VINOD SHIVAKUMAR Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present appeal is arising out of impugned judgment dtd. 24/9/2025 passed in Criminal Revision Application No. 24 of 2025 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, Nagpur.

(2.) The facts of the case reveal that a Forest Range Officer, Harisal Range, has committed suicide on 25/3/2021, leaving behind three suicide notes. These suicide notes were addressed to Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Amaravati - Mr. Reddy, her mother and her husband. The deceased Forest Range Officer who shot dead herself by the official weapon assigned to her, levelled allegations against the Appellant and stated that because of the Appellant, she is committing suicide. The record of the case further reveals that the First Information Report (hereinafter "FIR ") was registered against the present Appellant - Vinod Shivakumar and one Mr. Reddy. FIR against Mr. Reddy has already been quashed by the High Court of Bombay vide order dtd. 13/8/2021. It is noteworthy to mention that the Appellant has earlier approached the High Court of Bombay, Nagpur Bench, Nagpur for quashing the criminal proceedings and setting aside the charge-sheet filed for the offences punishable under Ss. 306, 312, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter, "IPC "), however, he restricted his claim to the extent of Sec. 312 IPC with the liberty to raise all his contentions at an appropriate stage before the High Court. The High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, Nagpur, quashed the FIR to the extent of Sec. 312 IPC vide order dtd. 30/6/2023.

(3.) The Appellant thereafter preferred an application in Sessions Case No. 52/2021 for discharge under Sec. 227 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter "Cr.P.C. ") and the said application was dismissed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Achalpur, vide order dtd. 24/10/2024. The Appellant being aggrieved by the order rejecting the discharge application preferred a Criminal Revision Application No. 24 of 2025 which has been dismissed by the impugned order before this Court.