REV. SAMUEL D. STEPHENS Vs. A. SAMUEL RAMASAMY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The criminal original petition has been filed, under Section 482 Cr.P.C., by the petitioners / accused seeking to quash the proceedings initiated against them by the respondent / complainant in C.C.No.695 of 2006, pending on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate No.II, Poonamallee.

(2.) The case of the respondent / complainant in brief is that the petitioners / respondents in the private complaint are the President, Council Member, Trustee and General Co-Ordinator of the National Association of Interdependent Churches (in short, NAIC). He is doing Gospel work from 1983 onwards having himself got faith in Jesus Christ and during 1980, he got Baptised and thereafter, he became an independent Pastor. Furthermore, during 1994, the World Wide Mission had also ordained the respondent / complainant as a Pastor and thereafter, he had established Churches at Veerapuram, Thiruvallur Park Nagar, Madhuravoyil, Ambattur, Korattur, Kottur, Gnayiru, Karanodai, Srirangam (Trichy) and Ranchi (Bihar) and in several other places totalling more than 250 in number.

(3.) According to the respondent / complainant, as an independent organiser, between 1983 and 1996, he brought many Churches situated in the Circle of Chennai and Thiruvallur and its surrounding area under his wing by his missionary efforts. Resultantly, about 250 Churches were under his control as he is the sole organizer within the Biblical Jurisdiction of preaching gospel and members run to 1,50,000 including non-christian and christian faith. That apart, about 1000 women leaders and youths and about 20,000 children were also under his wing.