Prakash Chandra Yadav @ Mungeri Yadav v. State of Jharkhand
2021-10-06
SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI
body2021
DigiLaw.ai
JUDGMENT : Heard Mr. R.S. Mazumdar, learned Senior counsel for the petitioners and Mr. P.C. Sinha, learned counsel for the opposite party-State. 2. This criminal miscellaneous petition has been taken through Video Conferencing in view of the guidelines of the High Court taking into account the situation arising due to COVID-19 pandemic. None of the parties have complained about any technical snag of audio-video and with their consent this matter has been heard on merit. 3. This petition has been filed for quashing the order dated 01.06.2021 passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sahibganj in connection with Mufassil (Sahibganj) P.S. Case No.62 of 2021, whereby, non-bailable warrant of arrest has been directed to be issued against the petitioners. 4. The prosecution case in brief is that one Durgesh Yadav, who is allegedly booking Clerk at Samda Ferry Ghat, lodged First Information Report against the petitioners and others on 30.04.2021 at about 02:00 p.m., the petitioners and some others reached at Samda Ghat with country made pistol in their hand and threatened the informant to pay Rs.1,000/- per truck to them as Rangdari and they also asked the informant to stop the plying of vessel if Rangdari money is not paid. The accused petitioners also threatened the informant to throw him in river Ganga if he will disobey their command and, therefore, the present case has been lodged. 5. Mr. R.S. Mazumdar, learned Senior counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that there is no finding of the concerned court that the petitioners were evading arrest. He refers Section 73 Cr.P.C. and submits that mandatory provision has not been complied with. He relied upon the judgment rendered by this Court in the case of Md. Rustum Alam @ Rustam and Others v. The State of Jharkhand, reported in 2020 (2) JLJR 712 . 6. Paragraph 11 of the said judgment is quoted herein below: “11. From a reading of the aforesaid provision of law, I find that a Magistrate has jurisdiction and power to issue warrant of arrest, which can be directed against any escaped convict, proclaimed offender, against any person who is an accused of a non-bailable offence and is evading arrest. Thus, person against whom warrant of arrest can be issued, must fall in either of the aforesaid three categories.
Thus, person against whom warrant of arrest can be issued, must fall in either of the aforesaid three categories. Admittedly, in the case in hand, when warrant of arrest was issued, these petitioners were neither an escaped convict nor a proclaimed offender. They can, at best, fall in the third category, i.e., “an accused of a non-bailable offence and is evading arrest”. So, it can be presumed that Court has issued warrant on the ground that the petitioners are accused of non-bailable offence. Only being an accused of a non-bailable offence is not a ground to issue warrant of arrest, as per the provisions of Section 73 of the Code. The said accused, who is wanted in a case involving a non-bailable offence, must also be evading his arrest. The word ‘and’ used in Section 73(1) of the Code is a conjunctive clause. Thus, both the conditions should simultaneously exist to enable the Court to issue warrant of arrest. This position of law should have been considered by the Court while issuing a warrant of arrest. This means that a person not only should be an accused of an offence, non-bailable in nature, but also should be found evading his arrest. There is nothing in the impugned orders to suggest that the petitioners were evading arrest.” 7. Mr. P.C. Sinha, learned counsel appearing for the State submits that there is no illegality in the impugned order. He has not been able to distinguish the judgment relied by Mr. Mazumdar, learned Senior counsel for the petitioners. 8. In view of the above facts and considering that there is no finding that the petitioners were evading arrest and the matter is fully covered in light of the judgment reported in the case of Md. Rustum Alam @ Rustam (supra), the order dated 01.06.2021 passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sahibganj in connection with Mufassil (Sahibganj) P.S. Case No.62 of 2021 is quashed. 9. Accordingly, this criminal miscellaneous petition stands allowed and disposed of.