TMI Blog2010 (12) TMI 1085X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... onal liberty and the society's interest. 3. The society has a vital interest in grant or refusal of bail because every criminal offence is the offence against the State. The order granting or refusing bail must reflect perfect balance between the conflicting interests, namely, sanctity of individual liberty and the interest of the society. The law of bails dovetails two conflicting interests namely, on the one hand, the requirements of shielding the society from the hazards of those committing crimes and potentiality of repeating the same crime while on bail and on the other hand absolute adherence of the fundamental principle of criminal jurisprudence regarding presumption of innocence of an accused until he is found guilty and the sanctity of individual liberty. 4. Brief facts which are necessary to dispose of this appeal are recapitulated as under: The appellant, who belongs to the Indian National Congress party (for short `Congress party') is the alleged accused in this case. The case of the prosecution, as disclosed in the First Information Report (for short FIR'), is that Sidramappa Patil was contesting election of the State assembly on beha ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... be relevant to mention that the alleged incident took place after eight days of the alleged incident of instigation. 8. The law relating to bail is contained in sections 436 to 450 of chapter XXXIII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Section 436 deals with situation, in what kind of cases bail should be granted. Section 436 deals with the situation when bail may be granted in case of a bailable offence. Section 439 deals with the special powers of the High Court or the Court of Sessions regarding grant of bail. Under sections 437 and 439 bail is granted when the accused or the detenu is in jail or under detention. 9. The provision of anticipatory bail was introduced for the first time in the Code of Criminal Procedure in 1973. 10. Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 reads as under: 438. Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest.- (1) Where any person has reason to believe that he may be arrested on accusation of having committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section that in the event of such arrest he shall be released on bail; and that Court m ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ition as may be imposed under sub-section (3) of section 437, as if the bail were granted under that section. (3) If such person is thereafter arrested without warrant by an officer in charge of a police station on such accusation, and is prepared either at the time of arrest or at any time while in the custody of such officer to give bail, he shall be released on bail, and if a Magistrate taking cognizance of such offence decides that a warrant should issue in the first instance against that person, he shall issue a bailable warrant in conformity with the direction of the Court under sub-section (1). Why was the provision of anticipatory bail introduced? - Historical perspective 11. The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 did not contain any specific provision of anticipatory bail. Under the old Code, there was a sharp difference of opinion amongst the various High Courts on the question as to whether the courts had an inherent power to pass an order of bail in anticipation of arrest, the preponderance of view being that it did not have such power. 12. The Law Commission of India, in its 41st Report dated September 24, 1969 pointed out the necessity of introducing a prov ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... an inevitable concomitant of arrest for non-bailable offences. The concept of anticipatory bail is that a person who apprehends his arrest in a non-bailable case can apply for grant of bail to the Court of Sessions or to the High Court before the arrest. Scope and ambit of Section 438 Cr.P.C. 15. It is apparent from the Statement of Objects and Reasons for introducing section 438 in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 that it was felt imperative to evolve a device by which an alleged accused is not compelled to face ignominy and disgrace at the instance of influential people who try to implicate their rivals in false cases. 16. The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 did not contain any specific provision corresponding to the present section 438 Cr.P.C. The only two clear provisions of law by which bail could be granted were sections 437 and 439 of the Code. Section 438 was incorporated in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for the first time. 17. It is clear from the Statement of Objects and Reasons that the purpose of incorporating Section 438 in the Cr.P.C. was to recognize the importance of personal liberty and freedom in a free and democratic country. When we care ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... y bail does not in any way, directly or indirectly, take away from the police their power and right to fully investigate into charges made against the appellant. He further submitted that when the case is under investigation, the usual anxiety of the investigating agency is to ensure that the alleged accused should fully cooperate with them and should be available as and when they require him. In the instant case, when the appellant has already joined the investigation and is fully cooperating with the investigating agency then it is difficult to comprehend why the respondent is insistent for custodial interrogation of the appellant? According to the appellant, in the instant case, the investigating agency should not have a slightest doubt that the appellant would not be available to the investigating agency for further investigation particularly when he has already joined investigation and is fully cooperating with the investigating agency. 24. Mr. Bhushan also submitted that according to the General Clauses Act, 1897 the court which grants the bail also has the power to cancel it. The grant of bail is an interim order. The court can always review its decision according to the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... out as under: ........A wise exercise of judicial power inevitably takes care of the evil consequences which are likely to flow out of its intemperate use. Every kind of judicial discretion, whatever may be the nature of the matter in regard to which it is required to be exercised, has to be used with due care and caution. In fact, an awareness of the context in which the discretion is required to be exercised and of the reasonably foreseeable consequences of its use, is the hall mark of a prudent exercise of judicial discretion. One ought not to make a bugbear of the power to grant anticipatory bail . 28. Mr. Bhushan referred to a Constitution Bench judgment in Sibbia's case (supra) to strengthen his argument that no such embargo has been placed by the said judgment of the Constitution Bench. He placed heavy reliance on para 15 of Sibbia's case (supra), which reads as under: 15. Judges have to decide cases as they come before them, mindful of the need to keep passions and prejudices out of their decisions. And it will be strange if, by employing judicial artifices and techniques, we cut down the discretion so wisely conferred upon the courts, by dev ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... nformity with the fundamental principles of criminal jurisprudence that accused is considered to be innocent till he is found guilty nor in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution where individual's liberty in a democratic society is considered sacrosanct. 31. Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani, learned senior counsel appearing for respondent no. 2, submitted that looking to the facts and circumstances of this case, the High Court was justified in declining the anticipatory bail to the appellant. He submitted that the anticipatory bail ought to be granted in rarest of rare cases where the nature of offence is not very serious. He placed reliance on the case of Pokar Ram v. State of Rajasthan and Others (1985) 2 SCC 597 and submitted that in murder cases custodial interrogation is of paramount importance particularly when no eye witness account is available. 32. Mr. Jethmalani fairly submitted that the practice of passing orders of anticipatory bail operative for a few days and directing the accused to surrender before the Magistrate and apply for regular bail are contrary to the law laid down in Sibbia's case (supra). The decisions of this Court in Salauddin Abdulsamad ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... st be followed on account of the larger strength of the Bench that delivered it but the subsequent decisions must be held to be per incuriam and hence not binding since they have not taken into account the ratio of the judgment of the Constitution Bench. 37. He further submitted that as per the doctrine of `per incuriam', any judgment which has been passed in ignorance of or without considering a statutory provision or a binding precedent is not good law and the same ought to be ignored. A perusal of the judgments in Salauddin Abdulsamad Shaikh v. State of Maharashtra, K. L. Verma v. State and Another, Adri Dharan Das v. State of West Bengal and Sunita Devi v. State of Bihar and Another (supra) indicates that none of these judgments have considered para 42 of Sibbia's case (supra) in proper perspective. According to Mr. Jethmalani, all subsequent decisions which have been cited above have to be read in the light of the Constitution Bench's decision in Sibbia's case (supra) since they are decisions of Benches comprised of lesser number of judges. According to him, none of these subsequent decisions could be intended taking a view contrary to that of the Constituti ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the concept of liberty was the outcome of two notions, firstly, protection of group from attack and secondly, the ambition of the group to realize itself as fully as possible through the self-realization of the individual by way of human reason. Greeks assigned the duty of protecting their liberties to the State. According to Aristotle, as the state was a means to fulfil certain fundamental needs of human nature and was a means for development of individuals' personality in association of fellow citizens so it was natural and necessary to man. Plato found his republic as the best source for the achievement of the self-realization of the people. 44. Chambers' Twentieth Century Dictionary defines liberty as Freedom to do as one pleases, the unrestrained employment of natural rights, power of free chance, privileges, exemption, relaxation of restraint, the bounds within which certain privileges are enjoyed, freedom of speech and action beyond ordinary civility . 45. It is very difficult to define the liberty . It has many facets and meanings. The philosophers and moralists have praised freedom and liberty but this term is difficult to define because it does not res ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the true function and end of the state. It is only when the individual has reached the highest state of perfection and evolved what is best in him that society and the state can reach their goal of perfection. In brief, according to this doctrine, the state exists mainly, if not solely, for the purpose of affording the individual freedom and assistance for the attainment of his growth and perfection. The state exists for the benefit of the individual. 51. Mr. Setalvad in the same treatise further observed that it is also true that the individual cannot attain the highest in him unless he is in possession of certain essential liberties which leave him free as it were to breathe and expand. According to Justice Holmes, these liberties are the indispensable conditions of a free society. The justification of the existence of such a state can only be the advancement of the interests of the individuals who compose it and who are its members. Therefore, in a properly constituted democratic state, there cannot be a conflict between the interests of the citizens and those of the state. The harmony, if not the identity, of the interests of the state and the individual, is the fundamental ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... part of the Indian territory. In ordinary language personal liberty means liberty relating to or concerning the person or body of the individual, and personal liberty in this sense is the antithesis of physical restraint or coercion. 56. Eminent English Judge Lord Alfred Denning observed: By personal freedom I mean freedom of every law abiding citizen to think what he will, to say what he will, and to go where he will on his lawful occasion without hindrance from any person.... It must be matched, of course, with social security by which I mean the peace and good order of the community in which we live. 57. Eminent former Judge of this Court, Justice H.R. Khanna in a speech as published in 2 IJIL, Vol.18 (1978), p.133 observed that liberty postulates the creation of a climate wherein there is no suppression of the human spirits, wherein, there is no denial of the opportunity for the full growth of human personality, wherein head is held high and there is no servility of the human mind or enslavement of the human body . Right to life and personal liberty under the Constitution 58. We deem it appropriate to deal with the concept of personal liberty under the Indian and o ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... in this sense, antithesis of physical restraint or coercion. `Personal Liberty' means a personal right not to be subjected to imprisonment, arrest or other physical coercion in any manner that does not admit of legal justification. This negative right constitutes the essence of personal liberty. Patanjali Shastri, J. however, said that whatever may be the generally accepted connotation of the expression `personal liberty', it was used in Article 21 in a sense which excludes the freedom dealt with in Article 19. Thus, the Court gave a narrow interpretation to `personal liberty'. This court excluded certain varieties of rights, as separately mentioned in Article 19, from the purview of `personal liberty' guaranteed by Art. 21. 64. In Kharak Singh v. State of U.P. and Others AIR 1963 SC 1295, Subba Rao, J. defined `personal liberty, as a right of an individual to be free from restrictions or encroachment on his person whether these are directly imposed or indirectly brought about by calculated measure. The court held that `personal liberty' in Article 21 includes all varieties of freedoms except those included in Article 19. 65. In Maneka Gandhi v. Union of I ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... f life no longer means mere protection of death, or physical injury, but also an invasion of the right to live with human dignity and would include all these aspects of life which would go to make a man's life meaningful and worth living, such as his tradition, culture and heritage. [Francis Coralie Mullin v. Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi and Others (1981) 1 SCC 608] 70. Article 21 has received very liberal interpretation by this court. It was held: The right to live with human dignity and same does not connote continued drudging. It takes within its fold some process of civilization which makes life worth living and expanded concept of life would mean the tradition, culture, and heritage of the person concerned. [P. Rathinam/Nagbhusan Patnaik v. Union of India and Another (1994) 3 SCC 394.] 71. The object of Article 21 is to prevent encroachment upon personal liberty in any manner. Article 21 is repository of all human rights essentially for a person or a citizen. A fruitful and meaningful life presupposes full of dignity, honour, health and welfare. In the modern Welfare Philosophy , it is for the State to ensure these essentials of life to all its citi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... me reasoning applies to (e) and (f). Why torture the prisoner because others will demonstrate or attempt his rescue? The plain law of under-trial custody is thus contrary to the unedifying escort practice. (Para 31) Even in cases where, in extreme circumstances, handcuffs have to be put on the prisoner, the escorting authority must record contemporaneously the reason for doing so. Otherwise, under Article 21 the procedure will be unfair and bad in law. The minions of the police establishment must make good their security recipes by getting judicial approval. And, once the court directs that handcuffs shall be off, no escorting authority can overrule judicial direction. This is implicit in Article 21 which insists upon fairness, reasonableness and justice in the very procedure which authorities stringent deprivation of life and liberty. (Para 30) It is implicit in Articles 14 and 19 that when there is no compulsive need to fetter a person's limbs, it is sadistic, capricious, despotic and demoralizing to humble a man by manacling him. Such arbitrary conduct surely slaps Article 14 on the face. The minimal freedom of movement which even a detainee is entitled to under Article 1 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... y recognized statements of human rights. See: R on the application of Pretty v. Director of Public Prosecutions (2002) 1 All ER 1. U.S.A. 79. The importance of personal liberty is reflected in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of U.S.A. (1791) which declares as under :- No person shall be.....deprived of his life, liberty or property, without due process of law. (The `due process' clause was adopted in s.1(a) of the Canadian Bill of Rights Act, 1960. In the Canada Act, 1982, this expression has been substituted by `the principles of fundamental justice' [s.7]. 80. The Fourteenth Amendment imposes similar limitation on the State authorities. These two provisions are conveniently referred to as the `due process clauses'. Under the above clauses the American Judiciary claims to declare a law as bad, if it is not in accordance with `due process', even though the legislation may be within the competence of the Legislature concerned. Due process is conveniently understood means procedural regularity and fairness. (Constitutional Interpretation by Craig R. Ducat, 8 th Edn. 2002 p.475.). WEST GERMANY 81. Article 2(2) of the West German Constitu ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 89 held that the Canadian Court would not import `substantive reasonableness' into s.1(a), because of the unsalutary experience of substantive due process in the U.S.A.; and that as to `procedural reasonableness', s.1(a) of the Bill of Rights Act only referred to `the legal processes recognized by Parliament and the Courts in Canada'. The result was that in Canada, the `due process clause' lost its utility as an instrument of judicial review of legislation and it came to mean practically the same thing as whatever the Legislature prescribes, - much the same as `procedure established by law' in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, as interpreted in A.K. Gopalan (supra). BANGADESH 85. Article 32 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972 [3 SCW 385] reads as under: No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty save in accordance with law. This provision is similar to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Consequently, unless controlled by some other provision, it should be interpreted as in India. PAKISTAN 86. Article 9 Right to life and Liberty. - Security of Person : No person shall be deprived of life and liberty save in acc ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... edure prescribed by law. Even Article 20(1) amp; (2) and Article 22 are born out of a concern for human liberty. As it is often said, one realizes the value of liberty only when he is deprived of it. Liberty, along with equality is the most fundamental of human rights and the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Of equal importance is the maintenance of peace, law and order in the society. Unless, there is peace, no real progress is possible. Societal peace lends stability and security to the polity. It provides the necessary conditions for growth, whether it is in the economic sphere or in the scientific and technological spheres. 92. Just as the Liberty is precious to an individual, so is the society's interest in maintenance of peace, law and order. Both are equally important. 93. It is a matter of common knowledge that a large number of undertrials are languishing in jail for a long time even for allegedly committing very minor offences. This is because section 438 Cr.P.C. has not been allowed its full play. The Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra) clearly mentioned that section 438 Cr.P.C. is extraordinary because it was incorporated in ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... he available material and the facts of the particular case. In cases where the court is of the considered view that the accused has joined investigation and he is fully cooperating with the investigating agency and is not likely to abscond, in that event, custodial interrogation should be avoided. 97. A great ignominy, humiliation and disgrace is attached to the arrest. Arrest leads to many serious consequences not only for the accused but for the entire family and at times for the entire community. Most people do not make any distinction between arrest at a pre-conviction stage or post-conviction stage. Whether the powers under section 438 Cr.P.C. are subject to limitation of section 437 Cr.P.C.? 98. The question which arises for consideration is whether the powers under section 438 Cr.P.C. are unguided or uncanalised or are subject to all the limitations of section 437 Cr.P.C.? The Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra) has clearly observed that there is no justification for reading into section 438 Cr.P.C. and the limitations mentioned in section 437 Cr.P.C. The Court further observed that the plentitude of the section must be given its full play. The Constitution ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... fore a regular bail is contrary to the legislative intention and the judgment of the Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra). 103. It is a settled legal position that the court which grants the bail also has the power to cancel it. The discretion of grant or cancellation of bail can be exercised either at the instance of the accused, the public prosecutor or the complainant on finding new material or circumstances at any point of time. 104. The intention of the legislature is quite clear that the power of grant or refusal of bail is entirely discretionary. The Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra) has clearly stated that grant and refusal is discretionary and it should depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. The Constitution Bench in the said case has aptly observed that we must respect the wisdom of the Legislature entrusting this power to the superior courts namely, the High Court and the Court of Session. The Constitution Bench observed as under: We would, therefore, prefer to leave the High Court and the Court of Session to exercise their jurisdiction under Section 438 by a wise and careful use of their discretion which, by th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ease on bail in the event of arrest can be granted. The order granting anticipatory bail is a direction specifically to release the accused on bail in the event of his arrest. Once such a direction of anticipatory bail is executed by the accused and he is released on bail, the concerned court would be fully justified in imposing conditions including direction of joining investigation. 109. The court does not use the expression `anticipatory bail' but it provides for issuance of direction for the release on bail by the High Court or the Court of Sessions in the event of arrest. According to the aforesaid judgment of Salauddin's case, the accused has to surrender before the trial court and only thereafter he/she can make prayer for grant of bail by the trial court. The trial court would release the accused only after he has surrendered. 110. In pursuance to the order of the Court of Sessions or the High Court, once the accused is released on bail by the trial court, then it would be unreasonable to compel the accused to surrender before the trial court and again apply for regular bail. 111. The court must bear in mind that at times the applicant would approach the co ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s of the judgment of the Constitution Bench of this court in the Sibbia's case (supra). The validity of that section must accordingly be examined by the test of fairness and reasonableness which is implicit in Article 21. If the legislature itself were to impose an unreasonable restriction on the grant of anticipatory bail, such a restriction could have been struck down as being violative of Article 21. Therefore, while determining the scope of Section 438, the court should not impose any unfair or unreasonable limitation on the individual's right to obtain an order of anticipatory bail. Imposition of an unfair or unreasonable limitation, according to the learned Counsel, would be violative of Article 21, irrespective of whether it is imposed by legislation or by judicial decision. xxx xxx xxx Clause (1) of Section 438 is couched in terms, broad and unqualified. By any known canon of construction, words of width and amplitude ought not generally to be cut down so as to read into the language of the statute restraints and conditions which the legislature itself did not think it proper or necessary to impose. This is especially true when the statutory provision wh ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... uch stages and they are granted till the trial. 117. The view expressed by this Court in all the above referred judgments have to be reviewed and once the anticipatory bail is granted then the protection should ordinarily be available till the end of the trial unless the interim protection by way of the grant of anticipatory bail is curtailed when the anticipatory bail granted by the court is cancelled by the court on finding fresh material or circumstances or on the ground of abuse of the indulgence by the accused. SCOPE AND AMBIT OF ANTICIPATORY BAIL: 118. A good deal of misunderstanding with regard to the ambit and scope of section 438 Cr.P.C. could have been avoided in case the Constitution Bench decision of this court in Sibbia's case (supra) was correctly understood, appreciated and applied. 119. This Court in the Sibbia's case (supra) laid down the following principles with regard to anticipatory bail: a) Section 438(1) is to be interpreted in light of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. b) Filing of FIR is not a condition precedent to exercise of power under section 438. c) Order under section 438 would not affect the right of police to cond ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... cessarily depend on facts and circumstances of each case. As aptly observed in the Constitution Bench decision in Sibbia's case (supra) that the High Court or the Court of Sessions to exercise their jurisdiction under section 438 Cr.P.C. by a wise and careful use of their discretion which by their long training and experience they are ideally suited to do. In any event, this is the legislative mandate which we are bound to respect and honour. 122. The following factors and parameters can be taken into consideration while dealing with the anticipatory bail: i. The nature and gravity of the accusation and the exact role of the accused must be properly comprehended before arrest is made; ii. The antecedents of the applicant including the fact as to whether the accused has previously undergone imprisonment on conviction by a Court in respect of any cognizable offence; iii. The possibility of the applicant to flee from justice; iv. The possibility of the accused's likelihood to repeat similar or the other offences. v. Where the accusations have been made only with the object of injuring or humiliating the applicant by arresting him or her. vi. Impact of grant of a ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... tive intention we should accept the fact that the discretion would be properly exercised. In any event, the option of approaching the superior court against the court of Sessions or the High Court is always available. 126. Irrational and Indiscriminate arrest are gross violation of human rights. In Joginder Kumar's case (supra), a three Judge Bench of this Court has referred to the 3rd report of the National Police Commission, in which it is mentioned that the quality of arrests by the Police in India mentioned power of arrest as one of the chief sources of corruption in the police. The report suggested that, by and large, nearly 60% of the arrests were either unnecessary or unjustified and that such unjustified police action accounted for 43.2% of the expenditure of the jails. 127. Personal liberty is a very precious fundamental right and it should be curtailed only when it becomes imperative according to the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case. 128 In case, the State consider the following suggestions in proper perspective then perhaps it may not be necessary to curtail the personal liberty of the accused in a routine manner. These suggestions are only illustra ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... cunae must be pointed out to them and they may be asked to take corrective measures in future. Ultimately, the entire discretion of grant or refusal of bail has to be left to the judicial officers and all concerned must ensure that grant or refusal of bail is considered basically on the facts and circumstances of each case. 133. In our considered view, the Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra) has comprehensively dealt with almost all aspects of the concept of anticipatory bail under section 438 Cr.P.C. A number of judgments have been referred to by the learned counsel for the parties consisting of Benches of smaller strength where the courts have observed that the anticipatory bail should be of limited duration only and ordinarily on expiry of that duration or standard duration, the court granting the anticipatory bail should leave it to the regular court to deal with the matter. This view is clearly contrary to the view taken by the Constitution Bench in Sibbia's case (supra). In the preceding paragraphs, it is clearly spelt out that no limitation has been envisaged by the Legislature under section 438 Cr.P.C. The Constitution Bench has aptly observed that we se ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... and orders are also contrary to the legislative intention. The Court would not be justified in re-writing section 438 Cr.P.C. 139. Now we deem it imperative to examine the issue of per incuriam raised by the learned counsel for the parties. In Young v. Bristol Aeroplane Company Limited (1994) All ER 293 the House of Lords observed that `Incuria' literally means `carelessness'. In practice per incuriam appears to mean per ignoratium. English courts have developed this principle in relaxation of the rule of stare decisis. The `quotable in law' is avoided and ignored if it is rendered, `in ignoratium of a statute or other binding authority. The same has been accepted, approved and adopted by this court while interpreting Article 141 of the Constitution which embodies the doctrine of precedents as a matter of law. ......... In Halsbury's Laws of England (4th Edn.) Vol. 26: Judgment and Orders: Judicial Decisions as Authorities (pp. 297-98, para 578) per incuriam has been elucidated as under: A decision is given per incuriam when the court has acted in ignorance of a previous decision of its own or of a court of coordinate jurisdiction which covered the case ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ding Officer and Another (1997) 1 SCC 9 a two Judge Bench of this Court observed that the question is whether it was bound to accept the decision rendered in Gujarat Steel Tubes Ltd. v. Mazdoor Sabha (1980) 2 SCC 593, which was not in conformity with the decision of a Constitution Bench in P.H. Kalyani v. Air France (1964) 2 SCR 104. J.S. Verma, J. speaking for the court observed as under: With great respect, we must say that the above-quoted observations in Gujarat Steel at P. 215 are not in line with the decision in Kalyani which was binding or with D.C. Roy to which the learned Judge, Krishna Iyer, J. was a party. It also does not match with the underlying juristic principle discussed in Wade. For the reasons, we are bound to follow the Constitution Bench decision in Kalyani, which is the binding authority on the point. 145. In Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. v. Mumbai Shramik Sangra and others (2001) 4 SCC 448 a Constitution Bench of this Court ruled that a decision of a Constitution Bench of this Court binds a Bench of two learned Judges of this Court and that judicial discipline obliges them to follow it, regardless of their doubts about its correctness ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... is the question which arises herein. We think we should. The decisions referred to hereinbefore clearly suggest that we are bound by a Constitution Bench decision. We have referred to two Constitution Bench decisions, namely, Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao v. Seth G.S. Medical College (1990) 3 SCC 139 and E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of A.P. (2005) 1 SCC 394. Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao (supra) had been followed by this Court in a large number of decisions including the three-Judge Bench decisions. S. Pushpa (supra) therefore, could not have ignored either Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao (supra) or other decisions following the same only on the basis of an administrative circular issued or otherwise and more so when the constitutional scheme as contained in clause (1) of Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution of India putting the State and Union Territory in the same bracket. Following Official Liquidator v. Dayanand and Others (2008) 10 SCC 1 therefore, we are of the opinion that the dicta in S. Pushpa (supra) is an obiter and does not lay down any binding ratio. 149. The analysis of English and Indian Law clearly leads to the irresistible conclusion that not only the judgment of a larger st ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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