Voluntary plea of guilt under Section 251 CrPC upheld where notice was clear, counsel was present, and no timely objection was raised.

A plea of guilt recorded at the stage of notice under Section 251 CrPC was treated as voluntary and valid where the notice was clear, the accused was represented by counsel, the plea was recorded in the accused's own words, and no contemporaneous objection was raised. The Delhi HC found that the accused did not challenge the recording until after conviction and sentence, and noted that connected proceedings on the same day showed a not-guilty plea elsewhere, supporting the conclusion that the admission here was conscious. Authorities cited by the accused were distinguished on the basis that those pleas were not properly explained, not properly recorded, or lacked a proper record. The conviction and sentence were upheld.

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Issues: Whether the conviction and sentence based on the petitioner's plea of guilt, recorded at the stage of notice under Section 251 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, were liable to be set aside on the ground that the plea was not knowingly and properly recorded.

Analysis: The notice was found to be clear and unambiguous, and the petitioner's response of pleading guilty and not claiming trial was recorded in the same proceeding. The Court noted that the petitioner was represented by counsel, raised no contemporaneous objection when the plea was recorded, and did not protest until after conviction and sentence were imposed. The record also showed that in connected proceedings on the same day the petitioner had pleaded not guilty, which supported the conclusion that the plea of guilt was a conscious act. The authorities relied upon by the petitioner were distinguished because, in those cases, the plea was either not properly explained, not recorded in the accused's own words, or there was no proper record of the plea.

Conclusion: The plea of guilt was held to be voluntary and valid, and the conviction and sentence were upheld.

Final Conclusion: The petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 failed, and the impugned conviction and sentence were left undisturbed.

Ratio Decidendi: Where the notice is clear, the accused is represented by counsel, the plea of guilt is recorded in the accused's own words, and no timely objection is raised, the plea will be treated as a conscious and valid admission supporting conviction.

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