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PETITIONER: MATHEW AREEPARMTIL & ORS.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF BIHAR AND ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT20/09/1984

BENCH: FAZALALI, SYED MURTAZA BENCH: FAZALALI, SYED MURTAZA VARADARAJAN, A. (J) MUKHARJI, SABYASACHI (J)

CITATION:  1984 AIR 1854            1985 SCR  (1) 776  1985 SCC  (2) 102        1984 SCALE  (2)402

ACT:

HEADNOTE:      Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, s. 144 and s. 169.      The writ petitioners brought to the notice of the Court that a  very large  number of people had been languishing in jails without trial for petty offences.      Disposing of the writ petitions, ^      HELD: (1)  In all  cases instituted against the adivasi accused involving  sentence of 7 years or more, they will be entitled to  be released  on consideration  of merit  by the court on  executing a  personal bond.  These cases  will  be disposed of on merits expeditiously.[777E]      (2) In  the other cases where trial has already started and which  do not  come within the first category, indicated above, the  accused will  be entitled to be released on bail on executing  a personal bond in the absence of very special circumstances.[777F]      (3) In  cases where  no proceedings  at all  have taken place in  regard to the accused within 3 years from the date of the  lodging of  FIR,  the  accused  should  be  released forthwith under section 169 Cr.P.C. [777G]      (4) If  there are  other cases  in which neither change sheet  have   been  submitted  nor  investigation  has  been completed during the last three years, the accused concerned should be  released forthwith  subject to reinvestigation of the said cases on fresh facts and they shall not be arrested without  the   permission  of   the  Magistrate   and  where permission is given they would be released by the Magistrate on execution of personal bond. [777H; 778A-B]      (5) Section  144 Cr.  P.C. should  not be  misused  and orders under  this Section  should be passed in the light of principles laid down in 1983 (4) SCC 161 at page 169.

JUDGMENT:      ORIGINAL JURISDICTION:  Writ Petition  (Criminal)  Nos. 371-75 of 1983.      (Under article 32 of the Constitution of India)

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    Govind  Mukhoty   and  Ms.   Kamini  Jaiswal   for  the petitioners. 777      L.N, Sinha,  K.G. Bhagat,  Addl. Sol.  General,  R.  N. Poddar,      P.P. Singh and D. Goburdhan for Respondents.      The Order of the Court was delivered by      FAZAL ALI,  J. We have heard counsel for the parties at length and  have also gone through the Reports and documents filed by  the petitioners.  In view  of the  fact  that  the counsel for  the respondents  are more or less agreed to the order we  propose to  pass, it  is not  necessary to go into further details.      The facts  as gleaned  from the  Reports and  documents reveal a  most shocking  state of  affairs in  the region in question. It  seems that  a very large number of people have been languishing  in jails without trial for petty offences. Though most  of the  said people  are alleged  to have  been released but  the main infirmity has not been cured. Without going into  further details,  we dispose of the petitions in terms of the following Order:      "(1) In  all   cases  instituted  against  the  adivasi           accused concerned  which  involve  sentence  of  7           years  or  more,  they  will  be  entitled  to  be           released on  consideration of  merit by  the court           concerned only on executing a personal bond. These           cases will be disposed of on merits expeditiously.      (2)  In the other cases where trial has already started           and which  do not  come within the first category,           indicated above,  the accused  will be entitled to           be released  on bail  on executing a personal bond           in the absence of very special circumstances.      (3)  In the  cases where  no proceedings  at  all  have           taken place  in regard  to the  accused  within  3           years from  the date  of the  lodging of  FIR, the           accused should be released forthwith under section           169 Cr.P.C.      (4)  If there  are other cases in which neither charge-           sheet have  been submitted  nor investigation  has           been completed  during the  last three  years, the           accused 778           concerned should  be released forthwith subject to           reinvestigation of  the said  case on  fresh facts           and  they   shall  not  be  arrested  without  the           permission of  the Magistrate and where permission           is given  they would be released by the Magistrate           on execution of personal bond. We would  like to  observe that  Section 144 Cr. P.C. should not be  misused and  orders under  this  Section  should  be passed in  the light of principles laid down in 1983 (4) SCC 161 at page 169.      At the same time, we would like to warn Adivasi accused that they  should not  take the  law in  their own  hands by shooting or  using their  arrows on  Government Officers  or other forest  officers. If  they have any complaint they can move the  appropriate authority and get suitable orders from him. H.S.K. 779