Gurlal Singh v. State of Haryana

o INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAoo AToCHANDIGARHo o ****o o o o o o o CRM-M-29310-2023o o o Dateoofodecision:o02.06.2023o o o GURLALoSINGHo o o o o o ,.Petitionero o o o o o o Versuso o STATEoOFoHARYANAoo o o o o ,.Respondento o o CORAM:oo HON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoHARSHoBUNGERo Presento:o Mr.oGurnooroSingh,oAdvocateo o o forotheopetitioner.o o o o Mr.oRamoKumaroSingla,oD.A.G.,oHaryana.o HARSHoBUNGER,oJ.o(ORAL)o o o Petitioner-GurlaloSingh,ohasofiledothisopetitionounderoSectiono 482oofotheoCodeoofoCriminaloProcedure,oseekingosettingoasideoofotheoordero datedo17.01.2023o(AnnexureoP-2)osummoningotheoaccusedounderoSectiono 319o ofo theo Codeo ofo Criminalo Procedure,o passedo byo learnedo Judicialo Magistrateo Isto Class,o Pehowao ando alsoo theo ordero datedo 17.04.2023o (AnnexureoP-4)opassedobyolearnedoSessionsoJudge,oKurukshetra,owhereby,o theoaforesaidoSummoningoorderodatedo17.01.2023o(AnnexureoP-2)owaso upheld.o

2.o o Briefly,o theo caseo FIRo No.151o datedo 01.09.2019o waso registeredoatoPoliceoStationoIsmailabadounderoSectionso148,o149,o323,o324o ando 452o ofo theo Indiano Penalo Codeo (foro shorto `theo IPC')o wherein,o theo petitioneroisoalsoooneoofotheoaccused.oTheoafore-saidoFIRohasobeenogoto registeredo ono theo complainto ofo Gurlalo Singh,o allegingo thereino thato ono

30.08.2019,othereowasoaorallyoofoDushyantoSinghoChautalainoKurukshetrao 1/10o o o andoonothatoday,oKuljinderoSinghosonoofoSurenderoSingh,ohadotakenotheocaro ofo theo complainanto too theo saido rally;o wherein,o hiso caro brokeo down.o Accordingly,o Kuljindero Singho lefto hiso caro witho theo mechanico ino Kurukshetra.oItoisostatedothatoono31.08.2019,otheocomplainantoalongowitho AmrikoSingh,oKuljinderoSinghoandothree-fourootheropersonsoofohisovillageo wentotooKurukshetraotoobringotheocaroandowhenotheyostartedotoocomeobacko inotheoevening,othenoforosomeoreason,oaoquarrelohappenedobetweenotheo complainantoandoAmrikoSingh;owhereupon,otheocomplainantofeltosorryotoo AmrikoSinghoandotheomatterowasocompromisedoandotheyoallocameotootheiro home.oItoisoallegedothatoatoabouto8:30op.m.,owhileotheocomplainantowaso sleepingo ino hiso houseo alongo witho hiso family,o theo complainant'soooooooooooooooo father-Jasbiro Singho waso sleepingo ino theo courtyardo ofo theo house,o wheno Gurpreeto Singho sono ofo Amriko Singh,o Amriko Singho sono ofooooooooooooooooooo HarbhajanoSinghoandoGurlaloSingho(petitioner)osonoofoGurtekoSinghobrokeo openotheodooroofotheirohouseoandocameoin.oTheocomplainant'sofatherotriedo too stopo themo buto allo ofo themo enteredo theo roomo ofo theo complainant.o Allegedly,GurpreetoSinghowasoholdingogandasioinohisohand;oAmrikoSingho wasoholdingoswordoinohisohandoandoGurlaloSinghowasoholdingobarchaoando theyoimmediatelyoattackedoonotheocomplainant.oGurpreetoSinghoisoallegedo toohaveogivenogandasioblowoonotheoheadoofotheocomplainant;oAmrikoSingho gaveoswordoblowoonotheoshoulderoofotheocomplainantoandoGurlaloSingho gaveobarchaoblowoinotheostomachoofotheocomplainant;owhereupon,otheo complainanto fello down.o Wheno theo complainant'so wifeo rano too saveo theo complainant,o theno everyoneo manhandledo hiso wifeo also.o Upono seeingo peopleocomingoafterohearingotheonoise,oallotheosaidothreeoaccusedoalongo withotwoootheroun-knownopersons,owhoowereostandingoonotheogateowitho 2/10o o o theiromotorcycles,oranoawayoleavingoaomotorcycleobehind.oNumberoofotheo motorcycleo iso statedo too beo HR-41J-2473o (Marko `Platina')o 100o colouro BlackoandoGurpreetoSingholeftohisogandasiobehindoonotheoleftomotorcycle.oo Thereafter,otheoinjuredowereoadmittedotootheohospitalowhereotheyoremainedo underotreatment.oAccordingly,otheoafore-saidoFIRowasoregistered.oo

3.o o Duringoinvestigationoofotheoabove-saidocase,otheopetitionero wasofoundoinnocentoandonoochallanowasopresentedoagainstohim.oItoappearso thato theo challano waso presentedo againsto Gurpreeto Singho sono ofooooooooooooo AmrikoSinghoonlyoandotheochargesowereoalsooframed.oDuringotrial,otheo complainanto(GurlaloSingh)owasoexaminedoandothereafter,otheoprosecutiono filedoanoapplicationounderoSectiono319oofotheoCr.P.C.oforosummoningotheo petitioneroasoanoadditionaloaccused.oTheosaidoapplicationowasoallowedobyo theo learnedo Judicialo Magistrateo Isto Class,o Pehowao video ordero datedo

17.01.2023oandotheopresentopetitionerowasosummonedoasoanoadditionalo accusedotoofaceotrialowithotheootheroaccused.o o o

4.o o Beingo dissatisfied,o theo petitionero challengedo theo aforesaido summoningo ordero datedo 17.01.2023o passedo byo theo learnedo Judicialo MagistrateoIstoClass,oPehowa,obyowayoofofilingoaorevisionopetitionobeforeo theo learnedo Sessionso Judge,o Kurukshetra;o however,o theo sameo waso dismissedovideoorderodatedo17.04.2023o(AnnexureoP-4).o o o Accordingly,o theo petitionero haso filedo theo instanto petitiono beforeothisoCourt.o

5.o o Learnedo counselo foro theo petitionero contendso thato theo petitioneroisoinnocentoandohasobeenowronglyoimplicatedoinotheopresentocaseo foropoliticaloreasonsoasohisofatherowasoSarpanchoofotheovillageoandowaso involvedo ino villageo politicso whereas,o theo complainant'so partyo alwayso 3/10o o o opposedotheopetitioneroandohisofatheroandohence,otheyonurturedoaogrudgeo againsto theo petitioner.o Ito iso submittedo thato duringo investigation,o theo petitionerowasofoundoinnocentoandoaccordingly,oheowasonotochallaned.oItoiso furtherosubmittedothatotheolearnedoCourtsobelowohaveoerredoinosummoningo theopetitioneroasoanoadditionaloaccusedoandothatotoooonotheobasisoofomereo examination-in-chiefo ofo theo complainant,o whicho accordingo too theo petitioner,o waso primarilyo theo sameo aso theo complainto submittedo too theo police.oItoisosubmittedothatonoonewoevidenceohadocomeoonorecordoexcepto theostatementoofotheocomplainantowhichohadoalreadyobeenoverifiedobyotheo InvestigatingoOfficeroandotheosameoisostatedotoohaveobeenofoundofalse.o Learnedocounseloforotheopetitionerofurtherosubmittedothatotheopetitionero wasonotoevenopresentoatotheospotoandothereoisonooinjuryoattributableotoohimo andoheohasonooconcernowithotheoallegedocrime.oAccordingly,oitoisoprayedo thatotheoinstantopetitionomayobeoallowedoandotheoimpugnedoorderomayobeo setoaside.o

6.o o Iohaveoheardolearnedocounseloforotheopetitioneroandoperusedo theopaperobookowithohisoableoassistance.o

7.o o AoperusaloofotheoFIRowouldorevealothatotheopetitionerohaso beenospecificallyonamedoinotheoFIRoandospecificoallegationsohaveobeeno levelledoagainstohim.oInotheoreportounderoSectiono173(2)oofotheoCodeoofo CriminaloProcedure,oitohasobeenomentionedothatopetitionerowasonotofoundo involvedoinotheocase;ohoweveroduringotrial,otheocomplainantohasosteppedo intootheowitnessoboxoandohasore-iteratedotheocontentsoofotheocomplaintoando noo improvemento iso noticedo therein.o Complainanto Gurlalo Singh,o whileo steppingoointoootheoowitnessooboxooasooPW-1,omadeooaostatement,owhichoisoasoo o 4/10o o o undero:-o o "oPW-1oGurlaloSinghosonoofoJasbiroSinghoageo34oyearso residento ofo Villageo Thaskao Miranjio Tehsilo Pehowa,o DistrictoKurukshetra.o Statedothatoono30.08.2019othereowasoaorallyoofoDushyanto ChautalaoinoKurukshetra.oOnothatoday,omyocarono.HR-26-AW-0416o Altoo waso tooko awayo byo Kuljindero Singho sonoofoSurenderoSinghoresidentoofomyoVillageoinorallyoato Kurukshetraowithohisofriends.oMyocarowasobrokenodowno atoKurukshetraoandoKuljinderoSingholeftomyocarowithotheo careo mechanic.o Ono 31.08.2019,o Io alongo witho Amriko SinghosonoofoHarbhajanoSingh,oKuljinderoSinghoando3-4o otheropersonsowentotooKurukshetraotoobringobackotheo car.oInotheoevening,oAmrikoSinghoandoIohadoaoquarrelo overo someo matter,o foro whicho Io apologizedo too Amriko Singh.oThenoabouto8:30op.m.,oIowasoinomyohomeoandomyo fatheroJasbiroSinghowasosleepingoinotheocourtyardoofohiso house.oAtothatotime,oGurpreetoSinghosonoofoAmrikoSingh,o AmrikoSinghosonoofoHarbhajanoSinghoandoGurlaloSingho sonoofoGurtekoSinghoresidentoofoVillageoThaskaoMiranjio enteredoourohouseobyobrokeoopenotheodooroofoourohouse,o myofatherohasotriedotoostopothemobutoallothreeocameoino myoroom,oGurpreetowasoholdingoGandasioinohisohand,o AmrikoSinghowasohavingoSwordoinohisohandoandoGurlalo SinghowasoholdingoSpearoinohisohand.oTheyoattackedoono me.oGurpreetoSinghogaveoGandasioblowoonomyohead,o AmrikoSinghogaveoswordoblowoonomyoshoulderotoowhicho Iotryotoostopowithomyorightohandoandoswordohitoonomyo fingero ofo righto hand,o myo wifeo Baljindero Kauro raisedo noise,o Gurlalo hito spearo holdingo ino hiso hando ino myo stomach,owhichoIoescapedoandofellodown.oWhenomyowifeo triedotoosaveomeothenotheyomanhandledomyowife,opeopleo cameo byo hearingo noise.o Twoo personso wereo standingo outsideo ono starto motorcycle,o theyo rano byo leavingo ?/10o o o motorcycle.o Theo no.o ofo theo motorcycleo waso HR-41J-2473oMarkoPlatina,oGurpreetoSingholeftohisoGandasioono theo spoto ando rano awayo ono theo motorcycleo standingo outside.oThenosonoofomyouncleoKuljinderoSinghotookomeo tooCHCoIsmailabadofromowhereoIowasoreferotooLNJPo HospitaloKurukshetra,oforothisoIorecordedomyostatemento Ex.oPW-1/AoonowhichoIohaveomyosign.oTheoaccusedoareo presentoinotheocourt."o o o Ao perusaloofotheo above-saido statemento ofo theo complainanto wouldoshowothatoheohasobeenouniformoandoconsistentoinohisostandothatotheo presentopetitionerowasoarmedowithobarchaoandohitohimoinotheostomach,o whichoheoescaped.o

8.o o Apartofromotheoabove,otheolearnedotrialoCourtowhileoallowingo applicationounderoSectiono319oofotheoCr.P.C.,oheldoasounder:-o o o "o5.o Reasonsoforoallowingotheoapplication.o

i)k Theo complainanto haso categoricallyo mentionedo theo nameo ofo proposedo accusedo ando theo roleo playedo byo himo ino theo allegedo incidento whicho tookoplaceoono31.08.2019.o

ii)k Merelyobecause,oitohasobeenomentionedobyotheo I.Ooinotheochallanothatonoocredibleoevidenceowaso foundoagainstotheseoproposedoaccusedopersonso withouto anyo supportingo reasonso doeso noto tantamountotoogivingoanyobenefitotootheoaccusedo persons.oMoreover,otheocomplainantoduringohiso examination-in-chiefoasoPW1,obeforeotheoCourto haso specificallyo deposedo ando reiteratedo hiso versiono quao nameo ofo theo accusedo persons,o weaponsousedobyothem,oplacesoofoinjuriesowhicho showsothatotheoapplicationoinohandodeservesotoo beoallowed."o 6/10o o o

9.o o Further,o theo learnedo Revisionalo Courto belowo whileo dismissingotheoCriminaloRevisionofiledobyotheopetitionerovideoorderodatedo

17.04.2023o(AnnexureoP-4)ohasoheldoasofollows:-o o o "10.o Keepingo ino mindo theo aboveo settledo propositiono ofo lawo ono subject,o leto uso reverto backo tooooooooooooooooo factso ofo caseo ino hand.o Oneo Gurlalo Singh,o sono ofoooooooooooooooooo Shrio Gurteko Singh,o residento ofo villageo ThaskaMiranji,o DistrictoKurukshetra,osetotheocriminalolawoonomotionobyo filingo ao complainto mentioningo thereino theo mannero ino whichotheoincidentooccurred,oalsoopointedooutotheonameso ofotheoassailants,owhoohadounleashedoanoattack,oweaponso withowhichotheyowereoarmedoandotheoroleoplayedobyoeacho oneo ofo o them.o Thus,o ao graphico descriptiono ofo theo sequenceoofoeventsoinowhichotheoincidentooccurredowaso givenobyocomplainantoinohisofirstoversionogivenotootheo policeo authorities,o whereinoheo hasoalsoo mentionedo theo reasonothatoledotootheoincident.oFurthermore,owhenoheo appearedoinotheowitnessobox,oheoreiteratedotheocontentso ofocomplaint.oNooimprovementocouldobeonoticedoinohiso statemento recordedo ono oatho aso comparedo too hiso firsto versionogivenotootheopoliceoauthorities.o o o Ino termso ofo theo lawo laido downo inoooooooooooooooooooo Hardeepo Singh'so caseo (supra),o testo ato theo timeo ofo decidingoanoapplicationounderosectiono319oofoCr.P.C.oiso tooseeoasotoowhetheromoreothanoaoprimaofacieocaseoiso madeooutoagainstoaopersononotoarrayedoasoanoaccusedo buto whoo appearso too haveo committedo theo offenceo ando whethero heo deserveso too beo triedo aso ano accusedo witho accusedoalreadyofacingotrialoinotheocase.oTheoparameterso forodecidingoanoapplicationounderosectiono319oofoCr.P.C.o andoappreciatingoevidenceowhileodisposingoofotheocaseo finally,oareototallyodifferent.o 7/10o o o o o Ito wouldoalsoo beo noto outo ofoplaceotoo mentiono hereo thato theo Investigatingo Officero dido noto mentiono anythingoonotheobasisoofowhichoheohadoletooffopetitionero whoowasospecificallyonamedoinotheoFIR.o o o 11.o S.o Mohammed'so caseo (supra)o reliedo upono byo learnedo counselo foro theo petitionero haso beeno carefullyoread,otheofactsoofotheocaseoinohandoareodifferento andodistinguishableotoothoseoinotheoreferredojudgment.oIno S.oMohammed'socaseo(supra),oapartofromotheofactothato policeoduringoinvestigationoandoafteroregistrationoofotheo FIRo dido noto findo anythingo substantialo againsto theo accusedo soughto too beo summoned,o whoo waso foundo innocentoevenoinodepartmentaloproceedings.oResultantly,o theoHon'bleoSupremeoCourtowasoofotheoopinionothatonoo strongoandocogentoevidenceoexistoagainstotheoaccusedotoo summonohimotoofaceotrial.oHowever,oinotheocaseoinohand,o thereo iso noo contractiono ino theo firsto versiono ofo theo complainantoandotheostatementorecordedoonooathoinotheo court.oFurther,oitowouldobeoappropriateotoopointooutothato complainanto waso uniformo ando consistento ino hiso stando thatotheopresentopetitionerowasoarmedowithoao`Barchha'o andotriedotoohitohimoinohisostomachobutoheo(complainant)o duckedoandosavedohimself,oresultantly,odidonotosufferoanyo injuryoinotheostomach.o o o 12.o Theo petitionerso haveo invokedo revisionalo jurisdictionoofothisoCourtounderosectiono397oofotheoCodeo ofoCriminaloProcedure,o1973.oInorespectoofotheoprincipleso governingo theo exerciseo ofo revisionalo jurisdiction,o theo Hon'bleoSupremeoCourt,oinoJagannathoChoudharyoando anr.o Vs.o Ramayano Singho ando others,o AIRo 2002o SCo 2229ohasoheldoasoundero:-o "Whereotheocourtoconcernedodoesonotoappearo too haveo committedo anyo illegalityo oro materialo irregularityo oro improprietyo ino passingo theo impugnedo judgmento ando order,o theo revisiono 8/10o o o cannoto succeed.o Ifo theo impugnedo ordero apparentlyo iso presentable,o withouto anyo sucho infirmityo whicho mayo rendero ito completelyo perverseoorounacceptableoandowhenothereoisonoo failureoofojustice,ointerferenceocannotobeohando inoexerciseooforevisionalojurisdiction."o "…Ito iso noto ano appellateo forumo whereino scrutinyo ofo evidenceo iso possibleo neithero theo revisionalo jurisdictiono iso openo foro beingo exercisedo simplyo byo reasono ofo theo factumo ofo anotheroviewobeingootherwiseopossible…"o o 13.o Ino viewo ofo discussiono madeo above,o theo impugnedoorderopassedobyolearnedotrialoCourtoisojustoando appropriateo ando doeso noto suffero fromo anyo materialo illegalityo ando irregularityo whicho cano callo foro anyo interferenceobyothisocourtowhileoexercisingotheorevisionalo jurisdiction.o Consequently,o theo impugnedo ordero datedo

17.01.2023o iso upheldo ando presento revisiono filedo byo petitioneroisodismissed."o

10.o o AoperusaloofofindingsoreturnedobyolearnedoRevisionaloCourto belowowouldoshowothatoaospecificofindingohasobeenoreturnedothatowheno statementoofotheocomplainantoisoreadoinoconjunctionowithootherodocumentso collectedobyoInvestigatingoAgency,osufficientocaseoisomadeooutotoosummono petitionero too faceo trial.o Io doo noto seeo anyo reasono too interfereo ino theo impugnedoorder(s),omoreosoowhenonothingomaterialohasobeenoshownobyo theo petitionero too dislodgeo theo afore-saido satisfactiono recordedo byo theo RevisionaloCourt.oo

11.o o Inoviewoofotheoabove,onoointerferenceoisocalledoforoinotheo orderodatedo17.01.2023opassedobyolearnedoJudicialoMagistrateoIstoClass,o Pehowa,o undero Sectiono 319o Cr.P.C;o whereby,o theo petitionero waso summonedoasoanoadditionaloaccusedotoofaceotrialoinotheocase.oEvenotheo orderopassedobyotheoRevisionaloCourtoisowelloreasonedoandodoesonotocallo foroanyointerference.oLeanedocounseloforotheopetitionerohasofailedotoopointo 9/10o o o outoan oillegalit ooroperversit oinothe impugned order dated 17.01.2023 (Annexure P-2) passed by learned Judicial Magistrate Ist Class, Pehowa and also the order dated 17.04.2023 (Annexure P-4) passed by learned Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, o2here/ ,otheoaforesaidoSummoningoordero datedo'(.)'.$)$*o+Anne,ureP!$-o2asoupheld.oAccordingl ,othe present petition, being bereft of any merit, is hereby dismissed.

¶12No other argument has been raised.

¶13None of the observations made above shall be construed as any observation or expression on the merits of the case and the trial Court shall proceed with the trial without being influenced by the above-said observations.

¶14All pending application/s, if any, shall also stand closed. o o o n"J neo) &o)*)+o o 'HARSHoBUNGER(oo gurpreeto JUDGEo =hetherospea&ingCreasoned:o DesC5oo o =hetheroreporta/le:o DesC5oo o o o o 10/10o o