High Court Kerala High Court

Raju Puzhankara vs State Of Kerala on 24 September, 2008

Kerala High Court
Raju Puzhankara vs State Of Kerala on 24 September, 2008
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

WP(C).No. 28210 of 2008(G)


1. RAJU PUZHANKARA, S/O.LATE SANKARA
                      ...  Petitioner

                        Vs



1. STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY
                       ...       Respondent

2. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE,

3. CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER,

4. ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE,

5. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE,

6. CIRCLE INSPECTOR OF POLICE, MEDICAL

7. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF CRIME BRANCH,

8. SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, CRIME BRANCH

9. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, CRIME

10. JOINT DIRECTOR, CENTRAL BUREAU OF

11. THE SUPERINTENDENT, CENTRAL BUREAU OF

12. SRI.SABARINATH, AGED 21 YEARS,S/O.RAJAN

                For Petitioner  :SRI.K.P.RAMACHANDRAN

                For Respondent  : No Appearance

The Hon'ble MR. Justice R.BASANT

 Dated :24/09/2008

 O R D E R
                          R. BASANT, J.
            -------------------------------------------------
                W.P.(c) No. 28210 of 2008-G
            -------------------------------------------------
       Dated this the 24th day of September, 2008

                            JUDGMENT

This petition under Art.226 of the Constitution is filed by

the petitioner arraying 13 respondents with a prayer that the

investigation into a crime allegedly committed by the 12th

respondent may be entrusted to the C.B.I. The petitioner

does not even specify the number and details of the crime

which he wants to be so entrusted for investigation to the

C.B.I.

2. The petitioner explains his interest in the case in the

following words in para-19:

“19. The writ petitioner is a law-

abiding Indian citizen and a firm believer

in rule of law. Each citizen of India has

a bounden duty to prevent the illegality

and violation of law and to respect and

obey the legal system and its procedure.

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In the circumstances, the petitioner is left

no other equally efficacious remedy than to

approach this Honourable Court under

Art.226 of the Constitution of India.”

3. This petition has been perused by me in detail. The

petitioner has been heard. The learned Public Prosecutor was

asked to take notice. The learned Public Prosecutor furnishes

the following details:

On the complaint given by a specified individual/depositor,

Crime No.480/08 of the Medical College Police Station,

Trivandrum, has been registered against, inter alia, the 12th

respondent. It is alleged in that crime that the offence under

Sec.420 read with Sec.34 IPC has been committed. The crux of

the allegations is that the de facto complainant/depositor was

defrauded by the accused persons. Investigation is in progress.

According to the learned Public Prosecutor, the crime was

registered on 27/8/08. Considering the seriousness of the

allegations raised, investigation has now been entrusted to the

Crime Branch Police and they have taken over the investigation

W.P.(c) No. 28210 of 2008-G
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from 4/9/08. One Mr.Harinath Misra, IPS., a senior police officer

who had served 7 years in the C.B.I., is carrying on the

investigation now. The learned Public Prosecutor submits that a

proper and efficient investigation is being conducted and at this

stage there is absolutely no justification in the prayer for

transfer of the investigation to the C.B.I. The learned Public

Prosecutor further submits that the petitioner has no tangible

data or specific material to justify his claim for transfer of the

investigation to the C.B.I. The petitioner has not even cared to

ascertain the vital and relevant facts and the application made by

a person like him, who has no real, substantial, tangible or

sublime interest in the investigation of the crime, only deserves

to be rejected in limine.

4. I have considered all the relevant inputs. I must, at the

very outset, observe that I do not intend to express any opinion

on the complicity of any of the accused in that crime who have

already been brought on record or who, it is alleged, at the Bar,

are also involved in the commission of the crime. But it is

impossible not to observe that the petitioner has only made wide

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and sweeping allegations without any serious pursuit as would

be expected from a public spirited individual who wants to

maintain such an application before this Court. I have read the

averments in the petition in detail. I have heard the learned

counsel for the petitioner. Except the nebulous, vague and

general information collected by reading the newspapers, the

petitioner does not appear to have undertaken any serious effort

to ascertain the details of the issues involved or justify his

grievance against the investigation. He is not a depositor. He

is not interested in any of the depositors. His credentials as a

public interest litigant is not even attempted to be revealed.

Essentially, the allegation is one of cheating and the petitioner

is not a victim of any such cheating also. I need only observe

that, at the moment and with the available inputs, I am not

persuaded to invoke the extraordinary constitutional jurisdiction

under Art.226 of the Constitution to issue any directions

regarding investigation. I do further note that the petitioner has

not chosen to move the Magistrate, if he has any specific

information/data about the inadequacy of investigation. If he is

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a public spirited individual interested in a proper investigation,

he must collect tangible data and share it with the Investigating

Officers and if he has not satisfied that, they are not interested

in pursuing the details furnished by him, he must certainly

approach the Magistrate and complain about the inadequate

investigation as already held by the Supreme Court in Sakiri

Vasu v. State of U.P. (2008 (1) KLT 724 (SC)) which has been

followed by the decision in Vasanthi Devi v. S.I. of Police

(2008 (1) KLT 945). I am satisfied, in the facts and

circumstances of this case, that this writ petition only deserves

to be dismissed. I do so.

Sd/-

(R. BASANT, JUDGE)

Nan/

//true copy//

P.S. to Judge

W.P.(c) No. 28210 of 2008-G
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