RAJIV PURI Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is a petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for quashing FIR No. 156 dated 15.6.1999 under Sections 3/4/8 of the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls (Prevention) Act, 1956 registered at Police Station Sadar Hoshiarpur as also for quashing the order of framing the charges, Annexure P-4.

(2.) BRIEFLY , the facts of the case are that information was given to the police that one Rupila Rani is carrying on illegal trafficking in women in her house at Hoshiarpur. She is running a brothel and she pays certain amount to the girls and retains certain amount for herself out of the amount charged from the customers. On the basis of the information one Sukhwinder Singh was made a decoy customer. He went to the brothel being run by Rupila Rani and handed over Rs. 500/-. After giving the amount, Sukhwinder Singh gave a signal to the police party which immediately conducted a raid. On search Rupila Rani was found in possession of rupees three hundred (3 notes of hundred each) and two notes of hundred each were recovered from Gagan. Various other persons who were found preparing for intercourse were also caught. During this raid petitioner Rajiv Puri was also found sitting with Rupila Rani. On the basis of above raid, the present FIR was registered against the petitioner and other persons found in the premises. The learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Hoshiarpur, framed charges under Sections 3, 4 and 8 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It is against the framing of the charges that the present revision has been filed.

(3.) COUNSEL for the State has stated that challan has now been presented, charges have been framed against the petitioner and therefore, at this stage it would not be proper to quash the FIR or the charges.