NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL  NO(S). 1267/2018

(ARISING FROM SLP (CRL) NOS.587/2017)

DWARIKA DAS RATHI                                  APPELLANT(S)

                               VERSUS

THE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH                          RESPONDENT(S)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

Leave granted.

2. The appellant approached this Court aggrieved by

the denial of protection under Section 438 Cr.P.C.

The appellant is an accused in Crime No.123 of 2016

registered  at  Police  Station  Vidhan  Sabha,  Raipur,

Chhattisgarh  for  offences  punishable  under  Section

420 and 409 of the IPC read with Sections 3 and 7 of

the  Essential  Commodities  Act.   The  crux  of  the

accusation is that the appellant who was running a

rice  mill did  not return  the required  quantity of

rice after custom milling.  The deficit, according to

the  Investigating  Officer,  is  to  the  tune  of

Rs.2,71,34,937/-.   When  the  matter  came  be  before

this  Court,  on  25.01.2017,  this  Court  passed  the

following order:-

“Issue  notice.   On  deposit  of

1

Rs.2,71,34,937/-  with  the  State

Government/Chhattisgarh  State  Cooperative

Marketing Federation within a period of three

weeks from today, with a further condition

that the petitioner joins and cooperates with

the investigation, in case the petitioner is

arrested, he shall be released by the Officer

concerned on personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/-

(rupees One Lac) executed by the petitioner

with  two  solvent  sureties  for  the  like

amount.”

3. The appellant has since reported that he could

not  raise  that  much  amount  of  money.   On  that

submission, this Court directed the State to attach

the  immovable  properties  of  the  appellant  and  put

them  to  sale.   Learned  counsel  appearing  for  the

State submits that despite several attempts, the sale

could not fructify.   

4. On 08.05.2018, this Court, on the submission that

the  appellant  was  entitled  to  get  certain

compensation  in  respect  of  the  acquisition  of  his

land,  issued  direction  to  the  Land  Acquisition

Collector to disburse that amount to the State.

5. Having  heard  the  learned  counsel  for  the

appellant and learned counsel for the State, we do

not  find it  necessary to  continue this  matter any

2

further before us.  The Investigating Officer is free

to  continue with  his investigation.   The  State is

permitted to attach all the immovable properties of

the appellant and the bank accounts so as to cover up

the  deficit  of  the  deposit,  as  directed  by  this

Court.

6. The Trial Court is directed to pass appropriate

orders at the time of conclusion of the trial with

regard to the deposit/recovery already made.  

7. The interim protection granted by this Court vide

order 25.01.2017 is made absolute.

8. However, in case there is violation of any of the

conditions  of  the  bail,  it  will  be  open  to  the

Investigating Officer to approach the Trail Court for

cancellation of bail.  We also make it clear that in

case the appellant is summoned, after submission of

the final report by the Investigating Officer, the

appellant  will  appear  before  the  Court  and  seek

regular bail.

9. We also permit the appellant to seek appropriate

orders  with  regard  to  the  amount  as  presently

quantified  by  the  Investigating  Officer  based  on

which alone this Court issued direction for deposit,

or  for  varying  the  quantum  as  calculated  by  the

Investigating  Officer  or  with  regard  to  any  other

dispute on the amount already recovered.

10. The appeal is, accordingly, disposed of.

3

11. Pending  applications,  if  any,  shall  stand

disposed of.

.......................J.               [KURIAN JOSEPH]  

.......................J.               [S. ABDUL NAZEER]  

NEW DELHI; OCTOBER 09, 2018.

4