Dismissed

Ottchupandi v. The Inspector of Police

Madras HC15 Feb 2021CRL OP(MD)/1340/2021

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Court dismissed a Cr.O.P. under Section 482 Cr.P.C. seeking to set aside an order rejecting an application to recall prosecution witnesses. The petitioner claimed inability to cross-examine due to counsel's wife's death. The Court held that this is not a valid ground for recall, citing Supreme Court precedents limiting Section 311 Cr.P.C. and emphasizing expeditious trials.

What did the court decide?

The Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to set aside the impugned order dismissing the application under Section 311 Cr.P.C. was dismissed.

Ottchupandi Vs The Inspector of Police — Criminal Trial and Appeal | Madras HC (2021)

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

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BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

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DATED: 15.02.2021

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CORAM:

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THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE R. HEMALATHA

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

Ottchupandi

... Petitioner

vs.

State Represented by The Inspector of Police, Dindigul Taluk Police Station,

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Dindigul. ... Respondent

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PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to set aside the order, dated 22.12.2020 passed in Cr.M.P.No.6699 of 2020 in C.C.No.514 of 2012 by the Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul.

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For Petitioner : Mr.P.Manikandan For Respondent : Mr.S.Chandrasekar Additional Public Prosecutor

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O R D E R

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The present petition has been filed to set aside the order dated 22.12.2020 in Cr.M.P.No.6699 of 2020 in C.C.No.514 of 2012 on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul.

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The petitioner/accused is facing trial in C.C.No.514 of 2012 on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul, for the offences punishable under Sections 294(b), 447, 427 and 506 (2) of the Indian Penal Code. During the course of trial, the prosecution examined 7 witnesses on various dates from 13.02.2018 to 22.10.2019 and the petitioner/accused did not examine the witnesses on the date, when they were examined in chief. Subsequently, the petitioner/accused filed an application under Section 311 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Cr.M.P.No.6699 of 2020 for the purpose of cross examining P.W.1 to P.W.5 and P.W.7 and the said petition was dismissed by the trial Court vide orders, dated 22.12.2020. Aggrieved over the same, the petitioner/sole accused has filed the present petition.

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3.Mr.P.Manikandan, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner / sole accused contended that since the petitioner's counsel's wife died during the year 2018, the petitioner/sole accused could not cross examine the witnesses, when they were https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ examined in Chief.

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

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Per contra, Mr.S.Chandrasekar, learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent would contend that the learned Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul has passed a well considered the order and since the petitioner/accused did not make out a case to recall P.W.1, the petition filed by the petitioner/accused under Section 311 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, was rightly dismissed by the learned Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul.

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5.A perusal of the orders passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul, shows that PW1 was examined on 13.02.2018, while P.W.2 and P.W.3 on 12.11.2018 and P.W.4 and P.W.5 on 03.12.2018. Subsequently, P.W.7 was examined on 22.12.2019. None of the witnesses were cross examined by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner on the date, when they were examined in chief. In the trial Court, it is contended that the petitioner's counsel's wife was indisposed and hence, he could not cross examine the witnesses on the date, when the witnesses were examined in chief. On the contrary, a different stand is taken by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner that since the petitioner's counsel's wife died during the year 2018, he could not cross examine. In my opinion, this cannot be a ground to recall the witnesses subsequently.

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6.In the decision in State (NCT of Delhi) vs. Shiv Kumar Yadav reported in (2016) 2 SCC 402, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held thus:

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“29.We may now sum up our reasons for disapproving the view of the High Court in the present case:

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(i)The trial court and the High Court held that the accused had appointed counsel of his choice. He was facing trial in other cases also. The earlier counsel were given due opportunity and had duly conducted crossexamination. They were under no handicap;

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(ii)No finding could be recorded that the counsel appointed by the accused were incompetent particularly at the back of such counsel;

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(iii) Expeditious trial in a heinous offence as is alleged in the present case is in the interests of justice;

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(iv)The trial Court as well as the High Court rejected the reasons for recall of the witnesses;

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(v)The Court has to keep in mind not only the need for giving fair opportunity to the accused but also the need for ensuring that the victim of the crime is not unduly harassed;

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(vi)Mere fact that the accused was in custody and https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ that he will suffer by the delay could be no

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

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consideration for allowing recall of witnesses, particularly at the fag end of the trial;

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(vii)Mere change of counsel cannot be ground to recall the witnesses;

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(viii)There is no basis for holding that any prejudice will be caused to the accused unless the witnesses are recalled;

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(ix)The High Court has not rejected the reasons given by the trial court nor given any justification for permitting recall of the witnesses except for making general observations that recall was necessary for ensuring fair trial. This observation is contrary to the reasoning of the High Court in dealing with the grounds for recall I.e., denial of fair opportunity on account of incompetence of earlier counsel or on account of expeditious proceedings;

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(x)There is neither any patent error in the approach adopted by the trial court rejecting the prayer for recall nor any clear injustice if such prayer is not granted.”

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7.Further, in Rajaram Prasad Yadav Vs. State of Bihar reported in (2013) 14 SCC 461 , the Hon'ble Supreme Court has culled out certain principles to be kept in mind, while exercising power under Section 311 Cr.P.C., which read as follows:-

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“(i)The exercise of the widest discretionary power under Section 311 Cr.P.C. should ensure that the judgment should not be rendered on inchoate, inconclusive speculative presentation of facts, as thereby the ends of justice would be defeated.

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(ii) If evidence of any witness appears to the Court to be essential to the just decision of the case, it is the power of the Court to summon and examine or recall and re-examine any such person.

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(iii) The exercise of power under Section 311 Cr.P.C. should be resorted to only with the object of finding out the truth or obtaining proper proof for such facts, which will lead to a just and correct decision of the case.

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(iv) The exercise of the said power cannot be dubbed as filling in a lacuna in a prosecution case, unless the facts and circumstances of the case make it apparent that the exercise of power by the Court would result in causing serious prejudice to the accused, resulting in miscarriage of justice.

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(v) The wide discretionary power should be exercised judiciously and not arbitrarily.

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https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

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(vi) The Court must satisfy itself that it was in every respect essential to examine such a witness or to recall him for further examination in order to arrive at a just decision of the case.

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(vii) The object of Section 311 Cr.P.C. simultaneously imposes a duty on the Court to determine the truth and to render a just decision.

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(viii) The Court arrives at the conclusion that additional evidence is necessary, not because it would be impossible to pronounce the judgment without it, but because there would be a failure of justice without such evidence being considered.

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(ix) Exigency of the situation, fair play and good sense should be the safe guard, while exercising the discretion. The Court should bear in mind that no party in a trial can be foreclosed from correcting errors and that if proper evidence was not adduced or a relevant material was not brought on record due to any inadvertence, the Court should be magnanimous in permitting such mistakes to be rectified.

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(x) The Court should be conscious of the position that after all the trial is basically for the prisoners and the Court should afford an opportunity to them in the fairest manner possible. In that parity of reasoning, it would be safe to err in favour of the accused getting an opportunity rather than protecting the prosecution against possible prejudice at the cost of the accused. The Court should bear in mind that improper or capricious exercise of such a discretionary power, may lead to undesirable results.

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(xi) The power under Section 311 Cr.P.C. must therefore, be invoked by the Court only in order to meet the ends of justice for strong and valid reasons and the same must be exercised with care, caution and circumspection . The Court should bear in mind that fair trial entails the interest of the accused, the victim and the society and, therefore, the grant of fair and proper opportunities to the persons concerned, must be ensured being a constitutional goal, as well as a human right.”

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The said decision has also been followed in Haryana Vs. Ram Mehar and others reported in (2016) 8 Supreme Court Cases 762 , where the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held that “concept of fair trial cannot be limitlessly stretched to permit recall of witnesses endlessly on ground of magnanimity, etc.”

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In view of the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ and in view of the fact that there is no documentary evidence to

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Crl.O.P.(MD)No.1340 of 2021

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substantiate the contention of the petitioner, this Court finds no infirmity in the order passed by the trial Court and accordingly, this petition is dismissed.

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Assistant Registrar (CS-I)

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// True Copy //

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/ /2021 Sub Assistant Registrar(CS)

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sji

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Note: In view of the present lock down owing to COVID-19 pandemic, a web copy of the order may be utilized for official purposes, but, ensuring that the copy of the order that is presented is the correct copy, shall be the responsibility of the advocate/litigant concerned.

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1.The Judicial Magistrate No.I, Dindigul. 2.The Inspector of Police, Dindigul Taluk Police Station, Dindigul.

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3.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.

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Crl.O.P(MD)No.1340 of 2021 15.02.2021

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VB (10.03.2021) 5P 4C

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https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

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