(This is a guest post by Jaiyesh Bhoosreddy)
Introduction
Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 [Cr.P.C.] confers powers upon a magistrate empowered under Section 190 of Cr.P.C. to order a police officer in charge of a police station to investigate any cognizable offence. The scope of Section 156(3) was always considered as pre-cognizance, which is evident from the numerous judicial precedents stating that the power of the magistrate to order investigation under Section 156(3) is always pre-cognizance. The rationale, for considering Section 156(3) as pre-cognizance only, was that the expression ‘taking cognizance’ was judicially interpreted by the courts to mean the ‘judicial application of mind’ by the magistrate with the purpose of proceeding under Section 200 and the succeeding sections of Chapter XV of Cr.P.C., and any other action in his judicial discretion such as ordering investigation under Section 156(3) of Cr.P.C. would be pre-cognizance only [To understand the different stages of a criminal case such as cognizance etc., see here].
However, a Three Justices' Bench of the Supreme Court in Vinubhai Haribhai Malviya & Ors. v. State of Gujarat [Criminal Appeal Nos. 478-479 of 2017, decided on 16.10.2019 (“Vinubhai”)], held that a magistrate can order further investigation under Section 156(3) of the Cr.P.C. in the post-cognizance stage. The judgment has, albeit not surprisingly, caused wide-spread confusion among criminal law practitioners with respect to the scope of Section 156(3), and it has also been criticised by some practitioners on grounds that it is contrary to statutory provisions and established judicial precedent.
The present discussion regarding the scope of Section 156(3) is to be viewed in the context of the said judgment. At the very outset, the preliminary issue that bears into mind is regarding the question of propriety of the said judgment, in view of a number of opposing judgments from various courts including the Apex Court itself, which have already laid down the point of law very clearly on the subject matter. The author intends to highlight the problematic issue of noncompliance of a celebrated judicial principle, which should be kept under consideration while pronouncing a judgment. The author will argue that the said judgment is contrary to the very structure of our judicial system which follows the common law tradition, where the previous judicial decisions of the Supreme Court of India under Article 141 and also of High Courts, as Courts of Records, constitutes the “law of the land” in the form of precedents which has binding effect over all lower courts, and also on the coordinate benches of the Apex Court and the High Courts.
Erroneous Interpretation of Section 156(3): Section 156(1) overrides Section 2(h) with respect to interpretation of the scope of application of Section 156(3) of Cr.P.C.
Vinubhai has created adverse ripples in criminal jurisprudence, which is the result of the Bench erroneously observing that the magistrate’s power to order investigation under Section 156(3) is post-cognizance, and in doing so, the Bench has overruled an earlier judgment of the Apex Court in Devarapally Lakshminarayana Reddy v. V. Narayana Reddy [1976 AIR 1672 (“Devrapally”)] and a plethora of other judgments, which had cemented the proposition that the power under Section 156(3) of Cr.P.C. can be invoked only at a pre-cognizance stage.
The plain reading of the provision also clearly reads that it is pre-cognizance and not post-cognizance. The first and primary rule of construction of statues clearly states that if the plain reading of the statute is unambiguous, then the courts should go by the plain reading and not read beyond the text of the statute. The interpretation provided in Malviya is contrary to the legislative intent, which is evident from the language employed in Section 156(3). Section 156(3) employs the language, “such an investigation as mentioned above” to draw reference to the scope of application of the term ‘investigation’, which is provided in Section 156(1) of Cr.P.C.
The Court was erroneous in holding the rationale of Devarapally as incorrect simply because the Bench in Devarapally did not ‘notice’ Section 2(h) of Cr.P.C., as the proviso attached to the title of Section 2 states that the ‘definitions’ provided in Section 2 are subject to exceptions which is evident from the phrase, “In this Code, unless the context otherwise requires”. The author stresses upon the usage of the phrase, “unless the context otherwise requires” in support of the scope of application of investigation to be done only in the manner prescribed under Section 156(1) of Cr.P.C., where the ‘context’ mandates that the power of magistrate with respect to ordering of investigation under Section 156(3) to be limited only to the pre-cognizance stage. This was consciously provided by the legislature for situations where the police would fail to take cognizance of a cognizable offence under its jurisdiction, and so the victim or any other person could approach the magistrate for legal remedy to ensure dispensation of justice. Therefore, Section 2(h) of Cr.P.C. is irrelevant for the purpose of determining the scope of application of Section 156(3) because it triggers an investigation as provided under Section 156(1).
Noncompliance of the Principle of Stare Decisis in reference to the expression ‘taking cognizance of an offence’
The Bench in Vinubhai could have avoided the erroneous interpretation with respect to the scope of Section 156(3) of Cr.P.C., if it would have exhaustively considered the judicial precedents, including Devrapally, deliberating upon the expression ‘taking cognizance’, then it would have realised that the earlier decisions on the subject matter are cemented as courts have always expressly construed the power of the magistrate to order investigation under Section 156(3) to be pre-cognizance only. This is because a magistrate ‘takes cognizance’ of an offence when he applies his mind for the purposes of proceeding under Section 200 and the succeeding sections in Chapter XV of Cr.P.C., and only then can he be said to have taken cognizance of the offence within the meaning of Section 190(1)(a). However, if the magistrate takes any other action in his judicial discretion, instead of proceeding under Chapter XV of Cr.P.C., then he cannot be said to have taken cognizance.
Additionally, the above stated judicial explanation of the expression ‘taking cognizance’ was reiterated by the Apex Court, in R.R Chari v. State of Uttar Pradesh [1951 AIR 207 (“R.R Chari”) (Three Justices' Bench)], while considering the phrase ‘taking cognizance’, approved the decision of Calcutta High Court in Superintendent and Remembrancer of Legal Affairs, West Bengal v. Abani Kumar Banerjee [AIR 1950 Cal. 437], wherein the Court observed that taking an action of the nature of ordering an investigation under Section 156(3) will be pre-cognizance only. The same view was reiterated by the Apex Court in Nirmaljit Singh Hoon v. State of West Bengal and Anr. [AIR 1972 SC 2639] and Jamuna Singh and Ors. v. Bhadai Sah [AIR 1964 SC 1541].
Thus, R.R. Chari is another judgment pronounced by a three-judge bench, apart from Devarapally, where the Court has affirmed that Section 156(3) is pre-cognizance only. In view of this, the Bench in Vinubhai should have refrained from overruling Devrapally as it is a recognised principle that the views by one Bench is binding upon another coordinate Bench. In Union of India v. Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. [AIR 1986 SC 806] and Union of India v. Raghubir Singh [AIR 1989 SC 1933], the Courts have held that when one Bench thinks differently from another Bench of equal strength, then it should refer the matter to a larger Bench for decision rather than deciding upon the correctness of the view of the earlier coordinate Bench. Therefore, even if the Bench in Vinubhai was possessed by a very strong inclination that the interpretation in Devrapally was flawed, it should have referred the matter to a larger bench for resolution, however the Bench proceeded, on the basis of a flawed reasoning, to overrule established judicial precedents which has caused confusion in the field of criminal law.
Practical Benefits of the Judgment: Positive Impact for Bona Fide Applicants
In Vinubhai, the question of law that the Court had to decide upon was, “whether a magistrate has the power to order further investigation after a charge sheet is filed by the police”. The Court held that the magistrate had power under Section 173(8) of Cr.P.C. to direct further investigation up to the stage of framing of charges, and simultaneously overruled those decisions of the Apex Court, which interpreted the powers under Section 173(8) in a restrictive manner and thereby providing support to a latest decision of the Court, which construed the power under Section 173(8) to allow the magistrate to order further investigation after a police report was filed and cognizance was taken upon the said police report.
This was a positive step taken by the Bench in the development of law through judicial interpretation, as it resolved conflicting views given by the Court in the past to promote certainty of law, and furthered the interest of justice as a result of liberal interpretation. The judgment enables bona fide applicants to request for further investigation, and this would also lead to a reduction in multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) being filed. However, it should also be noted that the judgment also enables the accused persons and other parties in a criminal proceeding, with the ability to delay and derail the proceedings by filing applications requesting for further investigation to occur, and these orders under Section 173(8) will be subject to appeals which will invariably result in delays of the criminal proceedings causing irreparable loss either to the accused or to the victim.
Conclusion
The author submits that Vinubhai has eroded the principle of ‘Stare Decisis’, which is the foundation upon which the common law tradition exists. The Bench in Vinubhai overruled the plethora of judgments which followed Devarapally. Now, one could argue that the Bench was not improper in overruling the plethora of judgments as the bench strength was higher in Vinubhai, however that logic stands correct only if the Malviya judgment overruled Devarapally judgment which is not the case as the former is a per incuriam judgment with respect to the question of scope of Section 156(3) of Cr.P.C., and Devarapally also enjoys support from R.R. Chari which is another three-judge bench judgment, which held that Section 156(3) is pre-cognizance only.
The lower courts can still adhere to the decision in Devarapally despite Vinubhai being a more recent judgment on the ground that the latter is per incuriam as it did not analyse the scope of Section 156(3) in the context of judicial precedents pertaining to the expression ‘taking cognizance’, which is of crucial importance when determining whether the scope of Section 156(3) is pre-cognizance or post-cognizance. This question was resolved by the various High Courts themselves in Amar Singh Yadav v. Shanti Devi [AIR 1987 Pat. 191] and Ganga Saran v. Civil Judge, Hapur [AIR 1991 All. 114], wherein the Courts have held that in the case of conflicting views rendered by different coordinate benches of the Supreme Court of India, then the decision which states the law more elaborately and accurately should be followed, by the High Courts, rather than the view that has been expressed at a later date. It would be prudent to conclude the present discussion on the point that the cardinal principle of the law of precedents is that the superior courts, especially the Apex Court and the High Courts, should settle questions of law in a consistent manner so that the law of precedents attains some degree of certainty, and observance of law is ensured.
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