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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL/CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO.6314 OF 2017 [@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO. 14919/2015]

M/S. K-LINK  HEALTHCARE (INDIA)  PVT. LTD.  APPELLANT(S)

                               VERSUS STATE OF KERALA AND ORS. RESPONDENT(S)

WITH CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.892/2017

[@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRL) NO. 4371/2015]

J U D G M E N T KURIAN, J.

Leave granted.   2. The appellant is before this Court, aggrieved by the order passed by the High Court whereby the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India declined to quash the FIR No.15 of 2013 of Kasaba Police  Station,  Kozhikode  City,  Kozhikode,  Kerala. The High Court also declined to interfere with the order  passed  by  the  Chief  Judicial  Magistrate declining to de-freeze the bank accounts.  The Chief Judicial  Magistrate  declined  to  de-freeze  the  bank accounts  on  the  ground  that  the  investigation  was pending  and  it  was  too  early  for  the  Court  to consider those aspects. 3. During the pendency of the appeals before us, we are  informed  that  the  investigation  has  been completed and a report under Section 173(2) Cr.P.C.

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has been filed before the Magistrate.   4. Mr. Dhruv Mehta, learned senior counsel appearing for  the  appellant  submits  that  even  going  by  the final  report  no  offence  is  made  out  against  the appellant and hence the entire criminal proceedings are to be quashed.  It is also submitted that even going  by  the  report  of  the  police  under  Section 173(2)  Cr.P.C.  there  is  no  justification  in  not permitting  the  appellant  to  operate  the  bank accounts. 5. After having heard the learned counsel on both the sides and having regard to the developments which are referred to above, we are of the view that the appellant should be given an opportunity to go back to  the  High  Court  to  institute  fresh  proceedings either under Section 482 Cr.P.C. or under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. 6. Therefore, without expressing any opinion on the merits  of  the  cases,  we  dispose  of  these  appeals permitting  the  appellant  to  file  fresh  petition before the High Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C. or under  Article  226  of  the  Constitution  of  India seeking  quashment  of  the  proceedings  now  pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, on the ground that the final report does not disclose any offence against  the  appellant  under  the  Prize,  Chits  and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978. 7. We make it clear that in case the appellant files such  a petition,  the High  Court will  consider the same  on  its  own  merits  uninfluenced  by  the  stand taken or the observations made in the impugned order dated 08.01.2015. 8. We also request the High Court to expedite the disposal of the petition since the bank accounts have been freezed ever since 2013.

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9. Pending  applications,  if  any,  shall  stand disposed of. 10. There shall be no orders as to costs.

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

.......................J.               [R. BANUMATHI]  

NEW DELHI; MAY 03, 2017.