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Gauhati High Court · body

1991 DIGILAW 77 (GAU)

Keshav Mohan v. State of Assam

1991-04-24

R.K.MANISANA SINGH

body1991
In this application under section 482, CrPC, read with Article 227 of the Constitution of India the petitioners have prayed for quashing the FIR in Moranhat PS Case No. 122 of 1990 ( GR Case No. 926 of 1990) under sections 3 and 4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1937 for short, 4the TADA Act'. The petitioners Sarvashri Keshav Mohan and Dilip Phukan have been in jail after they were arrested in connection with the FIR case referred to above. 2. In Civil Rule No. 3 of 1991 (Girish Chandra vs. Union of India) this Court has held that in a case involving arrest of a person on accusation of having committed an offence punishable under the TADA Act, the High Court has no jurisdiction to entertain an application under section 482, CrPC, for quashing the FIR. In that view of the matter, learned counsel for the petitioners has prayed for converting this application under section 4&2, CrPC, to one under Article 226 of the Constitution. 3. Conversion may be made in exercise of the inherent powers of the Court. But the exercise of that power roust be within clearly defined limits guided by rules of reason. In my judgment, the original proceeding and the converted proceeding must be of the same sort or type of legal proceeding, and the Court converting the proceeding must have the jurisdic­tion to hear the converted proceeding. Thus, a civil appeal can be converted to a civil revision or vice versa ; but not a civil proceeding to a criminal proceeding. Let me now state the reasons. Civil appeal and revision are regulated by the Code of Civil Procedure. In Shankar vs. Krishanji, AIR 1970 SC 1 , the Supreme Court has held : "Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure circumscribes the limits of that jurisdiction but the jurisdiction which is being exercised is a part .of the general appellate jurisdiction of High Court as a superior Court. It is only one of the modes of exercising power conferred by the Statute j basically and fundamentally it is the appellate jurisdiction of the High Court which is being invoked and exercised in a wider and larger sense.” The above decision indicates that the appeal and the revision are of the same sort or type of proceeding. 4. It is only one of the modes of exercising power conferred by the Statute j basically and fundamentally it is the appellate jurisdiction of the High Court which is being invoked and exercised in a wider and larger sense.” The above decision indicates that the appeal and the revision are of the same sort or type of proceeding. 4. As regards the jurisdiction to hear the converted proceeding, if an appeal from an order arising out of a suit before the District Judge is later on found that a revision shall lie against that order, the District Judge cannot convert the appeal to revision and hear the same as he has no jurisdiction to hear revision under section 115, CPC. Let me take another instance. There are rules made by our High Court for hearing of the appeal and revision. Under the rules second appeal and revision are heard by a Single Bench irres­pective of the value of the suit, and first appeal is heard either by a Single Bench or by a Division Bench depending upon the value of the suit out of which the appeal arises If a Single Bench converts a revision to a first applets which can be heard by it, there will be no problem. But. if the Single Bench converts revision to first special which cannot be heard by a Single Bench, the appeal is to be placed Before n Division Bench. The Division Bench is while dealing with appea1 of the option that the conversion of the revision to appeal by the Single Bench is not right then an anomaly shall arise. 5. The question which, therefore, arises for consideration is whether the present implication under section 482 can be convened to one under Article 226. There are rules made by our High Court governing applications for directions, orders or writs (other than in the nature of habeas corpus) under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, petition under Article 226 is to be modeled as provided under the rules and the procedure for carrying on the petition is regulated by the rules of the High Court. The petition under Article 226 is to be Heard by a Division Bench, not by a Single Bench. A proceeding under section 482, CrPC is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure and is to be beard by a Single Bench. The petition under Article 226 is to be Heard by a Division Bench, not by a Single Bench. A proceeding under section 482, CrPC is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure and is to be beard by a Single Bench. Therefore, the two proceedings are not of the same type of proceedings, and I sitting singly cannot hear and dispose of the petition. if be converted to under Article 226. That apart, conversion is a discretionary matter. For these reasons and also considering the facts and circumstances of the easel decline to convert this application under section 482 to one under Article 226. 6. In the result, the petition is dismissed as not maintainable.