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401. (P&H HC) 20-01-2022

Constitution of India, Article 226, 227 -- Suo-moto writ -- Covid-19 situation – Interim direction/ Bail/ Stay --  Following directions are re-imposed with immediate effect and shall be operative till 28.02.2022:-

i)       that all the interim orders/directions issued or protection granted including any order requiring any compliance by the parties to such proceedings, passed by this Court or any other Court subordinate to it or any Family Court or Labour Court or any Tribunal or any other Judicial or Quasi Judicial forum, over which this Court has power of superintendence, which are subsisting today shall stand extended till 28.02.2022; provided that the Court concern shall not automatically continue the interim directions and would be free to continue, modify or recall, as the case may be, the interim orders in case it is of the opinion that the direction contained above is being misused or abused and for that purpose may take up the matter on the date fixed. In all other cases, the interim direction, as contained above, shall continue to be extended uptill 28.02.2022.

ii)      that it is further directed that the interim orders or directions of this Court or any Court subordinate to this Court, which are not of a limited duration and are meant to operate till further orders, shall continue to remain in force until modified/altered/vacated by specific order of the Court concerned in a particular case;

iii)     that the time for filing of written-statement or return in any Suit or proceeding pending before any Civil Court or any other forum, unless specifically directed, shall stand extended till 28.02.2022. It is however clarified that this will not preclude the parties from filing such written-statement or return before 28.02.2022;

iv)     that it is further directed that the orders of eviction, dispossession, demolition, etc. passed by this Court or any   Court subordinate to it or any Tribunal or Judicial or Quasi   Judicial forum, which have so far remained unexecuted, shall remain in abeyance till 28.02.2022;

v)      that interim protection given in the anticipatory bail applications by the High Court or Court of Sessions for a limited period, which is likely to expire from now up to 28.02.2022, shall stand extended till 28.02.2022. However, any party aggrieved by the conduct of the accused on such interim protection, may move the Court seisin over the matter for discontinuation of such interim protection, if any prejudice is caused to him/her, in which event, the Court concerned shall be entitled to take independent view of the matter;

vi)     that all the interim bails granted under Section 439, Cr.P.C. by the High Court or Courts of Sessions, limited by time-frame specifying an expiry date from now up to 28.02.2022, shall stand extended till 28.02.2022, subject to the accused not abusing such liberty or else it may be cancelled at the instance of the State or the complainant, on application with adequate proof of the abuse of the liberty so granted by the Court concerned;

vii)    that parole granted to a person by order passed by a Court exercising the criminal jurisdiction and limited by time-frame specifying an expiry date from now up to 28.02.2022, shall stand extended till 28.02.2022, subject to the condition specified in Point No.(vi) above;

viii)   that the State Governments, Union Territory, Chandigarh, or any of its Departments or any Municipal Corporation / Council  / Board or any Gram Panchayat or any other local body or any other agency and instrumentality of the State shall not take any action for eviction and demolition in respect of any property, over which any citizen or person or party or any Body Corporate, has physical or symbolic possession as on today till 28.02.2022;

ix)     that it is further directed that any Bank or Financial Institution shall not take action for auction in respect of any property of any citizen or person or party or any Body corporate till 28.02.2022; subject to the clarification issued by this Court vide orders dated 20.08.2021 and 23.09.2021 restricting its applicability.

x)      that if the Government of Punjab, Haryana, Union Territory, Chandigarh, and/or any of its Departments and/or functionaries, Central Government and/or its departments or functionaries or any Public Sector Undertakings or any Public or Private Companies or any Firm or any individual or person is/are, by the order of this Court or any Court subordinate to it or the Tribunals, required to do a particular thing or carry out certain direction in a particular manner, in a time frame, which is going to expire at any time from now up to 28.02.2022, the time for compliance of such order shall stand extended up to 28.02.2022, unless specifically directed otherwise by the Court concerned; subject to the fact that the aforesaid prohibition shall not apply to the orders/directions, which were required to be complied with and are meant for the benefit of the litigant or public at large.

xi)     that in order to dispel any ambiguity, it is clarified that:-

(a)     those interim orders / directions, which are not for a limited duration and are to operate until further orders, shall by this order remain unaffected;

(b)     that, in case extension of interim order(s) as per the present order passed by this Court, causes any undue hardship and prejudice of any extreme nature, to any of the parties to such proceeding(s), such parties would be at liberty to seek appropriate relief by moving appropriate application(s) before the Competent Court(s), Tribunal, Judicial or Quasi-Judicial Forum, and these directions shall not be taken as a bar for such Courts/Forums to consider such application(s) filed by the aggrieved party, on its own merit, after due notice and providing opportunity of hearing to the other side;

(c)     that the directions enumerated above shall not preclude the States or Union Territory, Chandigarh or Central Government from moving appropriate application for vacation/modification of such order in any particular case for reason of overriding public interest;

(d)     that all Courts, Tribunals, Judicial and Quasi-judicial authorities are directed to abide by these directions, and the parties seeking relief(s) covered by these directions can file hard copy or soft copy of this order before the competent court/forum, which shall be given due weightage.

(Para 7)

415. (SC) 16-08-2021

A. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), Section 41, 170, 173 – Filing of Investigation report/ Challan/ Charge-sheet -- Arrest of accused – Requirement of --  Section 170 does not impose an obligation on the Officer-in-charge to arrest each and every accused at the time of filing of the chargesheet – Held, if the Investigating Officer does not believe that the accused will abscond or disobey summons he/she is not required to be produced in custody -- The word “custody” appearing in Section 170 of the Cr.P.C. does not contemplate either police or judicial custody but it merely connotes the presentation of the accused by the Investigating Officer before the court while filing the chargesheet.

(Para 11)

B. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), Section 41, 170, 173 – Constitution of India, Article 21 -- Filing of Investigation report/ Challan/ Charge-sheet -- Arrest of accused – Requirement of --  Personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate -- Occasion to arrest an accused during investigation arises when custodial investigation becomes necessary or it is a heinous crime or where there is a possibility of influencing the witnesses or accused may abscond -- Merely because an arrest can be made because it is lawful does not mandate that arrest must be made -- A distinction must be made between the existence of the power to arrest and the justification for exercise of it -- If arrest is made routine, it can cause incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a person.

(Para 12)

C. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), Section 41, 170, 173 – Filing of Investigation report/ Challan/ Charge-sheet -- Arrest of accused – Requirement of --  Trial courts are stated to be insisting on the arrest of an accused as a pre-requisite formality to take the chargesheet on record in view of the provisions of Section 170 of the Cr.P.C – Held, such a course is misplaced and contrary to the very intent of Section 170 of the Cr.P.C.

(Para 13)

D. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), Section 41, 170, 173 – Filing of Investigation report/ Challan/ Charge-sheet -- Arrest of accused – Requirement of --  Appellant has joined the investigation, investigation has completed and he has been roped in after seven years of registration of the FIR -- No reason why at this stage he must be arrested before the chargesheet is taken on record – Counsel for the appellant has already stated before the Court that on summons being issued the appellant will put the appearance before the trial court -- Impugned order set aside, appeal allowed.

(Para 14)

420. (SC) 09-08-2021

Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, (54 of 2002), Section 13(2)(4) -- Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (70 of 1971), Section 12, 19 – Constitution of India, Article 226 -- SARFAESI proceedings -- Contempt of Court -- Undertaking before the High Court to make payment on specific dates – Non-honouring of commitment – Held, series of acts committed by the petitioners (i) in issuing post-dated cheques, which were dated beyond the date within which they had agreed to make payment; (ii) in allowing those cheques to be dishonoured; (iii) in not appearing before the Court on the first date of hearing with an excuse that was found to be false; (iv) in coming up with an explanation about their own debtors committing default; and (v) in getting exposed through the report of the SFIO, convinced the High Court to believe that the undertaking given by the petitioners was not based upon good faith but intended to hoodwink the Court – No fault with the High Court holding the petitioners guilty of contempt -- No dispute on facts that the mortgaged properties have now been sold and with extraordinary efforts, the Bank has also taken possession -- Petitioners have also spent 11 days in custody out of the total period of imprisonment of three months imposed by the High Court -- In such circumstances, it is sufficient punishment for the petitioners – Sentence reduced to already undergone.

(Para 12-14, 27, 33, 34)

432. (P&H HC) 12-07-2021

A. Constitution of India, Article 21, 226 -- Run-away marriage – Police protection – Aadhar Card as proof of age – Admissibility of -- Though the petitioners are shown to be 26 years and 25 years of age respectively, however, there is no firm proof of age of either of the petitioners other than their Aadhar Cards, which is actually no proof as no documentary proof is asked for at the time of applying for the Aadhar card or the issuance thereof -- However, since protection of life and liberty is a fundamental right of every citizen under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, petition disposed of with a direction to respondents no.2 and 3, to ensure that the lives and liberty of the petitioners are not put to any harm or threat.

(Para 4, 5)

B. Constitution of India, Article 21, 226 -- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (6 of 2007), Section 3, 15 -- Run-away marriage – Police protection given – Marriage with minor – Voidable -- If upon actual verification, the age of the petitioners, especially petitioner no.1/girl, is found to be below marriageable age in terms of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the order will not bar proceedings under the provisions of that Act -- In terms of Section 3 of the said Act, a marriage performed by a child (as defined under that Act), may not be void but only voidable upon the said minor attaining maturity -- However, that still does not bar proceedings under that Act for entering into a marriage before the legally marriageable age as per the Act.

(Para 6, 7)