Allowed

G. Rahul Raja v. State of Telangana

Telangana HC26 Apr 2021CRLP/3336/2021

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The High Court allowed the criminal petition under Section 482 CrPC to quash the order dismissing the application for restitution of a seized vehicle in an NDPS case. The Court directed the police to produce the vehicle at the designated court for release to the owner upon verification.

What did the court decide?

Quashed the order dated 18-08-2020; directed Police Station to produce the seized vehicle before the Designated Court within one week for return to the petitioner upon verification of ownership.

G. Rahul Raja Vs State of Telangana — Narcotics (NDPS) | Telangana HC (2021)

¶1

¶2

HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD

¶3

MONDAY,THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY ONE

¶4

PRESENT

¶5

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K.LAKSHMAN

¶6

CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 3336 OF 2021

¶7

Between:

¶8

G. Rahul Raja, S/o. Krishna Murthy, Aged 23 years, Owner of the Car Rl/o. H.No.7-1618N1414, Kummar Basthi nearVelanki Foods, Ameerpet, Hyderabad

¶9

...PETITIONERYOWNER OF THE CASE PROPERTY

¶10

AND

¶11

State of Telangana, Represented by Public Prosecutor, High Court at Hyderabad 2. B. I/allesh, S/o. Not known to the Petitioner, Aged Not known Occ. Not Known R/o. Not Known to the Petitioner

¶12

...RESPONDENTS

¶13

Petition under Section 482 oI Cr.P.C praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court may be pleased to quash the order passed in Crl.M.P.No.405 of 2020 in Cr.No.242 of 2020 of PS Bhadrachalam Town in the interest of justice.

¶14

LA. NO: 1OF 2021

¶15

Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C praying that in the circumstances stated in the lMemorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition,the High Court may be pleased to grant stay of all further proceedings of order passed in Crl.M.P.No.405 ol 2020 in Cr.No.242 of 2020 of PS Bhadrachalam Town.

¶16

This Petition coming on for hearing, upon perusing the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition and upon hearing the arguments of Sri Srinivas Pendota, Advocate for the Petitioner and the Public Prosecutor on behalf of the Respondent No.1.

¶17

The Court made the following: ORDER

¶18

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K. LAKSHMAN

¶19

CRIMINAL PETITION No.3336 of 2O2L

¶20

ORDER:

¶21

This Criminal Petition is filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, to quash the order dated 18-08-2020 in Cri.M.P.No.405 of 2O2O in Cr.No.242 of 2O2O passed by the learned Special Sessions Judge for the trial of cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act-cum-i Additional Sessions Judge at Khammam (for short, Court be1ou,) .

¶22

Heard Sri Srinivas Pendota, learned counsel lor the petitioner, ald the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing on behalf of respondent No.1 - State. Perused the entire material on record.

¶23

The crime vehicle i.e., Innova car bearing registration No.AP-10-AT-1484 was seized in Crime No.242 of 2O2O by Bhadrachalam Town Police Station. The offence alleged against the accused therein is under Section^{B (c)} read with Section 20 (b) of the Narcotic Drugs and^Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short Act').

¶24

4 . The petitioner herein claiming to be the owner of^the said crime vehicle, filed an application under^{Section 457(1) of} Cr.P.C. vide Cri.M.P.No.405 of 2O2O in Cr.No.242 of^2O2O. The'\sgme was dismissed by the Court below, basing on^the

¶25

Crl.P. No.3^j 36 of2021

¶26

principle laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Union of India v. Mohanlalr.

¶27

The learned counsel for the petitioner relied upon the Circular No.i3/SO/20i9, dated t5.07.2O19 issued by this Court. He has also placed reliance on the judgments in Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai v. State of Gujaratz, Mohanlal,s case (1 supra), Jagtar Sing v. State of Rajasthana, Sankar Das v. State of Tripuraa, Waish Ahmed v. The State of West Bengals, Abhijeet Kumar v. State of Uttarakhand6, Manoj Kumar Pandy v. State of M.p.7, Shajahan v. Inspector of Excise8r Ram Salone patel v. The State of Madhya Pradeshe.

¶28

In Mohanlall, the Honble Supreme Court gave certain guidelines in paragraph No.20, which are as follows:

¶29

"20. To sum up ue direct as under: (1) No sooner the seiztre of ang Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic and controlled Subslances and. Conuegances is eJfected, the same sltall be fonaarded to the offi.cer tn-charge of the nearest police station or to the .officer empotaered Under Section 53 of tle Act. The off.cer concerned shall then approach the Magistrate ulith an application Under Section S2A(ii) of the Act, uhich shall be allouted bg the Magistrate as soon as may be required Under Sub-section 3 of Section S2A, as discussed by us in the body of this judgment under the

¶30

I (20 r 6) 3 SCC 379 l (2002) r0 scc 28i

¶31

S.B. Criminal Misc.(Pet.) No.3542 /20t'7, dated 09.t I.2}l'l Crl.Petn.No.9 of 2018, dared 16.03.2018

¶32

5 c.R.R. No.382 0f2018, dated 18.01.20t9

¶33

6 Crl.Misc.Application No.368 of 2019, d ated tO.O4.ZO1g

¶34

3 CRR Crl.Rev.Pet.No. No.297l of 1440 2019 of , dated 20 I 8, dated 27 .08.20 28. t9I 0.20 I 9

¶35

9 CRR No.12l5 of 2020, dated,04.09.ZO2O.

¶36

pelets slueur8pnl eq1 uI sunoc^{q8rg snorren 'salctqai'gcns} Jo^{uJnlel -ro.; suotleclldde;oSurreeqSulpuad euop aq lrec sIqJ} 'aurl Jo lurod,(ue 1e pa-ttnba: JI 'salJlqal pres aql Jo uJnlal^JoJ .{1r:ncas se Ila.t\ se^{aelue;en8pue puoq aler-rdo:dde 8ur1erdq} .\elerpeu:rur srapJo eler:do;dde^{ssBdo1 a1e-r1sr8e6iaql JoJ sl} 11^{'por.rad 3uo1 e :o; suollElsecrlodaq1 lE salcrqelpezles-qcns} daal o1 esn ou Jo sl 1l 'uotlenlts^{3ql eq re^elEq.4 lBql pleq} 1;no3^{xady alcLuoH ar{} r7!tse(} IBIBqUTV ltqqrepuns^uI 'L

¶37

,,',s6rup to losodstp,^{6utpoaq aql.rapun} yaut1pnt snll to frpoq aq1 ut sn ftq panss: suoucanp^aUl lo^{sutalut paluacuoc ;OOO aql fiq lno pattoc aqn?ll.4s} a7otols to! pasn saco1d raqp^{puD suot"l4yrtout acqod} eq1 ut 6utfi7 frTpaurn sbrup^{panas aql} to losodqq⁽⁹⁾

¶38

's1c!Jls!p auo uDUl ato't1t n{ fi1ytco{ a0otols^auo 'patnbat^olspuD atnnas lo tualxa aUt uodn 6utpuadap^{puosatolsaql ut} jrulstp qrDa rc{ frypot a1otols o dn^ps o1 aa{ aq 71ot1s slualuuJanoD alais aql puD luauruJanoP 7ot7ua3^{atg, (g)} 's6rup pazras aUl {o ?uaue)Dldar )o a6ota{pd '{aqt $uro6o filuroas^{tadotd atnsua01} 68/I 'oN raplo iutpuolg ut palo1ndtls sn satnsoatu'sdals nqto rc! apnotd puo filrycol aiotols^{anucedsat taql-ro{} qcoa ncyf{o uo alouOtsap oslo liDLls sluauu)anoC^alols aul puD luauutanoD^p4uac aqJ^{'sbrup pazLasaq1} {o luautaco1dat^{rc a6ota{pd} 'daUl^{yanatdo1 utalsfis6urt1co1} alqnop puD sllnloa 71lm^{paddmba fi7np sacuoftanuo3} puD sacuopqns palprluoc puo ctdot1ot6cfis1^{puo s6rug} c1)oc.tag panas lo a1oto1s^{anlsrycxa aqt rct salllllcDl} a1ntols dn^ps oX sdals^{aloudotddo aqolftopoyutotl} s1,71uou xls utul,tm nm4s sluouu)anoc^{alDls aul oslD} os puo salcuaio s1'r puo luaw1lano1 1otrya3^aq1(6)

¶39

Lapto sttll to tt^puD eL sotttd^{ut passn slp} so alotlst1otu aql lo^{uotsmtodnsaUtr Japun auop} aq lpUs }utldutos aq1^{',6ur1dtttospuD a)nztas, 6urpoa4}

¶40

¶41

17S17.lo^{gEEE',o1'1 ,1} 1tj t''7t

¶42

Crl.P. Na.3336 o/ 2021

¶43

¶44

above, after relerring to various provisions of the Act, including Sections - 52-A, 60 and 63 and various provisions of Cr.P.C., and also the principle laid down in Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai2 and Mohanlalr, ordered to be released the vehicles seized in the crimes for the offences under the Act.

¶45

In the other judgments mentioned above, relying upon the principle laid down by the Hon,ble Supreme Court in Mohanlall, the respective High Courts have held that the Magistrates/ Designated Courts under the Act have to release crime vehicles seized in connection with crimes for the offences under the Act on verification of ownership documents and on imposition of certain conditions.

¶46

This Court vide order dated 25.02.2020 in Crl.P.No.1119 of 2O2O, relying upon the decisions in Jagtar Sings "r'16^{Waish Ahmedsof different High Courts and also in} Sunderbhai Ambalal Desaiz granted relief of interim custody to the owner of the vehicle on certain conditions. This Court has issued the Circular No.13/SO/2019, dated lS.OZ.2olg by referring to the principle laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in Mohanlalt. Section 52-A of the Act was also referred

¶47

In view of the principle laid down by the Honble Apex Court and the respective High Courts in the judgments referred to above, coming to the case on hand, it is not in

¶48

KL,J Crl.P. No.j3 36 of 2021

¶49

dispute that the^{petitioner is owner of the above crime vehicle} and the sarne was^{seized in the above crime' He has filed} copy of Certificate of^{Registration wherein the name of the} owner of the vehicle^{and registration number is specifically} mentioned. The^{offencealieged against the accused therein is} under Sections 8(c) read^{with Section 20 (b) of the Act' The} petitioner failed to produce any^{documentor proof to show} that the crime vehicle^{was produced eitherbefore the} Magistrate Court or before^{the designatedCourtunderthe} Act. On the other hand,^{the learned Assistant Public} Prosecutor, on instructions,^{wouldsubmit that the vehicle is} with the Police, Bhadracha-lam^{Town PoliceStation'}

¶50

1 1. As discussed supra,^{the Bhadrachalam TownPolice} Station has not^{producedthe crime vehicle with the} designated Court so far.^{Admittedly, the crimevehicle was} seized by the^{police and kept it with them.}

¶51

L2. As discussed supra,^{theHon'ble Apex Court} categorically held that^{it is of no use to keep such-seized} vehicles at the^{policestations for a long period'}

¶52

In view of the above^{said legal position, the present} Criminai Petition is allowed^{quashing the impugnedorder} dated 18-08-2O2O in^{Crl'M.P'No.4O5 of 2020 in Cr'No'242of} 2020 passed by the^{learnedSpecial SessionsJudge for the} trial of cases under^{Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic}

¶53

6 Lrt.r. No.JJJ6 of202 t

¶54

Substances Act_cum_I Additional Sessions Judge at Khammam. Consequently, the Station House officer, Bhadracha.lam Town pofice Station, ir s dirt curected to produce the crime vehicie (i.e., Innova ^._ ,^-". ova car bearing registration No'AP-ioAT-r4.4)before the O""r*r.ted Court (Special Sessions Judge for the trial of "."", under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances o",-"rt m-I Additional Sessions Judge ar Khammam) within a period of one (01) week from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. On such deposit, the designated Court shail return the crime vehicle to the petitioner/owner of the vehicle on proper verification of ownership with original c€rrifinat- ^r or registration as an interim custody "" ,:^:::lncate tmposing certain conditions to its satisfaction.

¶55

As a sequel, miscellaneous petition if any, pending in the Criminal petition, shall stand closed

¶56

|To
1
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
k|//TRUECOPYII
ASSI
.TheSpecialSessi
otropicSubstances
ons Jud
Act
ge,
-cum-|Ad
for the Trial ofCases underN
SessionsJudge,atKh
arcoticDru
ammam.
gs and
Psych
TheJ
StationH
udicialFi
ouseOffi
rstClassI,4agi
Bhadra
strate
chala
Bhadrachal
m Town
am
Police
Kham
Station,B
mamDi
hadradri
strict
ditional
The
Kothagudem District
One
CCs to
CCtoS
Public pro
riSrinivas
secutor
Pendota,Advoc
HighCo
Two
Two^r)
CD Cop
(ou
ate (OpUC)
urtfortheState of TelanganaHyderabad
les| |---|---|