Research › Browse › Judgment

Rajasthan High Court · body

1999 DIGILAW 1124 (RAJ)

Narottam v. State of Rajasthan

1999-09-02

M.A.A.KHAN

body1999
JUDGMENT 1. - Notice was given to the learned Public Prosecutor and parties were heard at the stage of admission. 2. Heard. Besides others, the prosecution had cited Girraj Prasad, Rameshwar, Jagdish, Ram Swaroop Basant Kumar, Yogendra Kumar and Amar Singh as prosecution witnesses in the calender of witnesses filed along with the police report. At the trial, the prosecution did not like to examine those witnesses. The trial was completed and the accused were also examined under section 313 Cr.P.C. Thereafter, the prosecution sought permission to examine one Ram Singh in order to get the report of the FS.L exhibited. His statement was recorded. The accused applicants then requested the court to summon the aforesaid prosecution witnesses, who had been dropped by the prosecution at that time. Learned trial court, dismissed their application holding that the summoning of the aforesaid witnesses at the instance of the accused was not in the interest of justice. 3. The main contention of the learned counsel for the applicants is that an accused person may summon a witness who has been cited by the prosecution as a witness but has been dropped at the trial of the accused as his own witness. The contention advanced by the learned counsel is correct. The accused has a right to produce any of the prosecution witnesses, who is not examined by the prosecution at his trial, as his witness in his defence. If an accused wants that a particular witness who has though been named by the prosecution in the list of witnesses filed by it, be examined as his witness on his request then, certainly the Court should allow such prayer. 4. In the present case, it is on the request of the accused persons that the witnesses, though originally cited in the calender of witnesses filed by the prosecution but dropped by the prosecution at the trial are sought to be examined as his defence witness, Evidence of such witnesses may be relevant and material for the just decision of the case. The Court should therefore, allow such witnesses to be examined as witnesses of the other party. 5. In view of the above, the impugned order is set-aside. The learned trial court is directed to examine the aforesaid witnesses as witnesses of the accused persons, provided they are produced before him on a date fixed by him. The Court should therefore, allow such witnesses to be examined as witnesses of the other party. 5. In view of the above, the impugned order is set-aside. The learned trial court is directed to examine the aforesaid witnesses as witnesses of the accused persons, provided they are produced before him on a date fixed by him. Those witnesses who are in the employment of Government may be summoned through the court process. 6. This petition stands disposed of accordingly. *******