Supervisory power to transfer criminal complaints upheld, validating administrative allocation of FERA/FEMA matters to a Special Judge.

Under Section 407 CrPC and Articles 227 and 235 of the Constitution, the High Court's supervisory powers extend to transferring criminal complaints to another competent court and issuing administrative directions on which court should hear matters of a particular nature. The earlier Full Court decision authorising the Special Judge to try FERA/FEMA complaints was not under challenge, and the impugned notification merely implemented that decision. As the notification did not alter the Special Judge's competence or show any jurisdictional infirmity, the challenge failed and the complaint could validly proceed before the Special Judge.

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Issues: Whether the High Court had jurisdiction, in exercise of its administrative and judicial powers, to direct that complaints under FERA/FEMA be tried by the Special Judge hearing the fodder scam cases, and whether the impugned notification authorising such trial was without jurisdiction.

Analysis: In view of Section 407 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Articles 227 and 235 of the Constitution of India, the High Court has authority to transfer criminal matters from one competent court to another and to issue administrative directions regarding the court by which cases of a particular nature should be heard. The earlier Full Court decision empowering the Special Judge to try such matters was not under challenge. The notification merely implemented that decision and did not divest the Special Judge of jurisdiction. No illegality or jurisdictional infirmity was shown in the transfer of the complaint.

Conclusion: The challenge to the notification failed, and the High Court held that the Special Judge could validly try the complaint under FERA/FEMA.

Final Conclusion: The writ petition was rejected and the proceedings before the Special Judge were permitted to continue in accordance with law.

Ratio Decidendi: The High Court may, under its statutory and constitutional supervisory powers, direct transfer of a criminal complaint to another competent court within its jurisdiction, and an administrative notification implementing such direction is valid if it does not alter the court's competence.

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