Gaurav Jain and Another v. Harmehtab Singh Rarewala

1o o o o INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAo AToCHANDIGARHo o Dateoofodecision:o20.02.2023

o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento o CRM-M-20776oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento o CRM-M-20786oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento o CRM-M-20796oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento o CRM-M-20800oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento

2o o o o o CRM-M-20808oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondento o CRM-M-20809oofo2019 o GauravoJainoandoanothero ......Petitionerso Versuso o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalao ......Respondent

CORAM:oHON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoNAMIToKUMARo o Present:o-o Mr.oSaurabhoJain,oAdvocate,o o o forotheopetitioners.o o o o Mr.oAalokoJagga,oAdvocate,o o o forotheorespondent.o o NAMIToKUMAR,oJ.o o o Thisojudgmentoshallodisposeoofoaforesaidosevenopetitionsoaso commonoquestionoofolawoandofactsoareoinvolvedoinoallotheopetitions.o o o Forotheosakeoofobrevity,ofactsoareobeingotakenofromoCRM-M-20775oofo2019.o o o ThisopetitionohasobeenofiledounderoSectiono482oCr.P.C.oforo quashingo ordero datedo 11.04.2019o passedo byo theo Courto ofo learnedo Judicialo o Magistrateo Isto Class,o Payal,o ino complainto No.110/4o datedo

01.07.2006o (Annexureo P-1)o titledo 'Harmehtabo Singho Rarewalao v.o Gauravo Jaino ando another'o undero Sectiono 138o ofo theo Negotiableo InstrumentsoAct,o1881o(hereinafteroreferredotooaso'theoNIoAct'),owherebyo

3o o o o applicationo filedo byo theo petitionerso undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o foro recallingotheocomplainant-respondentoforocross-examinationohasobeeno dismissed.o o o Theobriefofactsoofotheocaseoareothatotheorespondentohadofiledo aocomplaintounderoSectiono138oofotheoNIoAct,oagainstotheopetitioners,oino theoyearo2006.oItowasoallegedoinotheocomplaintothatopetitioneroNo.1owaso runningobusinessounderotheonameoandostyleoofoM/soGauravoJainoando CompanyoatoAhmedgarh.oTheocomplainantoisoanoagriculturistoandoheo ownsolandoatoRaraoSahib.oTheoaccusedohadobusinessodealingowithotheo complainant.oTheoaccusedotookoaoloanoamountingotooRs.63,00,000/-oono

03.02.2006ofromotheocomplainantoandopromisedotooreturnotheosameoupotoo

01.05.2006.oItowasofurtheroallegedothatoinoorderotoodischargeohisolegalo liabilityo too repayo theo saido loano amounto ofo Rs.63,00,000/-,o petitionero No.1ohadoissuedosevenochequesobearingoNo.o483273,o483274,o483275,o 483276,483277,o 483278o ando 483279o ofo Rs.9,00,000/-,o allo drawno ono OrientaloBankoofoCommerce,oBranchoAhmedgarh,ofromoaccountoNo.632o ofo theo firmo M/so Gauravo Jaino ando Company,o Ahmedgarh.o Aforesaido chequeso upono presentationo whereo returnedo unpaido witho theo remarkso "ExceedsoArrangement".oAfterotheochequeoissuedobyopetitioneroNo.1o waso dishonoured,o theno theo respondento servedo ao legalo noticeo datedo

10.06.2006o upono petitioners;o aso requiredo undero theo mandatoryo provisionsoofolaw.oHowever,odespiteothat,otheopaymentowasonotomade;o leadingotoofilingoofotheocomplaintoagainstotheopetitioners.oDuringohiso evidence,o theo respondent-complainanto examinedo aso manyo aso threeo witnesseso ando hado himselfo appearedo ino theo witnesso boxo aso CW-3.oRAVINDER SINGH

4o o o o Subsequently,o respondent-complainanto movedo ano applicationo undero Sectiono311oCr.P.C.oseekingopermissionotooexamineotwoootherowitnesseso tooproveotheoagreementodatedo03.02.2006,owhichowasodismissedobyotheo trialo Courto video ordero datedo 19.10.2012.o Aggrievedo againsto theo aforesaidoorder,orespondentofiledoasomanyoasosevenopetitionsobeforeothiso Court,o allo ofo whicho wereo allowedo byo thiso Courto video ao commono judgmentodatedo07.08.2018.ooInocomplianceoofoaforesaidojudgmentoofo thiso Court,oCW-4o ando CW-5o wereoexaminedoono02.04.2009oando theo agreementodatedo03.02.2006owasoalsootenderedoinoevidence.ooThereafter,o petitionersofiledoanoapplicationounderoSectiono311oCr.P.C.ofororecallingo theo respondent-complainant-Harmehtabo Singho CW-3o foro cross-examinationoonotheogroundothatoatotheotimeoofohisotestimonyoinoCourt,o allegedo agreemento too sello datedo 03.02.2006o hado neithero beeno propoundedo noro theo sameo waso ino existenceo aso theo legalo notice,o complaintoandoaffidavitoofotheorespondentowereocompletelyosilentoabouto theoexistenceoofoanyosuchoagreement.ooTheosaidoapplicationohasobeeno dismissedobyotheoCourtoofolearnedoJudicialoMagistrateoIstoClass,oPayal,o videoimpugnedoorderodatedo11.04.2019.ooHence,othisopetition.o o o Learnedo counselo foro theo petitionerso contendso thato theo reasoningogivenoinotheoimpugnedoorderowhileorejectingotheoapplicationo filedobyotheopetitionersounderoSectiono311oCr.P.C.oisounsustainableoaso theoCourtohasofailedotooconsiderotheoscopeoofoSectiono311oCr.P.C.oando haso wronglyo rejectedo theo applicationo filedo byo theo petitionerso foro recallingo ofo CW-3-respondent-complainanto Harmehtabo Singh.o o Ito iso furtherosubmittedothatotheoreasoningogivenoinotheoimpugnedoorderothatoRAVINDER SINGH

5o o o o theopetitionersodidonotoseekopermissionofromotheoCourtotoocross-examineo HarmehtaboSinghoCW-3o(complainant)owithoregardotooagreementodatedo

03.02.2006,o iso erroneous.o o Ito iso furthero submittedo thato ito iso settledo principleoofolawothatonooestoppelooperatesoagainstotheostatuteoandotheo mereofactothatonoosuchoopportunityowasograntedobyotheoCourtowouldonoto preventotheopetitionersofromoexercisingotheirolegalorightoasoperolaw.ooItoiso furthero submittedo thato theo agreemento datedo 03.02.2006o waso ino facto propoundedo byo theo respondent-complainanto whoo dido noto makeo anyo referenceoofotheosameoinohisocomplaintooroinoevidenceoand,otherefore,oheo wasonotocross-examinedoonotheosaidoaspect.o o o Perocontra,olearnedocounseloforotheorespondent-complainanto hasojustifiedotheoimpugnedoorderoandoprayedoforodismissaloofotheopresento petition.o o o Iohaveoheardolearnedocounseloforotheopartiesoandoperusedo theorecord.o o o Admittedly,o applicationo datedo 05.01.2011o filedo byo respondent-complainanto undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o foro leadingo additionaloevidenceobyoexaminingowitnesses,onamely,oKulwinderoSingho andoMohd.oIrshadoandoforoproductionooforecordowasorejectedovideoordero datedo19.10.2012obyolearnedoJudicialoMagistrateoIstoClass,oLudhiana.oo Saido ordero waso challengedo byo theo respondent-complainanto byo filingo seveno petitionso ando leadingo caseo waso CRM-M-35947o ofo 2013o –o HarmehtaboSinghoRarewalaov.oGauravoJainoandoanother,owhichowereo allowedovideoorderodatedo07.08.2018obyorecordingofollowingofindings:o-o

6o o o o "Havingo heardo learnedo counselo foro theo partieso ando perusedo theo caseo file,o thiso Courto iso ofo theo consideredo opinionothatotheoargumentsoraisedobyotheolearnedocounselo foro theo petitioner,o deserveo too beo accepted.o Theo presento applicationo haso beeno movedo byo theo petitionero undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o Foro readyo referenceo Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.oisoreproducedohereounder:-oo "311.o Powero too summono materialo witness,o oro examineo personopresent.—o AnyoCourtomay,oatoanyostageoofoanyoinquiry,otrialooro othero proceedingo undero thiso Code,o summono anyo persono aso ao witness,o oro examineo anyo persono ino attendance,othoughonotosummonedoasoaowitness,ooro recallo ando re-examineo anyo persono alreadyo examined;oandotheoCourtoshallosummonoandoexamineo oro recallo ando re-examineo anyo sucho persono ifo hiso evidenceo appearso too ito too beo essentialo too theo justo decisionoofotheocase."oo Ao bareo perusalo ofo thiso Sectiono showso thato theo powerso conferredouponotheoCourtounderoSectiono311oCr.P.C.oareo wideoenoughobutodiscretionary.oHowever,olikeoanyoothero judicialo discretion,o theo discretiono undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.oalsoohasotoobeoexercisedobyotheoCourtoonosoundo judicialoprinciples.oTheoSupremeoCourtohasoamplyoclarifiedo ino theo judgmentso reliedo upono byo theo counselo foro theo petitioner,othatoifotheodocumentsosoughtotoobeoproducedoono recordo ando theo witnesseso soughto too beo examinedo areo relevantoforojustodecisionoofotheocase,othenomereofact,othato theodocumentso wereo noto tenderedo earliero orotheo witnesso waso noto examinedo earlier,o iso noo groundo too denyo theo permissionotooexamineoaowitnessoorotootenderoaodocument.oo Otherwiseoalso,otheotrialoCourtoisorequiredotoosee,owhileo exercisingodiscretionounderoSectiono311oCr.P.C.,oonlyooneoRAVINDER SINGH

7o o o o factor,o namely,o whethero theo evidenceo soughto too beo producedoisonecessaryoforojustodecisionoofotheocaseooronot.o Whethero theo requiremento ofo justnesso ofo decisiono wouldo leadotoofillingoupotheoallegedolacunaoleftoinoaocase,oisototallyo immaterial,o whileo consideringo theo mattero undero Sectiono 311oofoCr.P.C.oAlthoughotheoCourtoisotooweighotheomaterialo onotheoalteroofoitobeingoessentialoforojustodecisionoofocaseo ono oneo hando ando theo prejudiceo too theo defenseo ofo theo accusedo ono theo othero hand,o sinceo noo prejudiceo too theo defenseoofotheoaccusedoisoalsoopartoofotheojustnessoofotheo decision,obutomereofactothatosomeolacunaobeofilledobyosucho evidence,oisonototheocriterionoforoSectiono311oofoCr.P.C.o Similarly,o theo othero reasoningo giveno byo theo trialo Court,o wherein,o ito haso saido thato theo witnesseso couldo noto beo permittedo too beo examinedo becauseo theo nameso ofo theseo witnessesowasonotobeomentionedoearlieroisoalsoofallacious.o AobareoperusaloofoSectiono311oofoCr.P.C.oshowsothatotheo powero undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o iso noto restrictedo foro examinationoorore-examinationoofotheowitnessesowhoowereo originallyocitedobyotheocomplainantoorowhoowereoexaminedo beforeotheoCourtoearlier.oWhileoexercisingoitsopower,otheo Courto cano ordero examinationo ofo anyo persono oro witness,o deemedoappropriateobyoitoprovidedoitoisoessentialoforojusto decisionoofotheocase.oo Hence,oeitheroofotheogroundsomentionedobyotheotrialoCourto whileo rejectingo theo applicationo iso noto sustainable.o Otherwiseoalso,oaobareoperusaloofotheoallegedoagreement,o whichoisosoughtotoobeoplacedoonorecordoandoprovedobyotheo petitioneroinotheocase,oshowsothatothisodocumentoisodulyo signedo byo theo respondent.o Therefore,o primao facie,o contentionoofotheorespondentsothatotheodocumentoisoforged,o cannotobeoaccepted.oOnceopermittedotoobeoledoinoevidence,o theorespondentsoshallobeoatofullolibertyotootestotheoveracityoRAVINDER SINGH

8o o o o ando authenticityo ofo theo documento ando too puto theo complainantotoostrictocross-examinationoonothisoaspect.oIno viewoofotheoabove,oallotheoaforesaidopetitionsoareoallowed.o Theoimpugnedoordersodatedo19.10.2012oareosetoaside.oTheo applicationso movedo byo theo petitionero undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.oforoleadingoadditionaloevidenceoareoorderedotoobeo allowed.o o o Thereafter,o ono 02.04.2019,o respondent-complainanto examinedo Kulwindero Singho ando Mohd.o Irshado aso CW-4o ando CW-5.oo Although,o respondent-complainanto waso examinedo ono 17.10.2011o aso CW-3,o sinceo theo allegedo agreemento datedo 03.02.2006o waso noto ino controversyo ato thato pointo ofo timeo ando waso noto reliedo upono byo theo respondent-complainant,otherefore,orespondent-complainant-Harmehtabo Singhocanobeorecalledoforocross-examination.ooFurther,othisoCourtovideo judgmento datedo 07.08.2018o whileo disposingo ofo theo earliero seveno petitionsofiledobyotheorespondent-complainantohasogivenolibertyotootesto theo veracityo ando authenticityo ofo theo documentso ando too puto theo complainanto too stricto cross-examinationo ono thiso aspect.o o Further,o theo poweroconferredounderoSectiono311oCr.P.C.oisowideoenoughoandoanyo witnesso cano beo recalledo ando re-examinedo whoo haso alreadyo beeno examinedoforotheojustodecisionoofotheocase.ooo o o TheonatureoandoextentoofotheopowerovestedoinotheoCourtso underoSectiono311oCriminaloProcedureoCodeotoorecallowitnessesowaso examinedobyotheoHon'bleoApexoCourtoinoHanumanoRamov.oTheoStateo ofoRajasthano&Ors.,o2008(4)oRCRo(Criminal)o823,owhereinoitowasoheldo thatotheoobjectounderlyingoSectiono311owasotoopreventofailureoofojusticeo

9o o o o onoaccountoofoaomistakeoofoeitheropartyotoobringoonorecordovaluableo evidenceooroleavingoanoambiguityoinotheostatementsoofotheowitnesses.o TheoHon'bleoApexoCourtohadoobservedoasounder:oo "Thiso iso ao supplementaryo provisiono enabling,o ando ino certainocircumstancesoimposingoonotheoCourt,otheodutyoofo examiningoaomaterialowitnessowhoowouldonotobeootherwiseo broughto beforeo it.o Ito iso couchedo ino theo widesto possibleo termsoandocallsoforonoolimitation,oeitherowithoregardotootheo stageo ato whicho theo powerso ofo theo Courto shouldo beo exercised,oorowithoregardotootheomanneroinowhichoitoshouldo beoexercised.oItoisonotoonlyotheoprerogativeobutoalsootheo plainodutyoofoaoCourtotooexamineosuchoofothoseowitnessesoaso itoconsidersoabsolutelyonecessaryoforodoingojusticeobetweeno theoStateoandotheosubject.oThereoisoaodutyocastouponotheo Courtotooarriveoatotheotruthobyoallolawfulomeansoandooneoofo sucho meanso iso theo examinationo ofo witnesseso ofo itso owno accordowhenoforocertainoobviousoreasonsoeitheropartyoiso notopreparedotoocallowitnessesowhooareoknownotoobeoinoao positiono too speako importanto relevanto facts.o Theo objecto underlyingoSectiono311oofotheoCodeoisothatothereomayonoto beofailureoofojusticeoonoaccountoofomistakeoofoeitheropartyo ino bringingo theo valuableo evidenceo ono recordo oro leavingo ambiguityo ino theo statementso ofo theo witnesseso examinedo fromoeitheroside.oTheodeterminativeofactoroisowhetheroitoiso essentialotootheojustodecisionoofotheocase.oTheosectionoisonoto limitedoonlyoforotheobenefitoofotheoaccused,oandoitowillonoto beo ano impropero exerciseo ofo theo powerso ofo theo Courto too summonoaowitnessounderotheoSectionomerelyobecauseotheo evidenceosupportsotheocaseoofotheoprosecutionoandonotothato ofo theo accused.o Theo sectiono iso ao generalo sectiono whicho appliesotooalloproceedings,oenquiresoandotrialsounderotheo CodeoandoempowersotheoMagistrateotooissueosummonsotooRAVINDER SINGH

10o o o o anyo witnesso ato anyo stageo ofo sucho proceedings,o trialo oro enquiry.o Ino Sectiono 311o theo significanto expressiono thato occurso iso "ato anyo stageo ofo inquiryo oro trialo oro othero proceedingounderothisoCode".oItois,ohowever,otoobeoborneoino mindothatowhereasotheosectionoconfersoaoveryowideopowero ono theo Courto ono summoningo witnesses,o theo discretiono conferredoisotoobeoexercisedojudiciously,oasotheowiderotheo powero theo greatero iso theo necessityo foro applicationo ofo judicialomind."o o o InorecentojudgmentorenderedobyotheoHon'bleoApexoCourtoino CriminaloAppealoNo.1021oofo2022otitledoaso"VarshaoGargoVs.oStateoofo MadhyaoPradeshoandoothers"(decidedoonodatedo08.08.2022),whereino theofollowingoobservationohasobeenomadeoinoparagraphsoNo.31oando32o thereof:-oo "31.oSummingoupotheopositionoasoitoobtainedofromovariouso decisionsoofothisoCourt,onamelyoRameshwaroDayalov.oStateo ofo U.P.o (1978)o 2o SCCo 518,o Stateo ofo W.B.o v.o Tulsidaso Mundhrao (1963)o Suppo 1o SCRo 1,o Jamatrajo Kewaljio Govanio v.o Stateo ofo Maharashtrao (1967)o 3o SCRo 415,o Masaltio v.o Stateo ofo U.P.o (1964)o 8o SCRo 133,o Rajeswaro Prosado Misrao v.o Stateo ofo W.B.o (1966)o 1o SCRo 178o ando R.B.oMithaniov.oStateoofoMaharashtrao(1971)o1oSCCo523,o theoCourtoheld:oo "27.oTheoprincipleoofolawothatoemergesofromotheoviewso expressedobyothisoCourtoinotheoaboveodecisionsoisothatotheo criminalocourtohasoampleopowerotoosummonoanyopersono asoaowitnessoororecalloandore-examineoanyosuchopersono eveno ifo theo evidenceo ono botho sideso iso closedo ando theo jurisdictiono ofo theo courto musto obviouslyo beo dictatedo byo exigencyoofotheosituation,oandofairo playo andogoodosenseo appearo too beo theo onlyo safeo guideso ando thato onlyo theo

11o o o o requirementsoofojusticeocommandotheoexaminationoofoanyo personowhichowouldodependoonotheofactoandocircumstanceso ofoeachocase."o

32.o Theo powero ofo theo courto iso noto constrainedo byo theo closureoofoevidence.oTherefore,oitoisoamplyoclearofromotheo aboveodiscussionothatotheobroadopowersounderoSectiono311o areo too beo governedo byo theo requiremento ofo justice.o Theo poweromustobeoexercisedowhereverotheocourtofindsothatoanyo evidenceoisoessentialoforotheojustodecisionoofotheocase.oTheo statutoryoprovisionogoesotooemphasiseothatotheocourtoisonoto aohaplessobystanderoinotheoderailmentoofojustice.oQuiteotoo theo contrary,o theo courto haso ao vitalo roleo too dischargeo ino ensuringothatotheocauseoofodiscoveringotruthoasoanoaidoino theorealizationoofojusticeoisomanifest."o o o Fromotheoaboveodiscussion,oitoisomanifestothatotheopowero undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o cano beo exercisedo ato anyo stageo ofo theo proceedingsoforotheojustodecisionoofotheocase.o o o Ino Rajendrao Prasado v.o Narcotico Cell,o Delhi,o 1999(3)o R.C.R.o(Criminal)o440,otheoHon'bleoApexoCourtoheldoasounder:oo "7.o Ito iso ao commono experienceo ino criminalo courtso thato defenceocounselowouldoraiseoobjectionsowheneverocourtso exerciseopowersounderoSectiono311oofotheoCodeooroundero Sectiono165oofotheoEvidenceoActobyosayingothatotheocourto couldonoto'fillotheolacunaoinotheoprosecutionocase'.oAolacunao inoprosecutionoisonototoobeoequatedowithotheofalloutoofoano oversightocommittedobyoaopublicoprosecutoroduringotrial,o eithero ino producingo relevanto materialso oro ino elicitingo relevantoanswersofromowitnesses.oTheoadageo'tooerroroino human'o iso theo recognitiono ofo theo possibilityo ofo makingo mistakesotoowhichohumansoareoprone.oAocorollaryoofoanyo sucholachesooromistakesoduringotheoconductingoofoaocaseo

12o o o o cannotobeounderstoodoasotheolacunaowhichoaocourtocannoto filloup."oo o o Sinceotheoobjectoisotoodoocompleteojusticeoandotooconvicto theoguiltyoandoprotectotheoinnocent,otheotrialoshouldobeoaosearchoforotheo truthoandonotoaoboutooverotechnicalities,oandomustobeoconductedoundero suchorulesoasowilloprotectotheoinnocent,oandopunishotheoguilty.o o o Ino viewo ofo theo above,o presento petition(s)o areo allowed.oo Impugnedoorder(s)odatedo11.04.2019opassedobyotheoCourtoofolearnedo JudicialoMagistrateoIstoClass,oPayal,oareosetoaside.ooTheoapplication(s)o movedo byo theo petitioners-accusedo undero Sectiono 311o Cr.P.C.o foro recallingotheocomplainant-respondentoforocross-examinationoareoorderedo toobeoallowed.ooInterimoorderodatedo08.05.2019opassedobyothisoCourto wherebyofurtheroproceedingsobeforeotheotrialoCourtowereostayed,oisoalsoo vacated.ooo o o Inotheopresentocase,otrialoisopendingosinceotheoyearo2006.oo Trialo Courto iso directedo too makeo ano endeavouro too concludeo theo trialo expeditiously.o o o Witho theo abovesaido observations,o petitionso areo accordingly,odisposedoof.o o o o (NAMIToKUMAR)o

20.02.2023o o o o o o ooooooooooJUDGEo R.S.o o Whetherospeaking/reasonedoo :o Yes/Noo o WhetheroReportableoo o :o Yes/Noo o