Allowed

Mahanth Bishambhar Saran and Ors. v. State Of Bihar and Anr.

Patna HC3 Oct 2017CR. MISC./6548/2013

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Patna High Court allowed an application under Section 482 CrPC to quash a criminal proceeding initiated under Sections 420, 467, and 468 IPC regarding alleged forgery and cheating in sale deeds of Math property. Finding no prima facie ingredients of the offences, the petitioners succession dispute and lack of successful prosecution.

What did the court decide?

The order dated 3.7.2012 taken cognizance by CJM Gopalganj under Sections 420, 467, and 468 IPC and subsequent criminal proceedings are quashed.

Mahanth Bishambhar Saran and Ors. Vs State Of Bihar and Anr. — Quashing and FIR | Patna HC (2017)

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

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Criminal Miscellaneous No.6548 of 2013

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Arising Out of PS.Case No. -1154 Year- 2012 Thana -GOPALGANJ COMPLAINT CASE District-

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=========================================================== 1. Mahanth Bishambhar Saran Deojee Chela Rash Bihari Saran Deojee, Mahanth Of Koiladewa Math, P.S.-Phulwaria, Distt-Gopalganj

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1. Sunil Datt Dwivedi S/O Bishunu Datt Dwivedi R/O Vill-Mishir Bataraha, At Present Kishundeo Chhapra, P.S.-Uchakagaon, Distt-Gopalganj

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Nagina Prasad Yadav@Nagina Chaudhary S/O Gaya Chaudhary R/O VillKoiladewa, P.S.-Phulwari, Distt-Gopalganj

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Krishna Datt Dwivedi S/O Rampal Dwivedi R/O Vill-Koiladewa, P.S.Phulwari, Distt-Gopalganj

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Hari Shankar Prasad Yadav S/O Ranglal Yadav R/O Vill-Kishundeo Chhapar Mirganj, Distt-Gopalganj

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Lakshami Narain Yadav S/O Chirkut Chaudhary R/O Vill-Kishundeo Chhapar Mirganj, Distt-Gopalganj

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Mukesh Prasad Yadav S/O Upendra Prasad Yadav R/O Vill-Kishundeo Chhapar Mirganj, Distt-Gopalganj

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Chirkut Chaudhary S/O Bhagrashon Chaudhary R/O Vill-Kishundeo Chhapar Mirganj, Distt-Gopalganj

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.... .... Petitioners

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Versus

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1. The State Of Bihar 2. Hemkant Sarandeo Chhela Of Shri Bhagwati Saran Deojee R/O VillKoiladewa, P.S.-Mirganj, Distt-Gopalganj

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.... .... Opposite Parties =========================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioners : Mr. Chandra Kant Mr. Navin Kumar For the State : Smt. Rita Verma For the O.P. No. 2 : Mr. Akhilesh Kumar =========================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR ORAL JUDGMENT Date: 03-10-2017

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The pet i t i oner s have f i l ed t hi s appl i cat i on under Sect i on 482 of t he Code of Cr i mi nal Pr ocedur e, 1973 (her ei naf t er r ef er r ed as „t he Code‟), seeki ng set t i ng asi de of or der dat ed 3.7.2012 passed by t he l ear ned CJM Gopal ganj i n Compl ai nt Case No. 1154 of 2012 t aki ng cogni zance of t he

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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of f ence under Sect i ons 420, 467 and 468 of t he I PC.

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The br i ef f act gi vi ng r i se t o t hi s case i s t hat t he compl ai nant was appoi nt ed as Mahant h of Koi l adewa Mat h by or der dat ed 5.1.2009 by t he Admi ni st r at or -cum-OSD of t he Bi har St at e Rel i gi ous Tr ust Boar d. The sai d appoi nt ment was chal l enged i n a wr i t appl i cat i on vi de CWJC No. 9493 of 2010 and i n t he l i ght of t he or der passed by t he Hi gh Cour t , t he Rel i gi ous Tr ust Boar d appoi nt ed Mukund Sar an as t empor ar y Mahant h of t he Mat h, who t ook over t he char ge of t he movabl e and i mmovabl e pr oper t y of t he Mat h. By or der dat ed 9.8.2011 t he Bi har St at e Rel i gi ous Tr ust Boar d decl ar ed Koi l adewa Mat h as a publ i c Mat h. Ther eaf t er t he compl ai nant came t o know r egar di ng t he sal e deeds execut ed i n r espect of t he mat h pr oper t y by pet i t i oner No. 2. Bei ng pr oper t y of t he mat h, execut i on of t he sal e deeds was i l l egal . Those sal e deeds wer e execut ed bet ween t he year 1999 t o 2000.

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Lear ned Counsel appear i ng on behal f of t he pet i t i oner s submi t s t hat t he compl ai nant ear l i er hi msel f cl ai med t o be di sci pl e of Bhagwat i Sar an, who had f i l ed a t i t l e sui t bear i ng T.S. No. 23 of 1988 f or decl ar i ng hi m as t he Mahant h of Koi l adewa Mat h. The basi s of hi s cl ai m i s t he nomi nat i on l et t er of Hat hua Raj and t he case was bei ng cont est ed by pet i t i oner No. 1 of t hi s appl i cat i on, Mahant h Bi shambhar Sar an Deoj ee who al so cl ai med hi msel f as Mahant h of t he Mat h. Bot h si des cl ai med t hat t he Mat h i s a publ i c pr oper t y.

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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He f ur t her submi t s t hat t her e i s no al l egat i on agai nst t he pet i t i oner No. 1 r egar di ng execut i on of sal e deed. The sal e deed has been execut ed by pet i t i oner No. 2 i n t he year 1999 t o 2000 t o pet i t i oner Nos. 3, 5 and 7. Lear ned Counsel f or t he pet i t i oner submi t s t hat t he l ands wer e sol d t o hi s f at her i n t he year 1972 by t he t hen Mahant h and so he had execut ed t he sal e deeds and t he Mat h was decl ar ed t o be a publ i c mat h by t he Bi har St at e Rel i gi ous Tr ust Boar d i n t he year 2011. Lear ned Counsel f ur t her submi t s t hat no i ngr edi ent of maki ng f or ged document as wel l as cheat i ng t o t he compl ai nant i s made out i n t hi s case.

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Cont r ar y t o t hat , l ear ned Counsel appear i ng on behal f of O.P. No. 2 submi t s t hat f or ged sal e deed has been execut ed by pet i t i oner No. 2 i n f avour of ot her accused f or t he r eason t hat t he pet i t i oner No. 2 has/had no r i ght and t i t l e over t he l and i n quest i on. So i l l egal l y t he pr oper t y bel ongi ng t o t he Mat h has been sol e by t he pet i t i oner No. 2.

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Havi ng consi der ed t he r i val submi ssi ons of bot h si des and on per usal of t he r ecor d t he Cour t f i nds t hat t he al l egat i ons agai nst t he pet i t i oner No. 2 i s t hat he execut ed sal e deeds i n t he year 1999 t o 2000 wi t h r espect t o t he l ands bel ongi ng t o Koi l adewa Mat h i n f avour of pet i t i oner Nos. 3, 5 and 7, wher ei n pet i t i oner Nos. 6 and 8 wer e at t est i ng wi t nesses. Thi s i s al so evi dent t hat compl ai nt case has not been f i l ed by

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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t he pur chaser r at her by t he compl ai nant , cl ai mi ng Mahant h of t he Mat h at t he r el evant poi nt of t i me. Cogni zance has been t aken i n t hi s case under Sect i ons 420, 467 and 468 of t he I PC. Cheat i ng has been def i ned i n Sect i on 415 of t he I PC, whi ch r eads as f ol l ows:-

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“Whoever , by decei vi ng any per son, f r audul ent l y or di shonest l y i nduces t he per son so decei ved t o del i ver any pr oper t y t o any per son, or t o consent t hat any per son shal l r et ai n any pr oper t y, or i nt ent i onal l y i nduces t he per son so decei ved t o do or omi t t o do anyt hi ng whi ch he woul d not do or omi t i f he wer e not so decei ved, and whi ch act or omi ssi on causes or i s l i kel y t o cause damage or har m t o t hat per son i n body, mi nd, r eput at i on or pr oper t y, i s sai d t o "cheat ".

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Wher eas Sect i on 420 def i nes cheat i ng and di shonest l y

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i nduci ng del i ver y of pr oper t y whi ch r eads as f ol l ows:-

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“Whoever cheats and thereby dishonestly induces the

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person deceived, to deliver any property to any person, or to make, alter or destroy the whole or any part of a valuable security, or anything which is signed or sealed, and which is capable of being converted into a valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine”.

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So i n vi ew of Sect i on 420 of t he I PC, a per son must be decei ved by f r audul ent or di shonest i nducement made by t he accused so t hat t he per son so decei ved del i ver any pr oper t y t o hi m or al l ows hi m t o r et ai n any pr oper t y and such act or omi ssi on causes or l i kel y t o cause damage

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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or har m t o such per son i n body, mi nd, r eput at i on or such pr oper t y. I n t he pr esent case, t her e i s no i nducement t o t he compl ai nant by t he accused per sons. I f t he pr oper t y i s of t he Mat h and i f t he per son who execut es t he sal e deed havi ng no r i ght and t i t l e, t hen t he pur chaser i s decei ved by t he f r audul ent act as has pai d consi der at i on money t o

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t he per son havi ng no r i ght and t i t l e, but i n t he pr esent case t he pur chaser s ar e t he accused and t hey have not f i l ed any compl ai nt . As f ar as maki ng of f or ged document s i s concer ned, Sect i on 464 of I PC def i nes maki ng of a

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f al se document . The sai d Sect i on r eads as f ol l ows:-

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464 Maki ng a f al se document . — [A per son i s sai d t o make a f al se document or f al se el ect r oni c r ecor d—

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Fi r st —Who di shonest l y or f r adul ent l y—

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(a) makes, si gns, seal s or execut es a document or par t of a document ;

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(b) makes or t r ansmi t s any el ect r oni c r ecor d or par t of any el ect r oni c r ecor d;

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(d) makes any mar k denot i ng t he execut i on of a document or t he aut hent i ci t y of t he [el ect r oni c si gnat ur e],

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Sect i on 467 of t he I PC i s wi t h r egar d t o f or ger y of val uabl e secur i t y and Sect i on 468 of t he I PC

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i s f or ger y f or t he pur pose of cheat i ng. Sect i on 464 def i nes maki ng a f al se document i n t hr ee condi t i ons, f i r st i s t hat a per son who f r audul ent l y or di shonest l y execut es

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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document s knowi ng t hat i t has not been execut ed by t he aut hor i t y of a per son by whose aut hor i t y i t was not made, si gned or seal ed or execut ed. I n t he pr esent case, pet i t i oner No. 2 execut ed sal e deed cl ai mi ng hi msel f havi ng t i t l e and not i mper sonat i ng anyone. Thi s i s al so not t he case t hat any al t er at i on i n a document af t er i t s execut i on has been made di shonest l y or f r audul ent l y. Thi r dl y i t i s al so not t he case t hat any per son has execut ed t he sal e deed i n i nt oxi cat i on or i n a st at e of unsoundness of mi nd or by decept i on pr act i ced upon hi m, so t hat he coul d not know t he cont ent s of t he document and t he nat ur e of al t er at i on. Hence i n t he pr esent f act s of t he case no i ngr edi ent of such of f ence i s bei ng made out . So unl ess f or ger y i s commi t t ed no of f ence i s at t r act ed under Sect i on 467 and 468 of t he I PC.

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I n t he case of Mohammed I brahi m & ot hers vs . St at e of Bi har & ors , r epor t ed i n (2009) 8 SCC 751 t he Apex Cour t has hel d under si mi l ar ci r cumst ances t hat no i ngr edi ent of of f ence under Sect i ons 420 and 467 I PC i s made out .

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As t her e i s absence of pr i ma f aci e i ngr edi ent s under whi ch cogni zance has been t aken by t he l ear ned

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Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.6548 of 2013 dt.03-10-2017

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Magi st r at e, so t he cogni zance or der dat ed 3.7.2012 as wel l as t he subsequent cr i mi nal pr oceedi ng of t he pet i t i oner s ar e quashed.

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I n t he r esul t , t he appl i cat i on st ands al l owed.

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(Arun Kumar, J.)

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Snkumar/-

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AFR/NAFR	AFR
CAV DATE	N/A
UploadingDate	08.11.2017
Transmission Date	08.11.2017

Mahanth Bishambhar Saran and Ors. v. State Of Bihar and Anr.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Mahanth Bishambhar Saran and Ors. v. State Of Bihar and Anr.

Case brief

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What did the court decide?

What the court decided

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