Prashant Shah S/o Shri P. B. Shah, New Delhi v. Hotel Clark Amer (Unit U. P. Hotels Limited), Jaipur
2019-04-15
KANWALJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA
body2019
DigiLaw.ai
ORDER : 1. Counsel for the petitioner contends that documents were available with the complainant during course of the trial. Accused-petitioner made an attempt during the course of trial to prove those documents by filing an application under Section 311 Cr.P.C. Said application was dismissed by the trial Court. 2. Aggrieved against the same, petitioner approached this Court. This Court upheld the order passed by the trial Court holding that documents are not necessary for adjudication of the case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The documents which the petitioner failed to prove and exhibit during course of the trial cannot be made subject matter of application under Section 391 Cr.P.C. which is only for leading additional evidence during pendency of the appeal. Relevancy of documents was rejected during course of the trial, therefore, same cannot be made relevant in appeal. Hence, the Court below has rightly dismissed the application of the petitioner. 3. Counsel for the petitioner has relied upon J. Durgeshwar Reddy Vs. State of A.P., 1984-1997 DCR(3) 313, to contend that the Court can always summon the documents as additional evidence to ward off failure of justice. This plea has already been determined upto the High Court during course of the trial. Hence, judgment rendered in J. Durgeshwar Reddy (supra) is distinguishable. 4. Counsel for the petitioner further relied upon Umesh Vs. State of Rajasthan, 2004(3) R.C.C. 1269, to contend that if there is a manifest injustice, the Court can always take additional evidence into consideration. The case of Umesh (supra) pertains to offences under Sections 279 and 304A IPC. In the present case, plea was raised during course of the trial and was rejected upto the High Court during course of the trial. Hence, the judgment relied also cannot be construed in favour of the petitioner. 5. Further, Section 391 Cr.P.C. requires that the appellant should remain diligent during course of the trial. Section 391 Cr.P.C cannot be invoked if a plea raised during course of the trial has been rejected upto the High Court. 6. Consequently, there is no merit in the present petition and the same is dismissed.