“What are the factors to be considered by the court at the
time of disposal of an application under Section 227 of Cr.P.C.
(e) When the court shall frame charges?”
21. Learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the respective parties have
submitted that there being no material in the statements recorded under
Section 161 of Cr.P.C. the learned trial court ought to have discharged the
accused persons. They also contended that since there is no material to go
for a trial, charges ought not to have been framed. Prior to delving into the
issue it would be profitable to refer to under Sections 227 and 228 of Cr.P.C.
Section 227. If upon consideration of the record of the case and the
documents submitted therewith, and after hearing the submissions of the
accused and the prosecution in this behalf, the Judge considers that thereis not sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused, he shall
discharge the accused and record his reasons for so doing.
Section 228. (1) If, after such consideration and hearing as aforesaid,
the Judge is of opinion that there is ground for presuming that the accused
has committed an offence which-
(a) Is not exclusively triable by the Court of Session, he may, frame a
charge against the accused and, by order, transfer the case for trial to the
Chief Judicial Magistrate, [ or any other Judicial Magistrate of the first class
and direct the accused to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, or as
the case may be, the Judicial Magistrate of the first class, on such date as
he deems fit, and thereupon such Magistrate] shall try the offence in
accordance with the procedure for the trial of warrant-cases instituted on a
police report;
(b) is exclusively triable by the Court, he shall frame in writing a charge
against the accused.
(2)Where the Judge frames any charge under clause (b) of sub-section (1),
the charge shall be read and explained to the accused and the accused shall
be asked whether he pleads guilty of the offence charged or claims to be
tried.
22. It is needless to say that Section 227 and Section 228 Cr.P.C. can
be termed as a precious safeguard i.e. pre-battle protection conferred upon
the accused by the statute.
23. In Section 227 Cr.P.C. the legislature in its wisdom used the
words ‘there is a sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused’whereas in Section 228(1) Cr.P.C. the legislature very consciously used the
words ‘there is ground for presuming that the accused has committed an
offence.’
24. If we consider the said Section 227 Cr.P.C. very meticulously we
would find that discharge is possible if there is no sufficient ground
(emphasis supplied). In Section 228 Cr.P.C., the Court is empowered to see
if there is ground for presuming that the accused has committed an offence.
For the purpose of discharge sufficient ground is required but in case of
framing of charge only ground is required. The legislature very
conscientiously omitted the word ‘sufficient’ in Section 228 Cr.P.C.
25. On a conjoint reading of section 227 and Section 228 it appears to
me that the Court is to be satisfied itself only to the extent that the
allegation raised against the accused is either grossly frivolous or there is
any suspicion/presumption that the offence has been committed. Be it
mentioned, that the Court should be very cautious in allowing an
application Section 227 Cr.P.C. because without affording any opportunity
to the prosecution to substantiate the allegation through witness, the
accused gets an escape from the net of law. The Court is to see if any
material for presumption is there or not. If the answer is affirmative, charge
has to be framed.
26. While dealing with such situation, the Court is not supposed to
make an in depth study about the evidence to be carried by the prosecution
during the trial. It is not the duty of the Court to consider every nitty-gritty
of the case and to sift and weigh the materials of case diary by making a
roving enquiry, to find out the probative value of evidence to be led. Itpostulates just exercise of judicial mind of the Judge concerned. The test
that can be adopted by the Court is to consider if the statements and
documents collected during investigation are taken to be true would be
sufficient to uphold the charge or not.
IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
(CRIMINAL REVISIONAL JURISDICTION)
C.R.R. No. 1396 of 2011
Ahok Kr. Todi vs. C.B.I.
Present : Justice Siddhartha Chattopadhyay
Judgment Delivered On : 12.06.2017.
Read full judgment here : Click here.
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