IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
Crl.MC.No. 816 of 2009()
1. ABDUL HAKEEM, S/O.KOCHUNNI,
... Petitioner
Vs
1. THE STATE OF KERALA,REPRESENTED BY
... Respondent
2. THE CIRCLE INSPECTOR OF POLICE,
3. THE CIRCLE INSPECTOR OF POLICE,
For Petitioner :SRI.BABU S. NAIR
For Respondent :PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
The Hon'ble MR. Justice M.SASIDHARAN NAMBIAR
Dated :24/06/2009
O R D E R
M.SASIDHARAN NAMBIAR, J.
==================
Crl.M.C. No. 816 of 2009-D
==================
Dated this the 24th day of June, 2009.
O R D E R
This petition is filed under Section 482 of Code of
Criminal Procedure to quash Annexures B, D, F, G and H
notices/summons issued by the Sub Inspector of Police,
Ernakulam West Traffic Police Station, Kochi, directing the
petitioner to appear before Judicial First Class Magistrate
Court-II, Ernakulam on a particular day in cases registered
under Annexures A, C and E FIRs. The case of the
petitioner is that the Sub Inspector of Police has no
jurisdiction to issue summons to the accused directing him
to appear for an offence under Section 279 of Indian Penal
Code and therefore Annexures B, D, F, G and H
notices/summons are to be quashed.
2. Learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner and
the learned Public Prosecutor were heard.
Crl.M.C.No.816/2009-D
-2-
3. Annexure B, D, F, G and H notices/summons were
issued by the Sub Inspector of Police directing petitioner to
appear before the Court and informing that he has to
appear before the Court for the offence committed under
Section 279 of Indian Penal Code. As rightly pointed out by
the learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner, as
provided under Section 60(1) of Code of Criminal
Procedure, every summons has to be issued by the court in
writing, in duplicate, and signed by the Presiding Officer of
the court or by such other officer as the High Court, from
time to time, direct and it shall bear the seal of the court.
Though Section 206 of Code of Criminal Procedure provides
for issue of special summons in respect of petty offences,
even that special summons can be issued by the Magistrate
only after taking congizance.
4. When a final report is filed by the Police or such
other authority competent to submit, it is for the Magistrate
to decide whether cognizance on the final report is to be
Crl.M.C.No.816/2009-D
-3-
taken or not. The Magistrate can either take cognizance or
direct further investigation or even drop the proceedings.
Till the Magistrate decides the option to be exercised, no
summons could be sent to an accused by the investigating
officer. As all these summons were issued by the Sub
Inspector, before the learned Magistrate took cognizance of
the offences, all the summons are illegal and are quashed.
Petitioner is entitled to approach the Magistrate for interim
custody under Section 451 of Code of Criminal Procedure
for appropriate relief.
M.SASIDHARAN NAMBIAR
JUDGE
dkr