TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2011 (12) TMI 656
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....tions filed by Shri Sumedh Singh Saini. 2. These appeals have been preferred against the orders dated 30.5.2007, 22.8.2007, 5.10.2007 and 4.7.2008 in Crl. Misc. No. 152MA of 2007; order dated 19.9.2007 in Crl. Misc. No. 86286 of 2007 in Crl. Misc. No. 152-MA of 2007; and orders dated 2.11.2007 and 6.11.2007 in Crl. Misc. No. 93535 of 2007 in Crl. Misc. No. 152-MA of 2007 passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh. For the sake of convenience of disposal of the appeals, we would refer only to the criminal appeals filed by the State. 3. The Appeals herein raise peculiar substantial questions of law as to whether the High Court can pass an order on an application entertained after final disposal of the criminal appeal or even suo motu particularly, in view of the provisions of Section 362 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter called Cr.P.C.) and as to whether in exercise of its inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. the High Court can ask a particular investigating agency to investigate a case following a particular procedure through an exceptionally unusual method which is not in consonance with the statutory provisions of Cr.P.C. 4. FACTS....
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....of which, two police personnel died on the spot and many others were grievously injured. Three of the accused, namely, Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar alias Master, Partap Singh Maan and Gursharan Kaur Maan were subjected to trial. The other co-accused namely, Navneet Singh, Manjit Singh, Manmohan Jit Singh, Gurjant Singh and Balwant Singh were not traceable. They were declared proclaimed offenders. (B) On conclusion of the trial, the Court vide judgment and order dated 1.12.2006 acquitted the three accused giving them benefit of doubt. (C) Aggrieved, the State (U.T., Chandigarh) preferred Criminal Miscellaneous No.152-MA of 2007 before the High Court challenging the said acquittal. However, the appeal was dismissed vide judgment and order dated 11.5.2007. (D) After 20 days of the disposal of the said Crl. Misc. No.152-MA of 2007, i.e., appeal against acquittal, the High Court again took up the case suo motu on 30.5.2007 and directed the authorities to furnish full details of the proclaimed offenders in respect of the FIR No.334/91 dated 29.8.1991 and the Bench marked the matter "Part Heard". (E) Shri Dinesh Bhatt, SSP, Chandigarh submitted an affidavit dated 4.8.2007, giving in....
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.... the High Court vide order dated 5.10.2007, directed the CBI to investigate the allegations of Darshan Singh Multani regarding his missing son and further directed the CBI not to disclose the identity of any of the witnesses to anyone except the High Court and to code the names of witnesses as witness A, B & C and further to submit periodical status reports. The order further reads:- "However, Shri Sumedh Singh Saini, Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, who at that time, i.e., on 11.2.1991 was posted as Senior Supdt. of Police was at helm of affairs of Chandigarh Police and was serving as the Sr. Supdt. of Police, UT. As of date, he is holding a very important post and is in a position to influence the investigating officer if it is handed over to the Punjab Police or even for that matter to the Chandigarh Police." (K) In the same matter, the Bench entertained another Criminal Miscellaneous Application on 30.10.2007 filed by Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, (a convict in another case and lodged in Tihar Jail) regarding allegations that his father Shri Balwant Singh Bhullar and maternal uncle Shri Manjit Singh had been abducted in the year 1991. The High Court vide order dated 6.11.2....
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....nafter called "Mr. Justice X") on the direction of the Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court and, thus, the said Judge ought not to have proceeded with the matter, rather should have recused himself from the case. More so, as the judgment in appeal against acquittal had been passed by the Court on 11.5.2007 upholding the judgment of acquittal, the Court has become functus officio and it had no competence to reopen the case vide order dated 30.5.2007. 6. This Court vide order dated 11.7.2008 stayed the investigation until further orders. 7. Shri Ram Jethmalani, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shri Ranjit Kumar, learned senior counsel appearing for the appellants, have submitted that once the judgment in appeal against acquittal has been rendered by the High Court on 11.5.2007, in view of the complete embargo of the provisions of Section 362 Cr.P.C., the Court having become functus officio was not competent to reopen the case and, thus, proceedings subsequent to 11.5.2007 are a nullity for want of competence/jurisdiction. More so, the proceedings that continued after the said judgment, by illegally reopening the case, were a result of judicial bias of Mr. Justice X, which was j....
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....stice. Thus, the proceedings are liable to be quashed. 8. On the other hand, S/Shri K.N. Balgopal and Colin Gonsalves,learned senior counsel appearing for respondents - private parties and Shri P.K. Dey, learned counsel appearing for the CBI, have submitted that in order to do complete justice in the case, the High Court has exercised its power under Section 482 Cr.P.C., no interference is required by this Court on such technical grounds. The provisions of Section 362 Cr.P.C. are not to be construed in a rigid and technical manner as it would defeat the ends of justice. The two-fold aim of criminal justice is that "guilt shall not escape nor innocence suffer." Allegations made against the Presiding Judge are scandalous and false and do not require any consideration whatsoever. The name of Mr. S.S. Saini, SSP stood mentioned in the record of the case before the Bench. The chargesheet filed after investigation of allegations in the FIR dated 19.8.1991 and in the judgment of the Trial Court dated 1.12.2006 speak that the attack was made on him. It is wrong that his name has been added by the Presiding Judge in the Bench for his personal revenge on his personal knowledge. So far as na....
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.... To recall the words of Mr. Justice Frankfurter in Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia v. Franklin S. Pollak, 343 US 451 (1952) 466: The Judicial process demands that a judge moves within the framework of relevant legal rules and the covenanted modes of thought for ascertaining them. He must think dispassionately and submerge private feeling on every aspect of a case. There is a good deal of shallow talk that the judicial robe does not change the man within it. It does. The fact is that, on the whole, judges do lay aside private views in discharging their judicial functions. This is achieved through training, professional habits, self-discipline and that fortunate alchemy by which men are loyal to the obligation with which they are entrusted. 13. In Bhajan Lal, Chief Minister, Haryana v. M/s. Jindal Strips Ltd. & Ors., (1994) 6 SCC 19, this Court observed that there may be some consternation and apprehension in the mind of a party and undoubtedly, he has a right to have fair trial, as guaranteed by the Constitution. The apprehension of bias must be reasonable, i.e. which a reasonable person can entertain. Even in that case, he has no right to ask for a change o....
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.... to decide the matter only in a particular way. Public policy requires that there should be no doubt about the purity of the adjudication process/administration of justice. The Court has to proceed observing the minimal requirements of natural justice, i.e., the Judge has to act fairly and without bias and in good faith. A judgment which is the result of bias or want of impartiality, is a nullity and the trial "coram non judice". Therefore, the consequential order, if any, is liable to be quashed. (Vide: Vassiliades v. Vassiliades, AIR 1945 PC 38; S. Parthasarathi v. State of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 1973 SC 2701; and Ranjit Thakur v. Union of India & Ors., AIR 1987 SC 2386). 17. In Rupa Ashok Hurra v. Ashok Hurra & Anr., (2002) 4 SCC 388, this Court observed that public confidence in the judiciary is said to be the basic criterion of judging the justice delivery system. If any act or action, even if it is a passive one, erodes or is even likely to erode the ethics of judiciary, the matter needs a further look. In the event, there is any affectation of such an administration of justice either by way of infraction of natural justice or an order being passed wholly without jurisdiction o....
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.... an objection of substance. However, if there is real ground for doubt, that doubt must be resolved in favour of recusal. Where, following appropriate disclosure by the Judge, a party raises no objection to the Judge hearing or continuing to hear a case, that party cannot subsequently complain that the matter disclosed gives rise to a real danger of bias. 19. In Justice P.D. Dinakaran v. Hon'ble Judges Inquiry Committee, (2011) 8 SCC 380, this Court has held that in India the courts have held that, to disqualify a person as a Judge, the test of real likelihood of bias, i.e., real danger is to be applied, considering whether a fair minded and informed person, apprised of all the facts, would have a serious apprehension of bias. In other words, the courts give effect to the maxim that 'justice must not only be done but be seen to be done', by examining not actual bias but real possibility of bias based on facts and materials. The Court further held: "The first requirement of natural justice is that the Judge should be impartial and neutral and must be free from bias. He is supposed to be indifferent to the parties to the controversy. He cannot act as Judge of a cause in which he ....
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....t fails to take the plea of bias at the earlier stage of the proceedings, it creates an effective bar of waiver against him. In such facts and circumstances, it would be clear that the party wanted to take a chance to secure a favourable order from the official/court and when he found that he was confronted with an unfavourable order, he adopted the device of raising the issue of bias. The issue of bias must be raised by the party at the earliest. (See: M/s. Pannalal Binjraj & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., AIR 1957 SC 397; and Justice P.D. Dinakaran (Supra)) 22. In M/s. Power Control Appliances & Ors. v. Sumeet Machines Pvt. Ltd., (1994) 2 SCC 448 this Court held as under:- "Acquiescence is sitting by, when another is invading the rights.... It is a course of conduct inconsistent with the claim... It implies positive acts; not merely silence or inaction such as involved in laches. ........ The acquiescence must be such as to lead to the inference of a licence sufficient to create a new right in the defendant......" Inaction in every case does not lead to an inference of implied consent or acquiescence as has been held by this Court in P. John Chandy & Co. (P) Ltd. v. John P. ....
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....ade applicable where a party knowing all the facts of bias etc., surrenders to the authority of the Court/Tribunal without raising any objection. Acquiescence, in fact, is sitting by, when another is invading the rights. The acquiescence must be such as to lead to the inference of a licence sufficient to create rights in other party. Needless to say that question of waiver/acquiescence would arise in a case provided the person apprehending the bias/prejudice is a party to the case. The question of waiver would not arise against a person who is not a party to the case as such person has no opportunity to raise the issue of bias. III. BAR TO REVIEW/ALTER- JUDGMENT 26. There is no power of review with the Criminal Court after judgment has been rendered. The High Court can alter or review its judgment before it is signed. When an order is passed, it cannot be reviewed. Section 362 Cr.P.C. is based on an acknowledged principle of law that once a matter is finally disposed of by a Court, the said Court in the absence of a specific statutory provision becomes functus officio and is disentitled to entertain a fresh prayer for any relief unless the former order of final disposal is set as....
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....f. (Vide: State Represented by D.S.P., S.B.C.I.D., Chennai v. K.V. Rajendran & Ors., AIR 2009 SC 46). 29. In Smt. Sooraj Devi v. Pyare Lal & Anr., AIR 1981 SC 736, this Court held that the prohibition in Section 362 Cr.P.C. against the Court altering or reviewing its judgment, is subject to what is "otherwise provided by this Code or by any other law for the time being in force". Those words, however, refer to those provisions only where the Court has been expressly authorised by the Code or other law to alter or review its judgment. The inherent power of the Court is not contemplated by the saving provision contained in Section 362 Cr.P.C. and, therefore, the attempt to invoke that power can be of no avail. 30. Thus, the law on the issue can be summarised to the effect that the criminal justice delivery system does not clothe the court to add or delete any words, except to correct the clerical or arithmetical error as specifically been provided under the statute itself after pronouncement of the judgment as the Judge becomes functus officio. Any mistake or glaring omission is left to be corrected only by the appropriate forum in accordance with law. IV. INHERENT POWERS UNDER SE....
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....e the ends of justice and to prevent the abuse of the process of court. However, such expressions do not confer unlimited/unfettered jurisdiction on the High Court as the "ends of justice" and "abuse of the process of the court" have to be dealt with in accordance with law including the procedural law and not otherwise. Such powers can be exercised ex debito justitiae to do real and substantial justice as the courts have been conferred such inherent jurisdiction, in absence of any express provision, as inherent in their constitution, or such powers as are necessary to do the right and to undo a wrong in course of administration of justice as provided in the legal maxim "quando lex aliquid alique, concedit, conceditur et id sine quo res ipsa esse non potest". However, the High Court has not been given nor does it possess any inherent power to make any order, which in the opinion of the court, could be in the interest of justice as the statutory provision is not intended to by-pass the procedure prescribed. (Vide: Lalit Mohan Mondal & Ors. v. Benoyendra Nath Chatterjee, AIR 1982 SC 785; Rameshchandra Nandlal Parikh v. State of Gujarat & Anr., AIR 2006 SC 915; Central Bureau of Invest....
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....achananda v. State of Karnataka, 1990 (supp.) SCC 132, this Court examined a case as to whether the bar under Section 397(3) Cr.P.C. can be circumvented by invoking inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C. by the High Court. The Court came to the conclusion that if such a course was permissible it would be possible that every application facing the bar of Section 397(3) Cr.P.C. would be labelled as one under Section 482 Cr.P.C. Thus, the statutory bar cannot be circumvented. 39. This Court has consistently emphasised that judges must enforce laws whatever they may be and decide the cases strictly in accordance with the law. "The laws are not always just and the lights are not always luminous. Nor, again, are judicial methods always adequate to secure justice". But the courts "are bound by the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code" by the very 'oath' of the office. (See: Joseph Peter v. State of Goa, Daman and Diu, AIR 1977 SC 1812). 40. It is evident from the above that inherent powers can be exercised only to prevent the abuse of the process of the court and to secure the ends of justice. However, powers can be used provided there is no prohibition for passing such an o....
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.... any existing proceeding, not foreclosed by any other form under the Code, to the subject matter for which such power is to be exercised. Application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. lies before the High Court against an order passed by the court subordinate to it in a pending case/proceedings. Generally, such powers are used for quashing criminal proceedings in appropriate cases. Such an application does not lie to initiate criminal proceedings or set the criminal law in motion. Inherent jurisdiction can be exercised if the order of the Subordinate Court results in the abuse of the "process" of the court and/or calls for interference to secure the ends of justice. The use of word 'process' implies that the proceedings are pending before the Subordinate Court. When reference is made to the phrase "to secure the ends of justice", it is in fact in relation to the order passed by the Subordinate Court and it cannot be understood in a general connotation of the phrase. More so, while entertaining such application the proceedings should be pending in the Subordinate Court. In case it attained finality, the inherent powers cannot be exercised. Party aggrieved may approach the appellate/revisio....
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....al vigilance by the Judges to guard against any such latent internal danger is, therefore, necessary, lest we "suffer from self-inflicted mortal wounds". We must remember that the Constitution does not give unlimited powers to anyone including the Judge of all levels. The societal perception of Judges as being detached and impartial referees is the greatest strength of the judiciary and every member of the judiciary must ensure that this perception does not receive a setback consciously or unconsciously. Authenticity of the judicial process rests on public confidence and public confidence rests on legitimacy of judicial process. Sources of legitimacy are in the impersonal application by the Judge of recognised objective principles which owe their existence to a system as distinguished from subjective moods, predilections, emotions and prejudices. It is most unfortunate that the order under appeal founders on this touchstone and is wholly unsustainable". 42. This Court in State of U.P. & Ors. v. Neeraj Chaubey & Ors., (2010) 10 SCC 320, had taken note of various judgments of this Court including State of Maharashtra v. Narayan Shamrao Puranik, AIR 1982 SC 1198; Inder Mani v. Mathes....
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....ount of hankering for a particular jurisdiction or a particular case. 43. In view of the above, the legal regime, in this respect emerges to the effect that the Bench gets jurisdiction from the assignment made by the Chief Justice and the Judge cannot choose as which matter he should entertain and he cannot entertain a petition in respect of which jurisdiction has not been assigned to him by the Chief Justice as the order passed by the court may be without jurisdiction and made the Judge coram non-judice. VI. WHEN CBI ENQUIRY CAN BE DIRECTED: 44. In Secretary, Minor Irrigation and Rural Engineering Services, U.P. & Ors. v. Sahngoo Ram Arya & Anr., AIR 2002 SC 2225, this Court placed reliance on its earlier judgment in Common Cause, A Registered Society v. Union of India & Ors, (1999) 6 SCC 667 and held that before directing CBI to investigate, the court must reach a conclusion on the basis of pleadings and material on record that a prima facie case is made out against the accused. The court cannot direct CBI to investigate as to whether a person committed an offence as alleged or not. The court cannot merely proceed on the basis of `ifs' and `buts' and think it appropriate that ....
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....vestigation is sought, is to be impleaded as a party and must be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard. CBI cannot be directed to have a roving inquiry as to whether a person was involved in the alleged unlawful activities. The court can direct CBI investigation only in exceptional circumstances where the court is of the view that the accusation is against a person who by virtue of his post could influence the investigation and it may prejudice the cause of the complainant, and it is necessary so to do in order to do complete justice and make the investigation credible. INSTANT CASES : 49. The present appeals are required to be decided in the light of the aforesaid settled legal propositions. 50. It is evident from the judgment and order dated 11.5.2007 thatCriminal Misc. No.152-MA of 2007 stood dismissed. The order sheet dated 30.5.2007 reveals that in spite of the disposal of the said criminal appeal it had been marked therein as "put up for further hearing" and the order dated 30.5.2007 reveals the directions given to the Trial Court to furnish a detailed report as to the measures taken by it to bring the proclaimed offenders, namely Navneet Singh, Manjit Singh, Manmo....
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....part of the order dated 4.7.2008 reads as under: "After going through the status report, it comes out that the encounter of Navneet Singh son of late Tirath Singh of Qadian was a genuine encounter with the Rajasthan police. We feel that there is no need to further investigate the matter in the case of Navneet Singh son of late Tirath Singh. In the case of Manjit Singh son of late Rattan Singh, no evidence is coming forth and the CBI is at liberty to drop the investigation of Manjit Singh son of late Rattan Singh, if it so desires." Thus, it is clear that the Bench was aware of the fact that two proclaimed offenders had been killed in encounters. Thus, the CBI was given liberty not to further investigate the matter in case of Navneet Singh and Manjit Singh, if it so desired. 52. The record reveals that Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar was involved in M.S. Bitta's assassination attempt and had absconded to Germany on a fake passport. He was arrested there and was extradited to India and arrested on 18.1.1995. He was tried for the said offence, convicted in the year 2001 and given the death sentence. It was confirmed by the High Court as well as by this Court and the review petition als....
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....that the court was very much anxious to know about the proclaimed offenders, however, after getting certain information, the Court stopped monitoring the progress in procuring the presence of any of those proclaimed offenders. By this time, the Court also came to know that applicant Darshan Singh Multani's son had also been killed. Therefore, the chapter regarding the proclaimed offenders was closed. There was no occasion for the Court to proceed further with the matter and entertain the applications under Section 482 Cr.P.C., filed by Darshan Singh Multani and Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar. At this stage, the Court started probing regarding missing persons. The question does arise as to whether applications under Section 482 Cr.P.C. could be entertained in a disposed of appeal or could be heard by a Bench to which the roster has not been assigned by Hon'ble the Chief Justice. In view of the law referred to hereinabove, the Bench was not competent to entertain the said applications and even if the same had been filed in the disposed of appeal, the court could have directed to place the said applications before the Bench dealing with similar petitions. 55. It is evident from the orde....
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....year 2008. So throughout this period the manner in which Mr. Sumedh Singh Saini has been able to subvert judicial processes did not allow the respondent to move a court of law and now when an Hon'ble Division Bench has shown courage to uphold the majesty of law, that the respondent also gathered his courage to move the Hon'ble High Court, with the hope that at some time justice would prevail." (Emphasis added) 57. So far as the issue in respect of the proclaimed complainants/offenders is concerned, the document was before the High Court to show that a letter had been sent by the U.S Department of Justice Federal Wing of Investigation to the CBI disclosing that Manmohan Jit Singh had died on December 2006. Thus, information in respect of one of the proclaimed offenders was with the court. The judgment of the Trial Court was before the High Court under challenge. Thus, the High Court could have taken note of the proclaimed offender and there was no new material that came before the High Court on the basis of which proceedings could be revived. The chargesheet in the Trial Court itself revealed that two persons had died. It appears that the State counsel also failed to bring these....
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...., such person can raise objections only if he is impleaded as a party-respondent in the case and has an opportunity to raise an objection on the ground of bias. In the instant case, neither the State of Punjab nor Mr. S.S. Saini have been impleaded as respondents. Thus, the question of waiver on the ground of bias by either of them does not arise. 61. Undoubtedly, in respect of such missing persons earlier habeas corpus petitions had been filed by the persons concerned in 1991 and 1997 which had been dealt with by the courts in accordance with law. The writ petition for habeas corpus filed by Mrs. Jagir Kaur in respect of Balwant Singh Bhullar had been dismissed in 1997 only on the ground of delay. We fail to understand how a fresh petition in respect of the same subject matter could be entertained after 10 years of dismissal of the said writ petition. 62. A second writ petition for issuing a writ of habeas corpus is barred by principles of res judicata. The doctrine of res judicata may not apply in case a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution is filed before this Court after disposal of a habeas corpus writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution by the High ....
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.... petitioner while filing the earlier writ petition. Be that as it may, the parties concerned had not filed fresh writ petitions, rather chosen, for reasons best known to them applications under Section 482 Cr.P.C., which could not have been entertained. 66. A large number of documents have been submitted to the court under sealed cover by the State of Punjab on the direction of this court. We have gone through the said documents and suffice is to mention here that Shri Sumedh Singh Saini, IPS had conducted the enquiry in 2002 against Mr. Justice X on the direction of the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the alleged appointment of certain judicial/executive officers in Punjab through Shri Ravi Sandhu, Chairman of the Public Service Commission. Shri S.S. Saini had filed reports against Mr. Justice X. The Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court confronted Mr. Justice X with the said reports. On the basis of the said reports, the Chief Justice of the High Court submitted his report to the Chief Justice of India, on the basis of which a Committee to investigate the matter further was appointed. This Committee even examined one Superintendent of Police of th....
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....virtue of application of the provisions of Section 362 Cr.P.C. coupled with the principles of constructive res judicata; and the Bench had not been assigned the roster to entertain petitions under Section 482 Cr.P.C. The entire judicial process appears to have been drowned to achieve a motivated result which we are unable to approve of. 72. It is a settled legal proposition that if initial action is not in consonance with law, all subsequent and consequential proceedings would fall through for the reason that illegality strikes at the root of the order. In such a fact-situation, the legal maxim "sublato fundamento cadit opus" meaning thereby that foundation being removed, structure/work falls, comes into play and applies on all scores in the present case. 73. In Badrinath v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors., AIR 2000 SC 3243; and State of Kerala v. Puthenkavu N.S.S. Karayogam & Anr., (2001) 10 SCC 191, this Court observed that once the basis of a proceeding is gone, all consequential acts, actions, orders would fall to the ground automatically and this principle is applicable to judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative proceedings equally. 74. Similarly in Mangal Prasad Tamoli (dea....