High Court Karnataka High Court

D V Kundar vs State By Cbi on 3 November, 2010

Karnataka High Court
D V Kundar vs State By Cbi on 3 November, 2010
Author: C.R.Kumaraswamy
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BANGALOF§iE".g.
DATED THIS THE 3"' DAY OF NOVEMBER  
BEFORE  2' it  H
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE 
CRIMINAL PETITION_NO.;l6E%8A201¢'l\\,/,'M . " "
BETWEEN:  V. C it  it

D.V. Kundar,

Aged 68 years,

S/O V.M. Salian, -- V ,

Resident of Devikrupa,   .  V
Karnad Bypass,       
Mangalore Taluk_,_.  'V     .
Karnataka-5741%54.,?'A_   '     Petitioner

(By Sri. Ganesln  Advocate) 
State by C51,  ~
B_S. & FC,~E§an'galore, "
Re p'r'ese'n-ted?-by its

Staynding _VCo.unse«!.eyVa'*nd
Pubi ic 'Prosecu--tor '

 In Highcourt.'    Respondent

V71_(B*_/ Sri. C”.ifl.”jad’n.av, Advocate)

.1 V’ Tt:is_Criminal Petition is filed under Section 482 of Code of
VC’i’il’T1in€:l,_Pl5OCedUr€ praying to set aside the order dated 7.9.2010
‘-V~._pa.s’sed: by the XXI Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge &

1 S’pecia_l7Judge for CBI cases, Bangalore City in Sp|.C.C,No.2-45/O2
and to consequently declare that the application dated

16.8.2010 filed in the Court below under section-311 offC’o.de of
Criminal Procedure is allowed.

This Criminal Petition is coming on for orde_r’s–~

Court made the following:

ORDER;

This Criminal Petition is filedunder§ectionV.’4.82v'”of Code

Criminal Procedure praying to set the 22.9.2010
passed by the XXI Additional Sessions Judge &
Special Judge for ca: cases.;aala.gia;i’_;§’lg§ ‘AA:’–b,rI’V1_~!t__:,’.’,r)l.C.C.l\lo.245/02
and to conseqi;’e’r’i’lji;}” application dated
16.8.2010 riled’ section-311 of Code of

Criminal Pr.Voced’u’re7as a’1l4l’owe’d.._’ _ .

2. In theiCouVrt.”tielo\ili”..’i’petitioner/Accused No.1 filed an

,?3!3.Dlicat.ic{n’VVunderV”sectVi__o_n;<-311 of Code of Criminal Procedure

seekipg»_Vto._'urec«aVll'*v__PW-29 for the purpose of further cross-

examln.a*ti'onV Tor..aA'l=r'iving at a just decision in the case. It is

m'entionued. paragraph-4 of the application filed in the Court

vbe.lo.v\i that irvhen the case was posted for addressing the final

on 13.11.2007, the prosecution came with an

apup.lVicatiora under section-311 of Code of Criminal Procedure

seeking permission of the Court to examine hlong Kongrbased

NRIS viz., cw–3, cw-4, cw-5 and cw-41 by reee..édlyi;{_gf_n-"'1.&_§'es.r

evidence by way of Video Conferencing. This..a'[§'i3.lica_ltio.4n

allowed under Section–311 of Code Criminal'1'AProced..ure,_o:s1

18.3.2008 and prosecution took lot of timelfor their.e§<a'mi'na'tion'g

by video conferencing. Finally, the"grosecutionlgegélarnilineld CW–4
Gopal Tharumal Mclwani Vw.ayV,.VVof..Video"Conferencing
on 9.2.2010 and unable to'aIri:grj'_'..(:W–41 who are
material witnesses~'to'fhe 'It is mentioned in
parag raph–6 of evidence of PW–31 (CW–

4) Gopal thleknlalture of hear–say evidence
and the withhold the examination of

material witnesses ._:Vviz..; C\lV–§.and CW–41 against whom Canara

|odg’ed.e.nnthehle E_x.D7«V¥'”complaint dated 11.12.2000 before the

CB1 above two l\iRIs committed fraud and they

“are the real v_bene’ficiaries. It is further stated in paragraph-6 of

“–«z–Tiyt’ia.e’-».aApplicat.lo:n that their statements recorded under section

Code” of Criminal Procedure run counter to

“e.V%dor.:uvrr§entary and oral evidence produced before the Court.

:li«:..:iTherefore the accused wants to recall PW-29 – Chief

fl-:

Investigating Officer for the purpose of furtherc~”‘-cross-

examination.

3. Respondent ~« CB1 has filed a counter in’ t*l1efCo”uTrt’~beE.ow=.

opposing the application filed by the petitioner ande.rV’secti:o.n-*3-,1rl1

of Code of Criminal Procedure=.stating._thatr»’V:t’l”.er.e_VVHare

reasonable grounds to recall the Cw-i:t_raess. petition was
presented to protract the ‘-trial.’ not be further
examined as he has given hi~g..evl»de~ngce_ i”n”de”te_i’:”‘about the entire

investigation.

4. olftthe finding of the trial Court
is as underzvnk — V C C

The trial h.a’~s r’nen’tioned in its order that despite the

;,d’Vi’rection._fibftthis.gourtVforlvexpeditious trial of the case and the

ev’i’dt.encfe”‘havllngubeyejn concluded and the statement of accused

C Vl””–~VV’under’s.e’ction+3i.3’lV.being already recorded, the counsel for the

~4.l.l’.j’jvaccu.sed No.13-has chosen to make the application under section–«

4″–‘.V.x3–1g”1″”_of_.:Code of Criminal Procedure to procrastinate the

. p–r.o’ce__eding. Although counsel for accused No.1 stated that the

°rt_:’recalling of the Investigating Officer W PW–29 was necessitated

gm/’

because of examination of PW-31 at a later stage, no
explanation is forthcoming to justify the delay in making the

application. PW–31 was examined as far back as on.j9.[2«.20V10.

If the accused No.1 had realiy any genuine reqiiest’ito…’fuTrt’i:eri=.»

cross–e><amine the Investigating Officer_._ he_".s'hoel'd

waited for six months to seek the ré_lie'r'.

unexplained and unjustified delay._in._mak’i’ng the”.§’g’pji’i’cration. On

this ground, the application fliedgbyV:’th_e’=accused–under section-
311 of Code of Criminal Pro’cedure.__v\}{aAs

5- Feeling Va§IVQr.ieve_dVV’Hbyi;t_he:f~saine,.V'”the accused has

preferred this ‘ 7

6. I hav’e__4heardth.e»’!eas»rned counsel for the petitioner as

‘well as rije learned’ counsei for the respondent.

» i.s__contention of the learned counsel for the

Detijti’oVn.er x”th”atVA’g::.’further cross–examination of PW–29 —

Irigvestigéating Officer is necessary in order to elicit omissions and

-i..VVcotntr’adictions since the documentary evidence and the oral

‘te’stiA’:;jony does not taiiy with each other. It is the contention of

Ex”

the ieamed counsei for the petitioner that to estabiish the
contrary statement, he wants to further cross-examine PW~29 –~

Investigating Officer. Therefore in order to arri\_/,eV_j”atC~..just

decision, the further cross–examination of PW–29 __–.-3’i.nyest:i–g:até,,rig.,

officer is necessary. The record discioses that”at:”a:’very beiated”.

stage, PW~31 was recalied and exartiinei,da..oyi’cfthe~ jpro’s.éc.uti1o_n.

Therefore there is no delay on the part ofthe petiitioAn.’e.r.. On

other hand, the prosecution was_not:_pr.ompt’ i~nC_’_’exa_i?nining the

materiai witnesses. _ –_ ,

8. Learned counsei for t§:ve:’re.spori~de’nt supports the

impugned

9. Section–311_’o.f<_C'o~de~.o'f Criminai Procedure reads as

unden

to..gsumrrio'hv material witness, or examine
' .-pe'rs_oinlpreseiiity:~ Any Court may, at any stage of any
Hrinouiry,V'A–"tria'i::."or other proceeding under the Code,
su"mm.,on–.a"ny person as a witness, or examine any
Apersonp' in attendance, though not summoned as
_wi'tr:ess, or recail and re–examine any person already

'examined; and the Court shail summon and examine

x
E»//

or recail and re–examine any such person if his
evidence appears to it to be essentiai to the just

decision of the case."

10. In this case, in order to elicit the or_ni_s4sio’ns3V’a«nd

contradictions, the petitioner/ accused No.1

cross–examine PW–29. In my view,i’ievid’enC’€ Of

Investigating Officer appears to be essentiafiifor th_eAj’ust

of the case. At any stage, the”‘tri’a§. Court._can:”‘.=reVcaVi’iVWand re;

examine any person if hisrevideriicie”a.:p4pe’a.rs to be essentiai for

the just decision of the case; I.’ATh\;.§’Vi”b’einQi’-.the1’_iega| position and

to have [a iiii iiifaiiriif’,.tria3§,;’ view, the request of the

petitioner/accused ‘i§i’ov.AI_1_:’toT*fii~rther cross-examine PW29 ~

Investigating Oaffir__:er»d..ese’rvVé”s to be aliowed. Accordingiy, the

‘orde-r..A passédmiby the triai Court is set aside and

peti_tioij.erf.§:CctJsed:i$i.o.I is at fiberty to cross–examine PW–29 in

V”~’*ithe Court tfwith this observation, this Criminai Petition is

_. j;-c|_i_s’posed or, 3

Sfi/«
33333?