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REPORTABLE  

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICITON

SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRL.) NO. 5073/2011

State of Karnataka by Nonavinakere Police ..Petitioner  

Versus

Shivanna @ Tarkari Shivanna ..Respondent

O R D E R

1. Vide order dated 30.08.2013, we had proposed to  

consider this matter on merit after service of notice to the  

accused-respondent as we felt acutely concerned as to why  

the Union of India should not take initiative  and steps to  

evolve a procedure for fast track  justice to be adopted by  

the Investigating Agencies and  the Fast Tract Courts  by  

proposing  amendments into the Cr.P.C. for speedy justice to  

the victim.  

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2. We had noted that the Fast Tract Courts no doubt  

are  being  constituted  for  expeditious   disposal  of   cases  

involving the charge of rape at the trial stage, but we are  

perturbed  and anguished  to notice that although there are  

Fast Tract Courts for  disposal  of such cases, we do not yet  

have a fast track procedure  for dealing with cases of rape  

and gang rape lodged under Section 376 IPC  with the result  

that such heinous offences are repeated incessantly.

3. We had further observed that there is a pressing  

need to introduce drastic amendments into the Cr.P.C. in the  

nature of fast tract procedure for Fast Track Courts when we  

considered just and appropriate to issue notice and called  

upon  the  Union  of  India  to  file  its  response  as  to  why  it  

should not take initiative and sincere  steps for introducing  

necessary amendment  into the Cr.P.C.,   1973   involving  

trial   for  the  charge of   ‘Rape’  by  directing   that  all  the  

witnesses who are  examined in relation to the offence and  

incident   of  rape  cases   should  be  straightway  produced  

preferably before the Lady Judicial Magistrate  for recording  

their statement to be kept in sealed cover and thereafter the  

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same  be  treated  as  evidence  at  the  stage   of  trial  by  

producing the same in record in accordance with law which  

may be put to test by subjecting  it to cross-examination.  

We were and are further of the view that the statement of  

victim  should  as  far  as  possible   be  recorded  preferably  

before  the  Lady  Judicial  Magistrate  under  Section   164  

Cr.P.C.  skipping  over  the  recording  of  statement  by  the  

Police under Section 161 Cr.P.C. to be kept in sealed cover  

and thereafter the same be treated as evidence  at the stage  

of trial which  may be put to test by subjecting  it to cross-

examination.  We are further of the view that the statement  

of victim should as far as possible  be recorded preferably  

before the Lady Judicial Magistrate under Section 164 Cr.P.C.  

skipping  over  the  recording  of  statement   by  the  police  

under Section 161 Cr.P.C. which is any case is inadmissible  

except  for  contradiction  so  that  the   statement    of  the  

accused thereafter  be recorded under  Section 313 Cr.P.C.  

The   accused then can be committed to the appropriate  

Court   for  trial  whereby  the   trial  court  can   straightway  

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allow cross  examination  of  the  witnesses  whose evidence  

were  recorded earlier before  the Judicial Magistrate.

4. What  we  wished  to  emphasize  is  that  the  

recording  of  evidence  of  the  victim  and  other  witnesses  

multiple  times  ought  to  be  put  to  an  end  which  is  the  

primary reason for delay of the trial.  We are of the view that  

if the evidence is recorded for the first time itself before the  

Judicial Magistrate under Section 164 Cr. P.C. and the same  

be  kept  in  sealed  cover  to  be  produced  and  treated  as  

deposition  of  the  witnesses  and  hence  admissible  at  the  

stage of trial  with liberty to the defence to cross-examine  

them with further liberty to the accused to lead his defence  

witness and other evidence with a right to cross-examination  

by the prosecution,  it  can surely cut short and curtail  the  

protracted trial  if  it  is  introduced at least  for  trial  of  rape  

cases which is bound to reduce the duration of trail and thus  

offer a speedy remedy by way of a fast track procedure to  

the Fast Track Court to resort to.  

5. Considering  the  consistent  recurrence  of  the  

heinous crime of rape and gang rape all  over the country  

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including the metropolitan cities, we are of the view that it is  

high  time  such  measures  of  reform  in  the  Cr.  P.C.  be  

introduced  after  deliberation  and  debate  by  the  legal  

fraternity as also all concerned.  

6. We had therefore  issued notice  to  the  Union  of  

India as also the Law Commission of India  and all the State  

Law Commissions and the  Law Secretaries of the States for  

eliciting their  views on the subject.  The Law Commission of  

India filed its response to the same, and although in principle  

agree that the  proposed  changes in the Cr.P.C. are justified,  

it  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  same  might   prejudice  the  

investigation  of  the  case   by  the  police.   Thereafter,  we  

thought appropriate to invite the views of the legal fraternity  

and  hence  a general notice was issued  to the Members of  

the Bar to assist the Court considering the  importance of the  

issue raised.   

7. We,  thereafter  appointed  the  learned  senior  

counsel  Mr.  Shekhar  Naphade  and   Mr.  U.U.  Lalit,  who  

appeared  and  addressed  this  Court.    Learned  senior  

advocate    Mr.  Shekhar  Naphade   agreed  with  the  

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suggestions given by this Court that the statement of the  

victim   of  rape  and  gang  rape  may  be  and  should  be  

recorded under Section 164 of the Cr.P.C. which should be  

placed on record treated as evidence of the victim and may  

later be relied  upon as evidence  and then  the accused may  

be given a chance to cross-examine the prosecution version  

and the evidence recorded at the instance of the victim.

8. Learned senior  counsel Mr. Shekhar Naphade was  

good enough to  give us  a  brief  note in  this  regard.   The  

learned Addl. Solicitor  General  Mr. Siddharth Luthra  also  

ably   assisted  us  and  drew  the  attention  of  this  Court  

regarding the implications on the trial in case the statement  

of victim is recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C. and is made  

admissible for the purpose of trial.

9. On considering the same, we have accepted the  

suggestion  offered  by  the  learned  counsel  who  appeared  

before us and hence exercising  powers under Article 142 of  

the Constitution, we are pleased to issue interim directions  

in the form of  mandamus to all the  police station in charge  

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in the entire  country to follow the direction of this Court  

which are as follows:

(i) Upon receipt of information relating to  the commission of offence of rape, the  Investigating  Officer   shall  make  immediate steps to take   the victim  to  any  Metropolitan/preferably  Judicial  Magistrate for the purpose of recording  her   statement  under  Section  164  Cr.P.C.     A  copy  of  the   statement  under  Section  164  Cr.P.C.  should  be  handed  over  to  the  Investigating  Officer  immediately  with  a  specific  direction   that  the  contents  of  such  statement   under  Section 164 Cr.P.C.  should not be disclosed  to any person  till  charge  sheet/report  under  Section  173 Cr.P.C. is filed.  

(ii) The Investigating Officer shall as far as  possible   take   the  victim  to  the  nearest  Lady  Metropolitan/preferably  Lady Judicial Magistrate.

(iii)    The Investigating Officer  shall  record  specifically the date and  the time at  which he learnt about the commission  of the offence of rape and the date and  time at which he took the victim to the  Metropolitan/preferably  Lady  Judicial  Magistrate as aforesaid.

(iv) If  there  is  any  delay  exceeding  24  hours  in  taking  the  victim  to  the  Magistrate,  the  Investigating  Officer  should record the reasons for the same  

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in the case diary and hand over a copy  of the same to the Magistrate.  

(v) Medical  Examination  of  the  victim:  Section 164 A  Cr.P.C. inserted  by Act  25  of  2005  in  Cr.P.C.  imposes  an  obligation  on the part of Investigating  Officer  to get  the victim of the rape  immediately  medically   examined.   A  copy of the report  of such   medical  examination  should  be  immediately  handed  over  to  the  Magistrate  who  records the statement  of the  victim  under Section 164 Cr.P.C.

10. A copy of this order thus be circulated to all the  

Director Generals of Police of all the States/Commissioner of  

Police  in  Metropolitan  cities  /  Commissioner  of  Police  of  

Union Territories    who are then directed to  send a copy of  

this  order  to  all  the  police  stations  in  charge  in  their  

States/Union Territories    for its compliance  in cases which  

are   registered on or after the receipt of a copy of these  

directions.   Necessary  instructions  by  the  DGPs/  

Commissioners of Police   be also issued to all  the police  

station  incharge  by  the  DGPs/Commissioner  of  Police  

incorporating      the directions issued by us  and recorded  

hereinbefore.    

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11. The matter be posted again after  four  weeks to  

ensure    compliance  of  this  order  by  the  DGS  &  

Commissioners  of  Police  in  the  country  before  the  

appropriate Bench and also for such other further order or  

orders which may be considered necessary.

…………………………….J. (Gyan Sudha Misra)

…………………………….J. (V. Gopala Gowda)

New Delhi, April 25, 2014

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