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2017 (2) TMI 1287 - HC - Indian LawsPrayer of quashing the enitre proceedings of case no. 866/05 under Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act, pending before Special Judicial Magistrate (Pollution) Lucknow along with a prayer to quash the order dated 10.5.2007 - Admittedly, a complaint under Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act was filed by the opposite party no.2 wherein the learned Magistrate has taken cognizance and summoned the petitioners along with other co-accused. An application was moved by the petitioners under Section 245 (2) CrPC which was rejected by the learned Magistrate. This order of rejection is also under challenge Held that: - the admitted position in law is that in those cases where the accused is residing at a place beyond the area in which the Magistrate exercises his jurisdiction, it is mandatory on the part of the Magistrate to conduct an inquiry or investigation before issuing the process. Section 202 of the Cr.P.C. was amended in the year by the Code of Criminal Procedure(Amendment) Act, 2005, with effect from 22nd June, 2006 by adding the words that ''and shall, in a case where the accused is residing at a place beyond the area in which he exercises his jurisdiction'. There is a vital purpose or objective behind this amendment, namely, to ward off false complaints against such persons residing at a far off places in order to save them from unnecessary harassment. Thus, the amended provisions casts an obligation on the Magistrate to conduct inquiry or direct investigation before issuing the process, so that false complaints are filtered and rejected. In the present case the opposite party no.2 has not complied the provisions of Section 141 of Negotiable Instruments Act. An essential requirement of Section 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act has not been made wherein it was necessary to specifically aver in the complaint that at the time the offence was committed the present accused was incharge of, and responsible for the conduct of business of the company. The requirement of Section 141 is that the person sought to be made liable should be incharge of and responsible for the conduct of the business of the company at the relevant time. Necessary averments ought to be contained in a complaint before a person can be subjected to criminal process. A clear case should be spelled out in the complaint against the person sought to be made liable. A complaint has to be examined by the Magistrate in the first instance on the basis of averments contained therein. Merely being described as a Director in a company is not to satisfy the requirement of Section 141 of Negotiable Instruments Act. Since no compliance of Section 141 of Negotiable Instruments Act has been made by the opposite party no.2, hence, the complaint itself is not maintainable under the law. The power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. is not to be exercised in a routine manner, but it is for limited purposes, namely, to give effect to any order under the Code, or to prevent abuse of process of any Court or otherwise to secure ends of justice. Time and again, Apex Court and various High Courts, including ours one, have reminded when exercise of power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. would be justified, which cannot be placed in straight jacket formula, but one thing is very clear that it should not preampt a trial and cannot be used in a routine manner so as to cut short the entire process of trial before the Courts below. Compliance of the provisions of Section 141 Negotiable Instruments Act has not been made by the opposite party no.2 which can and should be seen by this Court in a petition under Section 482 CrPC, hence, I do not find any force in the argument of the learned counsel for the opposite party. Petition allowed - decided in favor of petitioner.
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