B.S. SOLANKI Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) The appellant who was working as Assistant Registrar, Firms & Societies at Jabalpur is a victim of factional fight in the Church of North India, Jabalpur Diocese. On the allegation of offences punishable under Ss. 406, 420, 468, 471, 120-B, 109, 409 and 467 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) and Ss. 7, 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (the PC Act) a complaint was filed in the Police Station, Economic Offences Wing, Bhopal Dehat, Bhopal. A chargesheet bearing No.01A/2023 dtd. 20/7/2023 was also filed before the learned Special Judge, (P.C. Act), Jabalpur in respect of Crime No.80 of 2022.

(3.) The appellant was arrayed as an accused with one P.C. Singh, the then Bishop of Jabalpur Diocese along with some others whose names are not clear from the chargesheet produced as Annexure P19. We are only concerned with the appellant in the present appeal filed against the impugned order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh which refused to quash the chargesheet under Sec. 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Cr. PC). Essentially the allegation was of misappropriation of funds and illegal transactions in land owned by the Trust, registered as a Society, in which the appellant was roped in on the singular act of issuing a Certificate of Registration with the name of the Society changed.