JYOTI L MEENA Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE instant petition under Section 482 Cr. P. C. seeks quashing of the order dated 20. 3. 1998 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge Hindaun city in Sessions Case No. 23/1997 whereby the charge for offence punishable under Section 306 IPC has been ordered to be framed against the accused-petitioner.

(2.) THE relevant facts giving rise to this petition and necessary for its decision are that late Shri L. C. Meena was married to Rekha daughter of complainant non-petitioner No. 2 Shri Samotilal Meena. THEir marriage was dissolved by a mutual consent by decree of divorce on 20. 12. 1988. Even prior to the decree of dissolution of marriage by the court they had mutually agreed to dissolve their marriage in the Panchayat of the Meena community on 13. 2. 1988. After dissolution of the marriage, late Shri L. C. Meena remarried the present petitioner. THE couple was blessed with a son. Smt. Rekha the previous wife of late Shri L. C. Meena committed suicide on 18. 10. 1990 by jumping into a well with her daughter Poonam aged about 3 years as a result of which Poonam died of drowning. One Kishorilal, the uncle of late Shri L. C. Meena submitted a written report on 18. 10. 1990 at PS Mahaveerji. An FIR No. 3/1990 came to be registered on its basis but complainant non-petitioner No. 2 Shri Samotilal Meena lodged another FIR No. 92/1990 with the allegation that accused including the present petitioner had committed murder of Smt. Rekha. After thorough investigation into these two cases simultaneously the police filed final report on 31. 12. 1990. On 26. 10. 1995 the learned Magistrate rejected the final report and passed orders taking cognizance against the present petitioner along with her husband L. C. Meena and her father-in-law Omkarmal for offence punishable under Section 306 IPC. A revision was preferred against the said order but the same was dismissed with the observation that the order taking cognizance was an interlocutory order and the accused persons may challenge the order by way of petition under Section 482 Cr. P. C. As such, S. B. Cr. Misc. Petition No. 319/2006 came to be registered in this Court which was also disposed of on 1. 11. 1996 with the observation that the accused persons should first of all make their submissions before the learned trial Court at the stage of the framing of the charges. THE accused petitioner surrendered herself before the court of learned A. C. J. M. Hindaun on 10. 1. 1997. THEreafter, the case was committed for trial to the Court of learned Additional Sessions Judge Hindaun. Shri L. C. Meena died in the mean while in a road accident. THE learned trial Court framed charge under Section 306 IPC against the petitioner and Omkarmal Meena which is under challenge in this petition.

(3.) IN Netai Dutta vs. State of West Bengal (supra) according to the facts of the case there was absolutely no averment in the alleged suicide note that the accused had caused any harm to deceased Pranab Kumar Nag or was in any way responsible for delay in paying his salary. It was noticed that the deceased was very much dissatisfied with the working conditions at his place and had never joined the office at Kolkata and absented himself for a period of 2 years after his transfer in 1999. He committed suicide on 16. 2. 2001. It was, therefore, held that it could not be said that the accused had in any way instigated the deceased to commit suicide. It was further held that it was a fit case where extraordinary powers under Section 482 Cr. P. C. were justified to be invoked and the criminal proceedings to be quashed because the criminal proceedings initiated against the accused would result only in sheer harassment to him without any fruitful result.