IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 11-03-2011 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE G.M. AKBAR ALI Cr1.O.P.Nos.15451 and 15981 of 2010 ORDER
The petitioner, in Crl.O.P.NO.15981 of 2008, who was arrested on 17.6.2008 for the offence punishable under Secs.403, 406, 420 IPC in CR.No.228 of 2008 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail.
2. The petitioner in Crl.O.P.No.15451 of 2008, who apprehends arrest, filed the present petition seeking anticipatory bail.
3. Consequent on the Hon’ble Supreme Court setting aside the order of the learned Single Judge dated 21.8.2008 and remitting back the matter to this Court, the above petitions are taken up for fresh consideration in accordance with the direction of the Apex Court.
4. One R. Ravi made an investment in the ABN Amro Bank on 13.6.1998. Based on the documents submitted by the petitioner, who claimed to be the said Ravi’s wife, including a death certificate of the said Ravi, the Bank has processed and transferred the amount to the tune of Rs.22,32,449.01 in favour of the petitioner. Later the bank found out that the original investment was held by another Ravi and found that the claim made by the petitioner did not relate to any investment made by the deceased husband of the petitioner. The bank issued notice and the petitioner denied the claim of the bank and after series of correspondence, in March 2008, the bank approached the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate with a complaint under Sec.156(3)of Cr.P.C (hereinafter referred to as “Code) to forward the same for registration of the case and investigation. On 26.3.2008, the learned Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate ordered investigation. The case was registered on 21.4.2008 against the petitioner in Cr.No.228 of 2008 under Sec.403 and 406 IPC by the Inspector of Police, Central Crime Branch. The petitioner was arrested. The learned Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate as well as the learned Principal Sessions Judge, Chennai dismissed the bail petition filed by the petitioner.
5. The petitioner filed Crl OP. No.15981 of 2008 before this court to enlarge her on bail. On 9.7.2008, this Court granted bail imposing certain conditions. However, the learned Single Judge of this court in paragraph No.10 of the order dated 9.7.2008 observed thus:
“10. It is heartening to note that the Magistrate concerned, without properly analysing the materials, passed the order for investigation of the matter by police, which exercise he should not have undertaken in a matter which relates to a dispute of civil nature. It is also noticed that such undesirable trend is on its increases. Therefore, for passing further orders in that regard, the matter be listed tomorrow i.e., on 10/7/2008 along with Crl.O.P.No.15451 of 2008.”
6. On 10.7.2008, this court modified the bail conditions.
7. Similarly, in Crl.O.P.No.15451 of 2008, one Ashok Kumar has filed the petition for grant of anticipatory bail against an unknown crime number. This was also a case where the petitioner availed personal loan from the bank and on failure of repayment, the learned 17th Metropolitan Magistrate passed orders under Sec.156(3) for registration of a case and apprehending arrest, the petitioner filed a petition for granting anticipatory bail and anticipatory bail was granted 3.7.2008.
8. While granting the bail, this court further observed that there are untenable aspects in forwarding the complaint under Sec.156(3) of the Code.
9. This court thereafter, passed a series of orders on various dates 11.7.2008, 21.8.2008, 11.9.2008, and 26.9.2008. This court collected particulars about the various First Information Reports pending which were forwarded by the learned Magistrates under Sec156(3) of the Code and on analysing the circumstances, this court was of the view that Sec.156(3) ought not to have been invoked by the Financial Institutions and the order of the learned Magistrates in mechanically forwarding the complainant is not correct. Therefore, this Court gave certain directions to the Registry for further action.
10. Aggrieved by which, various Financial Institutions particularly, the defacto-complainant in Crl.O.P.No.15981 of 2008 approached the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Hon’ble Supreme Court, while disposing of the matter had set aside the impugned order passed by this Court and remitted back the matter for fresh consideration and to pass orders in the matter in accordance with law after hearing the parties. Therefore, the matter has been placed before this court as a “Specially Ordered matter”.
11. In a suo motu exercise, the learned single Judge of this Court felt that some of the Judicial Magistrates, in collusion with the complainant bankers, financial institutions, were in the habit of entertaining complaints relating to the matter purely of civil nature and thereby abused the judicial discretion by passing orders under Sec.156(3) of the code for investigation. This court, initially passed an order granting bail to the petitioner and later, passed a series of orders and on 21.8.2008, this court gave the following directions. Viz;
i) The Registry is directed to withdraw all the cases pending on the file of the learned Magistrates vide Annexure A, B and C of the Vigilance Report and call for all the records connected to those cases and transfer the same to the file of the High Court, Madras
ii) Registry to place the entire materials and particulars before the Hon’ble the Chief Justice so that orders could be passed for conducting enquiry in those matters;
iii) Further proceedings of all those cases vide Annexure A,B and C pending on the file of the Metropolitan/Judicial Magistrates concerned are hereby stayed till the disposal of the proceedings by the Court;
iv) All records including vigilance reports may also be placed before the Hon’ble The Chief Justice for taking appropriate departmental action against the Magistrates concerned in particular III, X, XVII and XVIII Metropolitan Magistrates, Chennai and Judicial Magistrate-III, Coimbatore and Judicial Magistrate, Paramkudi, Ramnad and
v) In view of the orders passed for transfer of the pending cases before the Metropolitan/Judicial Magistrate Courts to the file of this Court, the Director General of Police is directed to instruct
a) the police officers, who have received orders from the Magistrates in such cases under Section 156(3) Cr.PC and
b) the Station House Officers, who have directly entertained similar complaints in the name of “petition enquiry”
to obtain opinion from the Director General/Additional Director General of Prosecutions/Assistant Public Prosecutors etc., and to file interim/final reports before the jurisdiction Magistrates within a period of two weeks from to-day.
Compliance report is to be filed in this regard within three weeks by the Director General of Police”.
12. This order was challenged before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Supreme Court found that the learned Judge was carried away more by emotion than logic and set aside the impugned order and remitted back the matter for fresh consideration as to whether or not a suo moto exercise of power by the High Court was necessary at that stage and also to pass an order in the matter in accordance with law after hearing the parties.
13. Mr.V. Ramakrishanan, the learned counsel for the intervener in Crl.O.P.No.15981 of 2008 would submit that the Hon’ble Supreme Court has set aside the suo moto exercise of the learned single Judge and therefore, the investigation in Cr.No.228 of 2008 has to be continued. The learned counsel also pointed out that the petitioner had already been granted bail and the earlier bail still holds good.
14. The learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that though the Hon’ble Supreme court has set aside the impugned order dated 21.8.2008, this Court has to consider the matter afresh and as far as the bail is concerned, a suitable order has to be passed by this court.
15. Heard the learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) and perused the materials available on record.
16. The suo motu exercise of this court has been set aside by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Therefore, the directions issued in the order dated 21.8.2008 need not be complied with. The entire directions are now being set aside and I am of the considered view that this court need not pass any further order in this regard.
17. However, in both the petitions, this court has already granted bail and pre-arrest bail. In Crl.O.P.No.15451 of 2008, an anticipatory bail was granted, where the Crime Number was not known. In Crl.O.P.No. 15981 of 2008, the learned counsel for the intervener would submit that investigation is pending.
18. In any event, the petitioners have already been enlarged on bail and granted anticipatory bail. The Apex Court has set aside only the impugned order dated 21.8.2008, issuing directions, but has not interfered with the bail orders. Therefore, the bail and pre-arrest bail orders granted earlier hold good and the petitioners are deemed to be on bail and anticipatory bail. Therefore, further orders need not be passed in these petitions. There is no impediment for the investigation in Crime No. CR.No.228 of 2008 to be completed as expeditiously as possible.
19. With the above observations, both the petitions are closed.
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