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PETITIONER: STATE OF PUNJAB

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: RAJ SINGH AND ANR.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       16/01/1998

BENCH: M.K. MUKHERJEE, K.T. THOMAS

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      Leave  granted.  Heard  the  learned  counsel  for  the parties.      We are unable to sustain the impugned order of the High Court quashing  the F.I.R.  lodged against  the  respondents alleging commission  of offences  under Sections 467 and 468 I.P.C. by  Chem in course of the proceeding of a civil suit, on  the  ground  that  Section  195  (1)  (b)  (ii)  Cr.P.C. prohibited entertainment  of and investigation into the same by the  police. From  a plain reading of Section 195 Cr.P.C. it is  manifest that  it comes  into operation  at the stage when the  Court intends  to take  cognizance of  an  offence under Section 190(1) Cr. P.C.; and it has nothing to do with the statutory  power of  the police  to investigate  into an F.I.R. which  discloses a  cognisable offence, in accordance with Chapter  XII of the Code even if the offence is alleged to have been committed in, or in relation to, any proceeding in Court.  In other words, the statutory power of the Police to investigate  under the  Code is not in any way controlled or circumscribed by Section 195 Cr.P.C. It is of course true that upon  the charge-sheet  (challan),  if  any,  filed  on completion of  the investigation  into such  an offence  the Court would  not be  competent to take cognizance thereof in view of  the embargo  of Section  19591) (b) Cr. P. C. , but nothing therein deters the Court from filing a complaint for the offence  on the  basis  of  the  F.I.R.  (filed  by  the aggrieved private  party) and the materials collected during investigation, provided  it forms  the requisite opinion and follows the procedure laid down tin section 340 Cr. P.C. The judgment of  this Court  in Gopal Krishna Menon and Anr. Vs. D. Raja  Reddy [AIR  1983 SC  1053], on which the High Court relied, has  no manner  of application  to the  facts of the instant case  for there  cognizance was  taken on  a private complaint even  though the  offence of forgery was committed in respect  of a  money receipt  produced in the Civil Court and hence  it  was  held  that  the  Court  could  not  take cognizance on such a complaint in view of Section 195 Cr. P. C.      For the foregoing reasons, we allow this appeal and set aside the impugned order.

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