STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. DASHRATHLAL NATWARLAL PATEL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The State has preferred this appeal against the order of acquittal passed by the learned City Magistrate 3 Court Ahmedabad on July 26 1968 The respondent was tried for offences under secs. 279 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code and for offences under secs. 112 and 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The learned Magistrate came to the conclusion that it was not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the respondent was the driver of the vehicle which caused the injuries to the victim of the accident. In this view of the matter he acquitted the respondent.

(2.) It is not necessary to examine the evidence in this matter with a view to ascertain whether the assessment of the evidence made by the learned Magistrate is correct. The order passed by the learned Magistrate cannot be sustained by reason of a fundamental defect in the procedure followed by him. It appears that originally no charge under sec. 338 of the Indian Penal Code was leveled In the course of the trial the investigating officer realised that a Hamendrakumar the victim of the accident had sustained a compound fracture which came within the definition of grievous hurt embodied in sec. 338 of the Indian Penal Code. Thereupon a charge under sec. 338 was framed against the respondent. Now sec. 338 is punishable within sentence of two years. By the time the charge under sec. 338 was framed a number of witnesses had already been examined Till this stage the trial was held in a summary way under Chapter XXII of the Code of Criminal Procedure as none of the charges originally indicated related to an offence punishable with more than six months sentence. As the charge under sec. 338 was framed in the midst of the trial the question arose as .regards the legality of the trial in a summary way so far. It is obvious that having regard to sec 260 of the Code of Criminal Procedure no trial relating to an offence which is punishable with a term exceeding six months can be held in a summary way. The learned Magistrate realised this. He however thought that the proper course to adopt was to afford to the defence an opportunity to recall the witnesses who had been already examined and make them available for cross-examination by the defence. He afforded such an opportunity to the defence. The defence did not apply for the witnesses being recalled for cross-examination and the trial proceeded from that point onwards as a regular trial. Now the course adopted by the learned Magistrate is patently illegal and one which is not permissible under law. If a trial is required to be held in a regular manner (and not in the summary way under Chapter XXII) the trial must from its inception be conducted in the regular manner. It is not permissible to hold a part of the trial in the summary way and to continue the rest of the trial in a regular manner. The illegality cannot be cured by affording the defence an opportunity to recall the witnesses for cross-examination. This position will become clear on a perusal of sub-sec (2) of sec. 260 of the Code which is in the following terms:-

(3.) The appeal is therefore allowed. The order of acquittal is set aside. In exercise of power under sec. 423(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code it is directed that the respondent-accused be retried by a Magistrate other than the learned Magistrate who acquitted the respondent. Order accordingly. Appeal allowed.