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Non-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 9  OF 2018 (Arising out of S.L.P.(Crl.)No.4678 of 2013)

Leena Vivek Masal            ….Appellant(s)

VERSUS

State of Maharashtra & Anr.    ….Respondent(s)

WITH CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.10  OF 2018

(Arising out of S.L.P.(Crl.)No.4690 of 2013)

Manisha Uday Sonar            ….Appellant(s)

VERSUS

State of Maharashtra & Anr.    ….Respondent(s)

AND CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.11   OF 2018

(Arising out of S.L.P.(Crl.)No.5207 of 2013)

Leena Vivek Masal            ….Appellant(s)

VERSUS

State of Maharashtra & Anr.    ….Respondent(s)

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J U D G M E N T

Abhay Manohar Sapre, J.

1) Leave granted.

2) These appeals are filed by two accused persons

against  the  final  judgment  and  order  dated

21.02.2013 passed by the High Court of Judicature

at Bombay in Crl.W.P. Nos. 2252/2011, 2251/2011

and 652/2012 which, in turn, arise out of the order

dated  30.09.2008  passed  by  the  Judicial

Magistrate, Fast Court, Uran in Regular Case No. 6

of 2008.  

3) It is not necessary to set out the factual details

of  the  case  in  the  light  of  the  order  that  we  are

passing.

4) The present  proceedings  arise  out  of  interim

order  dated  30.09.2008  passed  by  the  Judicial

Magistrate in Regular Case No.6 of  2008 whereby

the Magistrate issued process summons against the

appellants herein in relation to the complaint filed

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by  respondent  No.  2  under  the  provisions  of  the

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention

of  Atrocities)  Act,  1989 (hereinafter  referred to  as

“the  Act”)  seeking  appellants’  prosecution  for

commission  of  the  offences  under  the  Act.   The

complaint is pending for its final disposal on merits.

5) Having  heard  the  learned  counsel  for  the

parties and on perusal of the record of the case, we

are  inclined  to  dispose  of  these  appeals  with

following observations:

6) First, as mentioned above, these appeals arise

out of an interim order passed by the Magistrate by

which  he  has  issued   process  summons  of  the

complaint  filed  by  respondent  No.  2  against  the

appellants; Second, when admittedly the complaint

filed by respondent No. 2 against the appellants is

pending consideration for its disposal on its merits

and  the  appellants  will  get  an  opportunity  to  file

reply and raise all the pleas and adduce evidence in

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accordance with law, therefore, we do not consider

it proper to interfere in the impugned order; Third,

the complaint filed by respondent No. 2 would be

decided by the Magistrate on the basis of evidence

adduced  by  the  parties  keeping  in  view  the  law

applicable  to  the  issues  arising  in  the  case;  and

lastly,  the  order  issuing  process  against  the

appellants  being  purely  interim  in  nature  having

been passed in exercise of its discretionary powers

finding  prima facie case to entertain the complaint

filed by respondent No. 2, cannot be interfered with

in our appellate jurisdiction under Article 136 of the

Constitution.  It  is  more  so  when  the  appellants

would get full  opportunity to raise all  factual and

legal pleas in accordance with law while contesting

the complaint on merits.

7) So  far  as  the  observations  made  by  the

Magistrate in its earlier order dated 30.06.2006 in

Regular Criminal Case No. 114/2005 is concerned,

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all  that  we  need  to  say  is  that  it  will  be  for  the

Magistrate  to  decide  its  effect  on  the  present

proceedings  at  the  time  of  final  disposal  of  the

complaint in accordance with law.

8) We make it clear that the Magistrate, who is

seized of the complaint, would decide it on merits

uninfluenced by any observations made by the High

Court in the impugned order.

9) With  these  observations,  the  appeals  stand

disposed of finally.  

10) Let the complaint be decided by the Magistrate

expeditiously, as directed above.

………...................................J. [R.K. AGRAWAL]

                                     …...……..................................J.

        [ABHAY MANOHAR SAPRE] New Delhi; January 5, 2018