VIJENDRA MOLCHAND KURIL vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA, P.S. AKOT FAIL, AKOLA AND ANOTHER

Case Type: NaN

Date of Judgment: 09-12-2017

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Full Judgment Text

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY,
NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR
CRIMINAL APPLICATION (APL) NO.7 OF 2016
Vijendra Molchand Kuril,
Aged about 35 years, Occupation Labour,
R/o Mochipura, Akola.                                     ….. Applicant.
::   VERSUS   ::
1.  The State of Maharashtra,
Police Station, Akot Fail, Akola.
2.  Special Inspector General of Police,
Amravati Range, Amravati.                       ….. Non­applicants.
================================================================
Shri S.V. Sirpurkar, Counsel with Ms Ankita Sarkar, Adv. for 
the applicant.
Shri T.A. Mirza with Shri I.J. Damle, Additional Public 
Prosecutors for the State.
================================================================
             CORAM : V.M. DESHPANDE, J.
                                DATE    : SEPTEMBER 12, 2017.
ORAL JUDGMENT
1.  Rule.   Rule is made returnable forthwith.   Heard
finally by consent of learned counsel Shri S.V. Sirpurkar with
Ms Ankita Sarkar for the applicant and learned Additional
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Public Prosecutors Shri T.A. Mirza with Shri I.J. Damle for
the State.
2.  The   inherent   jurisdiction   of   this   Court   under
Section   482   of   the   Code   of   Criminal   Procedure,   1973   is
invoked by the applicant to set up a challenge to order passed
by learned Special Judge (MCOCA), Amravati dated 30.11.2015
in   Crime   No.83   of   2015   by   which   learned   Special   Judge
allowed application of the prosecution dated 26.11.2015 and
thereby cancelled the bail granted in favour of the present
applicant in Crime No.83 of 2015 registered with Akot File
Police   Station,   Akola   for   the   offences   punishable   under
Sections 302, 384, 387, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.  At
the same time, application dated 18.11.2015 was rejected by
learned   Special   Judge   which   was   filed   on   behalf   of   the
prosecution   seeking   permission   to   arrest   the   applicant.
However,   the   prosecution   was   given   liberty   to   arrest   the
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applicant for the offences punishable under Sections 3 and 4
of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999 (for
short, “ the MCOC Act ”).
3.  According to learned counsel Shri S.V. Sirpurkar
for the applicant, the order passed by learned Special Judge
(MCOCA), Amravati is unjust inasmuch as, according to him,
though ample opportunity was available to the prosecuting
agency, the provisions of the MCOC Act were not applied and
thereby allowed crucial time to pass away.  In that view of the
matter, according to him, the law laid down by this Court in
the   case   of  Sarang   Arvind   Goswamy   ..vs..   State   of
Maharashtra, reported at 2005(3) Mh.L.J. 774 cannot be made
applicable.  He, therefore, submits that the order impugned is
required to be set aside.
4.  Per contra, it is the submission on behalf of the
prosecution that the law laid down by this Court in the case
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cited    supra    applies to the present case with its full force.
According to learned Additional Public Prosecutor, as soon as
sanction   to   prosecute   the   applicant,   under   the   stringent
provisions   of   the   MCOC   Act   was   received,   the   same   were
applied.  He submits that the order passed by learned Special
Judge is passed after considering the provisions of the MCOC
Act   in   its   correct   perspective   and,   therefore,   he   prays   for
dismissal of the application.
5.  To appreciate the rival contentions, it would be
useful to advert to basic facts giving rise to Crime No.83 of
2015.
6.  One Rameshwar Pawar set the criminal law into
motion by lodging his report with Akot File Police Station,
Akola on 5.7.2015.
7.  As   per   the   first   information   report,   the   first
informant   works   as   an   agricultural   labour   in   agricultural
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fields   of   Dilip   Bisen,   Prakash   Bisen,   and   Ramsingh   Bisen
since last 10 years.  Therefore, he is fully acquainted with his
3 employers.    As per  the first information report,  Prakash
Bisen is having an agricultural field situated on Akot­Akola
Road.  Elias Khan and Salam Khan Karim Khan were making
attempt to grab the said agricultural land of Prakash Bisen by
adopting arm­twisting tactics and by using force.  Even, Elias
Khan raised an unauthorized construction in the nature of
'hut' also  and  in  the  said  unauthorized  construction,  Elias
Khan and Salam Khan Karim Khan used to sit their along
with   others   having   criminal   records.     In   view   of   these
activities, field owner Prakash Bisen was frightened.
8.  According to the first information report, prior to
two days only, Salam Khan Karim Khan, Elias Khan, Rizwan,
and Viju (present applicant) extended  threat to landowner
Prakash Bisen that if Rs.10.00 lacs are not given to them, they
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will occupy and take possession of 28 Acres of land of Prakash
Bisen.    As  per  the  first information   report,  Prakash  Bisen
refused to oblige such threat.
  The first information report further recites that on
the day of the occurrence, i.e. on 5.7.2015 at about 5:00 p.m.,
when first informant Rameshwar Pawar and Prakash Bisen
were   sitting   under   a   'Neem­Tree'   adjacent   to   road   in   the
agricultural field of Dilip Bisen, a white colour four wheeler
came and driver of the said, all of a sudden, turned the said
vehicle left side and gave a forceful dash to Prakash Bisen,
resulting into falling of Prakash Bisen from chair on which he
was sitting and he came under the said vehicle.  Thereafter,
Salam   Khan   Karim   Khan,   Elias   Khan,   and   Viju   (present
applicant), who were sitting on rear seat of the motor­vehicle,
alighted   from   the   vehicle,   dragged   Prakash   Bisen   from
beneath of the motor­vehicle, and put away .  Due to this, first
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informant   Rameshwar   Pawar   ran   away   towards   the
agricultural field.  Thereafter Salam Khan Karim Khan, Elias
Khan,   and   Viju   (present   applicant)   left   the   place   in   the
vehicle.
9.   Since the report lodged by Rameshwar Pawar was
disclosing   cognizable   offence,   a   crime   was   registered   with
Akot File Police Station,  Akola for the offences punishable
under Sections 302, 384, 387, and 120B of the Indian Penal
Code.    The  name  of the  present  applicant  was  specifically
appearing in the first information report in connection with
demand   for   extortion   and   also   at   the   time   when   Prakash
Bisen was run over by the vehicle, that time he was one of
occupants in the said vehicle.  The applicant was arrested on
6.7.2015.  After some days, he was taken in the police custody
remand   and,   thereafter,   he   was   taken   in   the   magisterial
custody remand.
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10.  The   applicant   was   arrested   for   the   offences
punishable   under   the   Indian   Penal   Code.     Looking   to   the
nature of accusations made against the present applicant and
the offences which were registered against the applicant, the
prosecution was under the duty to file final report within a
period of 90 days from the date of arrest of the applicant.
However, till lapse of 103 days from the date of arrest, no final
report was filed before the Court of law.  The applicant moved
an application under Sections 167(2) and 439 of the Code of
Criminal   Procedure,   1973   for   grant   of   bail   before   learned
Special Judge under the MCOC Act, Amravati. 
11.  It was pointed out before learned Special Judge by
moving the application, which was filed on 17.10.2015, that
against the applicant the stringent provisions of the MCOC
Act   are   not   applied   and   the   applicant   is   accused   of
committing offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code
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and in spite of lapse of 103 days, the charge­sheet against him
is not filed.
12.  The   said   application   was   contested   by   the
prosecution on the ground that the prosecution has already
applied   the   provisions   of   the   MCOC   Act   against   the   co­
accused.  Therefore, outer limit to file the charge­sheet in the
crime  is  180  days  and,  therefore,   the  said  application  was
opposed.
13.  On 17.10.2015, learned Special Judge allowed the
application filed on behalf of the present applicant by holding
that   merely   because   the   provisions   of   the   MCOC   Act   are
applied against the co­accused, that is not sufficient to deny
default bail in favour of the applicant since the applicant was
charged  only  for the  offences  committed  under  the  Indian
Penal Code.
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14.  The applicant, thereafter, availed of the bail and
was released from jail.
15.  On   18.11.2015   an   application   was   moved  by   the
prosecution   to   cause   arrest   of   the   present   applicant.
According   to   the   said   application,   after   releasing   the
applicant   on   default   bail,   the   Inspector   General   of   Police,
Amravati Range, Amravati granted sanction on 9.11.2015 for
applying Sections 3 and 4 of the MCOC Act.
16.  Pending   the   said   application,   on   26.11.2015
another   application   was   filed   by   the   prosecution   for
cancellation   of   the   bail   granted   in   favour   of   the   present
applicant   on   17.10.2015.     As   per   the   said   application,   co­
accused Shaikh Kayyum Shaikh Karim gave his confessional
statement which was recorded by the authority mentioned in
Section   18   of   the   MCOC   Act.     In   the   said   confessional
statement, he has attributed specific role against the present
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applicant  for taking forceful  possession  of  the  agricultural
field of deceased Prakash Bisen.  His confessional statement
also states that on 5.7.2015 a meeting was held in the house of
a gang leader Abdul Salam Khan Abdul Karim Khan in respect
of the agricultural field and in that meeting also the applicant
was present.
17.  The applicant was also present in the car which
gave a murderous dash to deceased Prakash Bisen.  It is also
stated in the said application that Call Data Records (CDRs)
of the mobile cellphone  of the applicant are now obtained
which show that the applicant was in touch with the gang
leader from 15.6.2015 till the date of the occurrence.  It is also
stated   in   the   application   that   witness   one   Dhnyaneshwar
Omkar Pahurkar has stated in his statement that prior to 15
days of the occurrence, there was a meeting in one Jayaswal
Wine Bar with deceased Prakash Bisen by the gang leader and
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other members of the syndicate in which the applicant was
also  present.    Further,  from  the  CDRs  it is  clear  that   the
present applicant was  in  touch  even with deceased  on  his
cellphone. 
18.  According to the application, during the course of
the   investigation,   thus   it   is   clear   that   the   applicant   is   an
active member of this syndicate of which Abdul Salam Khan
Abdul Karim Khan is its leader.  A proposal was submitted to
the competent authority for applying the provisions of the
MCOC Act and the competent authority granted sanction on
9.11.2015 and accordingly the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of
the MCOC Act were added as against the present applicant in
Crime No.83 of 2015 and, therefore, a prayer was made for
cancellation of the bail granted in favour of the applicant.
19.  After   hearing   learned   counsel   for   the   applicant
and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State, the
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issue that once the bail is granted for the offences punishable
under the “ordinary law” i.e. under the Indian Penal Code and
subsequently, the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of the MCOC
Act are added and applied, whether the bail earlier granted
can be cancelled or not, is not in    res integra    in view of the
law laid down by this Court in  the case of  Sarang Arvind
Goswamy cited  supra
20.  In    Sarang   Arvind   Goswamy's  case,   accused
Sarang was arrested in connection with Crime No.212 of 2004
for   the   offences   punishable   under   the   Indian   Penal   Code.
Subsequently,  he was  released  on  bail.    Subsequent  to his
release on bail, the provisions of special enactment, namely
MCOC  Act,  were  invoked  against  said  Sarang.    After  such
invocation, an application was moved by the prosecution for
cancellation of bail on the assertion that as the provisions of
special enactment have been applied, earlier bail cannot be
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continued and the same is required to be cancelled in view of
the stringent provisions of Section 21 of the MCOC Act. 
21.  The   Sessions   Court   at   Pune   cancelled   the   bail
granted earlier in favour of accused Sarang that gave rise
filing   of   Criminal   Application   No.2129   of   2005   by   Sarang
before this Court and this Court, after considering the entire
law on the said issue, found that the bail, which was granted
earlier in favour of applicant Sarang, was only in respect of
the offences  punishable under the relevant Sections  of the
Indian   Penal   Code.     However,   subsequently,   the   stringent
provisions  of  the   MCOC  Act  were   applied.    Therefore,  the
order was upheld cancelling the bail of Sarang.
22.  In   the   present   case   also,   at   the   time   when   the
applicant was  released on bail under  Section 167(2) of the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the stringent provisions of
special enactment i.e. MCOC Act were not applied against the
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present applicant only.  Therefore, learned Judge of the Court
below has rightly granted default bail since the final report
was not filed within 90 days.
23.  However, the investigation was continued in view
of invocation of the provisions of the MCOC Act against the
co­accused persons and during the investigation, the role of
the applicant was also revealed by which the provisions of the
MCOC Act  could be invoked and accordingly the sanction was
sought and the same was granted by the competent authority.
24.  In my view, the prosecution has rightly applied for
cancellation of bail by approaching to the Court by moving an
application dated 26.11.2015 on assertion that the provisions
of   the   MCOC   Act   have   been   applied   against   the   present
applicant.   As a consequence of which, the bail granted in
favour of the applicant, relating  to the offences  under  the
Indian Penal Code, will be of no avail.  In view of invocation of
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the provisions of the special enactment, the prosecution was
having a right to take the applicant into custody in relation to
the newly registered offences  under the MCOC Act and  as
observed by this Court in Sarang Arvind Goswamy's case cited
supra,   the   applicant   can   be   released   on   bail   only   if   the
applicant was to satisfy rigours of the provisions of the special
enactment.
25.  In view of the provisions of the MCOC Act, being
made against the present applicant, in my view learned Judge
of the Court below has not committed any wrong in cancelling
the bail.  Consequently, the present application is required to
be dismissed and accordingly it is dismissed and the  interim
orders granted by this Court on 8.1.2016 shall cease to operate
immediately.   The applicant is directed to surrender before
the law immediately.  Else, the investigating officer is free to
cause arrest of the applicant in the said crime.
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26.  The criminal application is dismissed and the Rule
is discharged.
                                                                                JUDGE 
!!  BRW  !!
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