s),oifoany,ostandsodisposedoof.oo oo o o o o o o o o o o o o oooooo(SUMEEToGOEL)o o ooooooooooooooooo o o ooooooooooooooooooooo ooo o o oooJUDGEo o Mayo11,o2026o Naveenoo o o Whetherospeaking/reasoned:o o Yeso authenticity of this order/judogment o Whetheroreportable:o o o Yeso