Alagurani vs The State of Tamil Nadu
- Court
- Madras High Court
CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
RESERVED ON: 08.10.2026
DELIVERED ON: 16.10.2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE B.MURUGESAN
CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
CNR:{HCMD011313342026}
Alagurani
..Petitioner
Vs
The State of Tamil Nadu
rep by The Sub Inspector of Police,
Kaaraiyur Police Station,
Pudukkottai District.
Crime No.28/2026.
..Respondent
PRAYER: C-45R To call for the records and set aside the order in Crl
MP No.75/2026, dated 16.04.2026 on the file of the Judicial Magistrate
Court, Ponnamaravathi, allow above Criminal Revision and direct to
release the petitioners Vehicle bearing register No.TN
For Petitioner(s): Mr.M.Alagan
For Respondent(s): Mr.D.Venkatesh,
Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
Heard and admitted.
02. With the consent of both parties, this criminal revision was
taken up for final hearing on 08.10.2026.
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03. Claiming an order setting aside the dismissal order dated
16.04.2026 of the District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate,
Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District, hereinafter referred to as ‘the
trial court’ for the sake of brevity, passed in Crl MP No.75/2026, an
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application filed by the revision petitioner/ petitioner/3 accused under
S.497 and S.503 BNSS for an order granting her interim custody of a
vehicle, JCB, bearing registration number TN 55 CU 3038, in RP
No.23/2026 involved in Cr No.28/2026 under S.303(2) BNS and
S.21(1)(2) MMDR Act on the file of Kaaraiyur Police Station,
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Pudukkottai District, the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused has
filed this Criminal Revision Petition under S.438 BNSS.
04. For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred
hereunder according to their litigative status and ranking in this
criminal revision, 'the revision petitioner' and 'the revision respondent',
unless the context otherwise requires.
05. Sans minute details, the case of the revision petitioner in the
trial court is that a vehicle, JCB, bearing registration number TN 55
CU 3038, is said to have involved Cr No.28/2026 under S.303(2) BNS
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
and S.21(1)(2) MMDR Act on the file of Kaaraiyur Police Station,
Pudukkottai District, that in pursuance of such registration of the
criminal case, the aforesaid property has been seized by the respondent
police, that the aforesaid property is now in the custody of the
respondent police but without proper care or maintenance, that the
aforesaid property, if left idle without proper maintenance, would
become useless and ruined and that therefore, the interim custody of
the aforesaid property needs to be granted to the revision petitioner
being its owner.
06. Bereft of unnecessary details, the case of the revision
respondent in the trial court is that if the property concerned is returned
to the revision petitioner, it would be used for the commission of
similar offence or it might be sold by the revision petitioner and that
therefore, this criminal miscellaneous petition seeking such interim
custody of the property concerned deserves for dismissal.
07. Neither the revision petitioner nor the revision respondent
has chosen to lead any evidence, either oral or documentary, before the
trial court.
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
08. On enquiry, the trial court has dismissed the criminal
miscellaneous petition in Crl MP No.75/2026 on the finding that this is
a case registered under MMDR Act and that there is a likelihood of
bringing the property for confiscation.
09. Learned counsel for the revision petitioner would submit that
the dismissal of the claim of interim custody of the property is not only
against law but also against the settled principles on such grant of
interim custody of the vehicles, that the trial court, without due
application of its judicial mind, has simply accepted the objections
raised by the revision respondent and thereby dismissed the criminal
miscellaneous petition in mechanical manner, that therefore, the order
of the trial court is obviously liable to be interfered with and that
therefore, this criminal revision petition, in the interest of justice, needs
to be allowed, setting aside the order of the trial court and thereby
granting the interim custody of the properties concerned.
10. Learned counsel for the State (Crl Side) appearing for the
revision respondent would submit that this is a case registered under
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
MMDR Act, that the investigation is still pending, that if the property
concerned is returned to the revision petitioner, it would be used for
the commission of similar offence or it might be sold by the revision
petitioner, that therefore, the order of the trial court is lawful and
perfect and that therefore, this criminal revision petition deserves for
dismissal in limine .
11. Heard both sides, and perused all material records.
12. On careful consideration of the criminal revision petition
filed by the revision petitioner, the related material records and the
submissions made on both sides, this court formulates the following
point for determination:
Whether the revision petitioner is entitled to get such order
setting aside the dismissal order dated 16.04.2026 of the
District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate, Ponnamaravathi,
Pudukkottai District, in Crl MP No.75/2026, an application
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filed by the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused under
S.497 and S.503 BNSS for an order granting her interim
custody of a vehicle, JCB, bearing registration number TN
55 CU 3038, in RP No.23/2026 involved in Cr No.28/2026
under S.303(2) BNS and S.21(1)(2) MMDR Act on the file
of Kaaraiyur Police Station, Pudukkottai District, as prayed
for?
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13. The Point
(1) S.497 BNSS deals inter alia with the custody of the property,
produced before a criminal court, pending investigation, inquiry or
trial. S.498 BNSS deals inter alia with the delivery of the property,
produced before a criminal court, at the conclusion of investigation,
inquiry or trial. S.503 BNSS deals inter alia with the delivery of the
property, not produced before a criminal court.
(2) S.497 BNSS would read as under:
497. Order for custody and disposal of property pending
trial in certain cases.
(1) When any property is produced before any
Criminal Court or the Magistrate empowered to take
cognizance or commit the case for trial during any
investigation, inquiry or trial, the Court or the Magistrate
may make such order as it thinks fit for the proper custody
of such property pending the conclusion of the
investigation, inquiry or trial, and, if the property is subject
to speedy and natural decay, or if it is otherwise expedient
so to do, the Court or the Magistrate may, after recording
such evidence as it thinks necessary, order it to be sold or
otherwise disposed of.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this section,
"property" includes-(a) property of any kind or
document which is produced before the Court or
which is in its custody;
(b) any property regarding which an offence appears
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to have been committed or which appears to have
been used for the commission of any offence.
(2) The Court or the Magistrate shall, within a period
of fourteen days from the production of the property
referred to in sub-section (1) before it, prepare a statement
of such property containing its description in such form and
manner as the State Government may, by rules, provide.
(3) The Court or the Magistrate shall cause to be
taken the photograph and if necessary, videograph on
mobile phone or any electronic media, of the property
referred to in sub-section (1).
(4)The statement prepared under sub-section (2) and
the photograph or the videography taken under sub-section
(3) shall be used as evidence in any inquiry, trial or other
proceeding under the Sanhita.
(5) The Court or the Magistrate shall, within a period
of thirty days after the statement has been prepared under
sub-section (2) and the photograph or the videography has
been taken under sub-section (3), order the disposal,
destruction, confiscation or delivery of the property in the
manner specified hereinafter.
(3) S.498 BNSS (relevant provisions thereof) would read as
under:
498. Order for disposal of property at conclusion of trial.
(1)When an investigation, inquiry or trial in any
criminal case is concluded, the Court or the Magistrate
may make such order as it thinks fit for the disposal, by
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destruction, confiscation or delivery to any person
claiming to be entitled to possession thereof or otherwise,
of any property or document produced before it or in its
custody, or regarding which any offence appears to have
been committed, or which has been used for the
commission of any offence.
(2)An order may be made under sub-section (1) for
the delivery of any property to any person claiming to be
entitled to the possession thereof, without any condition or
on condition that he executes a bond, with or without
securities, to the satisfaction of the Court or the
Magistrate, engaging to restore such property to the Court
if the order made under sub-section (1) is modified or set
aside on appeal or revision.
…………..
…………..
(4) S.503 BNSS (relevant provision thereof) would read as
under:
503. Procedure by police upon seizure of property.
(1)Whenever the seizure of property by any police officer is
reported to a Magistrate under the provisions of this Sanhita,
and such property is not produced before a Criminal Court
during an inquiry or trial, the Magistrate may make such
order as he thinks fit respecting the disposal of such
property or the delivery of such property to the person
entitled to the possession thereof, or if such person cannot
be ascertained, respecting the custody and production of
such property.
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…………
(5) Therefore, it is clear that S.497, S.498 and S.503 BNSS deal
with the custody or delivery, as the case may be, of the property
involved in a criminal case, and such claim of custody or delivery can
be made by a person entitled to the possession thereof.
(6) A vehicle is said to have involved in this case on hand and
accordingly, the aforesaid property has been seized by the police.
(7) On careful study on the order dated 16.04.2026 of the trial
court passed in Crl MP No.75/2026, this court finds that the trial court
has dismissed the aforesaid application filed under S.497 BNSS on the
ground that this is a case registered under MMDR Act and that there is
a likelihood of bringing the property for confiscation.
(8) At this juncture, this court would like to refer to the decision
of Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai V State of
Gujarat ((2002) 10 SCC 283) and the relevant portion thereof would
read as under:
' 17 . In our view, whatever be the situation, it is of no use
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
to keep such seized vehicles at the police stations for a
long period. It is for the Magistrate to pass appropriate
orders immediately by taking appropriate bond and
guarantee as well as security for return of the said
vehicles, if required at any point of time. This can be done
pending hearing of applications for return of such
vehicles.'
(9) Selvam V State by Inspector of Police (2012 (1) MWN
(Cr) 288) is also a case where this court, while dealing with the return
of a vehicle to the claimant/accused has held as under:
' 6 ……………, it would be seen that in directing
return of vehicles, even to Accused persons, in the manner
contemplated in the decisions of the Apex Court of
Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai V State of Gujarat, 2003 (1)
CTC 175 and General Insurance Council and others V State
of Andhra Pradesh and others, 2010 (6) SCC 768, no
trampling of powers bestowed upon the trial Courts under
Section 452 CrPC is involved. Therefore, it would be fit
and proper to deal with applications seeking return of
vehicles without being clouded with the vision of the
claimant being an Accused.'
(10) Incidentally, this court would like to refer to the recent
decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in R.Manimaran V State of
Tamil Nadu (2026 INSC 946), where it has been held as under:
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
‘ 13 . It cannot be forgotten that the vehicle kept in the
custody of the Police or the Court, during the pendency of
the trial, may deteriorate and become unusable in the long
run.’
(11) It is therefore clear that keeping a vehicle involved in an
offence, either in police station or in court, for a long time is not
warranted and that an application seeking the interim custody of the
vehicle needs to be dealt with judiciously and expeditiously, regardless
of the fact that the applicant is the accused in the offence concerned.
(12) No confiscation proceedings are reported to have been
initiated against the vehicle concerned.
(16) Resultantly, this court holds that the revision petitioner is
entitled to get the interim custody of the vehicle in such terms as
detailed hereunder, and this point is decided accordingly.
14. In the result,
(1) that this criminal revision petition filed by the revision
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petitioner/ petitioner/3 accused is hereby allowed,
(2) that the order dated 16.04.2026 of the District Munsif cum
Judicial Magistrate, Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District, in Crl MP
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
No.75/2026 is hereby reversed,
(3) that the criminal miscellaneous petition in Crl.MP
No.75/2026 on the file of the District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate,
Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District, is hereby allowed but on the
conditions,
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(i) that the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused
shall execute a bond for a sum of Rs.10,00,000/- with
two sureties for the like sum each to the satisfaction
of the District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate,
Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District,
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(ii) that the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused
shall file into the court of the District Munsif cum
Judicial Magistrate, Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai
District, the photographs showing all the four sides of
the vehicle along with the original registration
certificate, and
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(iii) that the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused,
in view of the prayer of ‘interim custody’, shall
execute an undertaking, in the form of an affidavit,
before the District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate,
Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District, to the effect that
she shall produce the vehicle, as it is , before the court
as and when directed,
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(4) that the District Munsif cum Judicial Magistrate,
Ponnamaravathi, Pudukkottai District, is hereby directed to hand over
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the vehicle concerned to the revision petitioner/petitioner/3 accused
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only after the compliance by the revision petitioner/petitioner/3
accused of the aforesaid conditions.
16-10-2026
Index: Yes/No
Speaking/Non-speaking order
Neutral Citation: Yes/No
GNS
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
To
1.The Judicial Magistrate Court, Ponnamaravathi
2.The Sub Inspector of Police,
Kaaraiyur Police Station,
Pudukkottai District.
3.The Additional Public Prosecutor,
Madurai Bench of Madras High Court,
Madurai.
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CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
B.MURUGESAN, J.
GNS
Pre-Delivery Order made in
CRL RC(MD) No. 1643 of 2026
16-10-2026
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