SATISHKUMAR NYALCHAND SHAH Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and order dated 24.12.2018 passed by the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 1 of 2018 in Special Criminal Application No. 8704 of 2018, by which the High Court has dismissed the said application preferred by the appellant herein permitting him to be joined as respondent No. 4 in the said Special Criminal Application No. 8704 of 2018, which was filed by the private respondent herein seeking further investigation against other persons (other than the appellant who is one of the accused and is already charge-sheeted), the appellant has preferred the present appeal.

(2.) The facts leading to the present appeal in nutshell are as under: That in an earthquake on 26.01.2001, number of buildings collapsed, including the building named Shikhar Apartment situated at Village Vejalpur, Ahmedabad. That due to the collapse of the said Shikhar apartment, 98 persons died. That the private respondent herein-the victim lodged the FIR, being CR No. I-58 of 2001 with the Satellite Police Station against the appellant and others for the offences punishable under Sections 304, 418, 420 and 114 of IPC and Section 3 (2)(c)&(d), Section 7(1)(i)(ii)2 and Section 42 of the Gujarat Ownership of Flats and for contravention of GDCR, Building Bye-laws. That the Police Inspector, Satellite Police Station filed the charge-sheet against the appellant and others on 02.05.2001 for the aforesaid offences. It appears that after a number of rounds of litigations, the appellant and some of the other accused came to be charge-sheeted. However, three accused persons, namely, Yagnesh Vyas, Sanjay Shah and Ronak Shah were not charge-sheeted. The matter was carried up to this Court by way of Criminal Appeal No. 1426 of 2017. It appears that during the hearing of the aforesaid appeal by this Court, there was progress in the investigation and the charge-sheet was filed against the accused Yagnesh Vyas and Sanjay Shah who were also arrested. Therefore, while disposing of the aforesaid Criminal Appeal No. 1426 of 2017 vide order dated 16.07.2018, this Court observed that if the private respondent herein-the Victim has any objection against dropping of one another accused, he may file objection and can file a protest petition in the Trial Court. This Court also observed that the private respondent herein-the Victim can also carry out proceedings in an appropriate Court against one Shri M. N. Bhaumik for not prosecuting him. That, thereafter the private respondent herein-the Victim filed an application before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural) under Sections 173(8) and 156(3) CrPC for further investigation against Shri Bhaumik. That by order dated 29.08.2018, learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural) dismissed the said application on merits as well as on the ground that after the charge-sheet is filed, the Magistrate has no jurisdiction to order for further investigation under Section 173(8) CrPC.

(3.) Shri Maninder Singh, learned Senior Advocate has appeared on behalf of the appellant; the private respondent herein has appeared as a party-in-person and Mr. Aniruddha P. Mayee, learned Advocate has appeared on behalf of the respondent- State of Gujarat.