Fulo Devi v. the State of Bihar
Case brief
What is this about?
Single-judge oral judgment, Patna High Court, 07-10-2025: Criminal Appeal (SJ) No.1484 of 2024 (Fulo Devi v. State of Bihar and 13 others; arising from PS Case No. 20, Year 2023, SC/ST police station, Munger) dismissed at the admission stage. Upholds cognizance order dated 18.01.2024 of the Special Judge (SC/ST Act), Munger charging respondent nos. 10 to 14 (Anand Mohan Thakur, Mantu Sah, Kundan Chowdhary, Mahesh Chowdhary, Ganesh Chowdhary) under Sections 323, 325, 341, 504, 506/34 IPC and Sections 3(1)(r)(s), 3(2)(va) SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on F.I.R., charge-sheet and case-diary paragraphs 5-7, 19-22, 63-64; declines to enlarge cognizance to Sections 307 and 354 IPC or to respondent nos. 2 to 9, who were not charge-sheeted. No precedents cited; no monetary reliefs; NAFR; uploaded 09.10.2025.
What did the court decide?
The concerned court well explained the reasons for the impugned order: on perusal of the F.I.R., charge-sheet and paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 63 and 64 of the case diary it found a prima facie case against Anand Mohan Thakur, Mantu Sah, Kundan Chowdhary, Mahesh Chowdhary and Ganesh Chowdhary, and accordingly took cognizance against respondent nos. 10 to 14 for the offences under Sections 323, 325, 341, 504, 506/34 I.P.C. and Sections 3(1)(r)(s), 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST Act, while dropping proceedings against the remaining respondents.