Holding

There is no statutory bar to filing a second complaint on the same facts; it may be entertained only in exceptional circumstances, and the High Court’s finding of a complete bar was erroneous.

Summary

Mahesh Chand filed an FIR alleging forged sale deeds and trespass. The police investigation concluded the matter was a civil dispute and filed a case‑disposal report, which the magistrate accepted, leading to the dismissal of Chand's criminal complaint. After a protest petition was also dismissed, Chand filed a second complaint under Section 200 of the CrPC. The respondent appealed under Section 482, and the Andhra Pradesh High Court held the second complaint barred because the earlier complaint and protest petition had been dismissed. The Supreme Court held that there is no statutory bar to filing a second complaint on the same facts; however, such a complaint may be entertained only in exceptional circumstances, such as manifest error, miscarriage of justice, or the emergence of new facts. Consequently, the High Court’s order was set aside and the matter remitted to the magistrate to determine whether there is sufficient ground to proceed.

Issues considered

Whether a second criminal complaint on the same facts is barred after a prior complaint has been dismissed under Section 203 of the CrPC.
Whether the High Court erred in holding that the second complaint was completely barred.
What exceptional circumstances, if any, permit the magistrate to entertain a second complaint under Section 200 of the CrPC.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 200, s. 202, s. 203, s. 204, s. 482
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 420, s. 426, s. 447, s. 448

Subjects

second complaintCriminal Procedure CodeSection 200Section 203Section 204exceptional circumstancescognizance of offencemagistrate discretioncivil disputeprotest petition

Judgment

A MAHESH CHAND
v.
B. JANARDHAN AND ANR.

DECEMBER 4, 2002

B [M.B. SHAH, D.M. DHARMADHIKARI AND S.B. SINHA, JJ.]

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973-Sections 200, 203 and 204-
Second complaint on same facts-Cognizance of-Held: There is no statutory
C bar in filing second complaint-It can be entertained only in exceptional
circumstances-However, it could be dismissed if decision against complainant
in previous matter has been given upon a full consideration of the matter.

Appellant-complainant lodged FIR against respondent Police authorities
carried out investigation. However, not being satisfied, appellant filed criminal
D complaint against respondent Investigating Officer concluded that the dispute
between the parties was a civil dispute and filed case disposal report before
the Magistrate, which was accepted and the case was closed. Aggrieved
appellant filed a protest petition which was dismissed. Appellant then filed
second complaint under section 200 Cr.P.C. Respondent was issued summons.
Resp0ndent filed appeal for quashing the said order and the High Court held
E that having regard to the police report and also the dismissal of the protest
petition, a fresh complaint on the self same allegations, was barred. Hence
the present appeal.

Appellant contended that High Court erred in holding that the second
F complaint was barred as there does not eXist any legal bar in filing a second
complaint

Respondent contended that the criminal complaint filed by appellant was
verbatim reproduction of his earlier complaint and in that view of the matter
unless a special case was made out, Magistrate could not have entertained
G the criminal contempt and issued process.

Disposing of the appeal, the Court

HELD: High Court was not correct in holding that the second complaint
was completely barred. It is settled .law that there is no statutory bar in filing
H 566
MAHESH CHAND v. B. JANARDHAN [S.B. SINHA, J.) 567

a second complaint on the same facts. In a case where a previous complaint is A
dismissed without assigning any reasons, the Magistrate under Section 204
Cr.P.C. may take cognizance of an offence and issue process if there is
sufficient ground for proceeding. Second complaint could ht! dismissed after
a decision has been given against the complainant in previous matter upon a
full consideration of his case. Further, second complaint on the same facts
could be entertained only in exceptional circumstances, 11amely, where the B
previous order was passed on an incomplete record or on a misunderstanding
of the nature.of complaint or it was manifestly absurd, unjust or where new
facts which could not, with reasonable diligence, have been brought on record
in the previous proceedings, have been adduced. In the facts and circumstances
of the instant case, the matter should have been remitted back to the C
Magistrate for the purpose of arriving at a finding as to whether any case for
cognizance of the alleged offence bad been made out or not. Therefore, the
order of High Court is set aside and matter is remitted to the Magistrate.
[573-D-G)

Pramatha Nath Taluqdar v. Saro} Ranjan Sarkar, [1962) Supp. 2 SCR D
297, relied on.

Muni/a/ Thakur and Ors. etc. v. Nawal Kishore Thakur and Anr., (1985)
Crl.L.J. 437; The District Manager, Food Corporation ofIndia, Titilagarh v.
Jayashankar Mund and Anr., (1989) Crl. L.J. 1578 and Bindeshwari Prasad
Singh v. Kali Singh, [ 1977) 1 SCR 125, referred to. E
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal No. 1276
of2002.

From the Judgment and Order dated 31.8.2001 of the Andhra Pradesh
High Court in Cri. Petition No. 591 of 1999. F
P.S. Narasimha, Ananga Bhattacharya and Sridhar P. for Mis. P.S.N. &
Co., for the Appellant.

K. Ramakrishna Reddy, K. Maruthi, Mrs. K. Radha, Mrs. Anjani.Aiyagari
and Guntur Prabhakar (NP), for the Respondents. G
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

S.B. SINHA, J, Leave granted. .

The complainant is the appellant herein. He lodged a First Information H
568 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] SUPP. 4 S.C.R.

A Report against the respondent on 19th July, 1997, alleging, inter alia, therein
that a sale-deed and acknowledgment purported to have been executed by
him were forged and fabricated documents and the respondent wrongfully
trespassed into the lands bearing Survey Nos. l 00/l and 10 l/l situate at
Serlingampaly in the District of Ranga Reddy, Andhra Pradesh. The Forensic
Science Laboratory to whom the said sale-deed and acknowledgment were
B sent for a scientific opinion allegedly in its opinion dated 31st October, 1997
stated that the said sale-deed and acknowledgement were forged documents.

However, in the meanwhile being not satisfied with the investigation
carried out by the police authorities, he filed a criminal complaint in the Court
C of the Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate, (West and South), Saroomagar
in the District of Ranga Reddy against the respondent herein, alleging
commission of offences under Sections 420, 426, 44 7 and 448 of the Indian
Penal Code. It is admitted that two civil suits are also pending between the
parties. The Investigating Officer, however, upon investigation of the matter
came to the conclusion that the dispute between the parties was a civil
D dispute. He also arrived at a conclusion that the appellant herein had executed
the acknowledgment. A case disposal report on the said basis was filed
before the learned Magistrate.

The appellant herein on or about 2nd September, 1998 filed a protest
petition.
E
The case disposal report filed by the police was accepted by the learned
Magistrate. The complaint case filed by the appellant was also closed. The
said order has not been questioned by him.

On or about 8th November, 2002, a third complaint :vas filed by the
F appellant herein purported to be under Section 200 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure whereupon summons were issued upon the respondent.

Questioning the said order, the respondent filed an application under
Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the High Court ·of
G Judicature at Andhra Pradesh which was marked as Criminal Petition No.591
of 1999. By reason of the impugned judgment dated 31st August, 2001, a
learned Single Judge of the High Court held that having regard to the police
report in Cr. No.206 of 1997 dated 29th July, 1997 that the dispute between
the parties was ~ivil in nature and further having regard to the dismissal of
the protest petition filed by the appellant herein on 2nd September, 1998, a
H fresh complaint on the self same allegations, was barred.
MAHESll CHAND v. B. JANARDHAN [S.B. SINHA, J. J 569

Mr. P.S. Narasimha, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the A
appellant in support of the appeal , would. inter alia. submit that the High
Court co1n1nitted a 111anifest error in arriving at the said conclusion as there
does not exist any legal bar in filing a second co1nplaint. Strong reliance, in
this connection, has been placed on a judgment of the Patna High Court in
Muni/al Thakur and Ors. etc. v. Nawal Kishore Thakur and Anr., [1985] Crl. B
L.J. 437 and a decision of a learned Single Judge of the Orissa High Court
in The District Manager, Food Corporation of India, Titilagarh v.
Jayashankar Mund and Anr., [1989] Crl.L.J.1578.

Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of
the respondent, on the other hand, would submit that the criminal complaint C
filed by the appellant herein was a verbatim reproduction of his earlier complaint
petition and in that view of the matter unless a special case was made out,
the learned Magistrate could not have entertained the said criminal contempt
ngr could issue processes upon the respondent relying on the basis thereof.

Strong reliance, in this connection, has been placed on Pramatha Nath D
Taluqdar v. Saro) Ranjan Sarkar, [1962] Supp. 2 SCR 297 and Bindeshwari
Prasad Singh v. Kali Singh, [1977] 1 SCR 125.

The learned counsel sought to place before us an authenticated copy
the said complaint petition with a view to show that the same was almost a
verbatim reproduction of the earlier complaint petition. E

There cannot be any doubt or dispute that only because the Magistrate
has accepted a final report, the same by itself would not stand in his way to
take cognizance of the offence on a protest/complaint petition; but the question
which is required to be posed and answered would be as to under what
F
circumstances the said power can be exercised.

The law in this behalf is no longer res integra.

In Pramatha Nath Taluqdar 's case (supra), Kapur, J, speaking for himself
and Hidayatullah, J, as he then was, observed : G
" ..... Therefore if he has not misdirected himself as to the scope of the
enquiry made under s.202, Criminal Procedure Code, and has judicially
applied his mind to the material before him.and then proceeds to make
his order it cannot be said that he has acted erroneously. An order
of dismissal under s.203, Criminal Procedure Code, is, however, no bar H
570 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] SUPP. 4 S.C.R.

A to the ente1tainment of a second complaint on the. same facts but it
will be entertained only in exceptional circumstances, e.g., where the
..
previous order was passed on an incomplete recoq:I or on a
misunderstanding of the nature of the complaint or it was manifestly
absurd, unjust or foolish or where new facts which could not, with
reasonable diligence, have been brought on the record in the previous
B proceedings have been adduced. It cannot be said to be in the
interests of justice that after a decision has been given against the
complainant upon a fuH consideration of his case, he or any other
person should be given another opportunity to have his complaint
enquired into Allah Ditta v. Karam Baksh, Ram Narain Chaubey v.
c Panachand Jain, Hansabai v. Ananda, Doraisami v. Subramania. In
regard to the adducing of new facts for the bringing of a fesh complaint
the Special Bench in the judgment under appeal did not accept the
view of the Bombay High Court ?r the Patna High Court in cases
above quoted an adopted the opinion of Macleam, C.J. in Queen
Empress v. Dolegobinda Das affirmed by a full Bench in Dwarka
D Nath Manda! v. Benimadhab Banerji. It held therefore that a fresh
complaint can be entertained where there is manifest error, or manifest
miscarriage of justice in the previous order or when fresh evidence is
forthcoming."

S.K. Das, J delivering the minority judgment also observed :
E
"The question was then considered by a Full Bench of the Calcutta
High Court in Dwarka Nath Mondul v. Beni Madhab Banerjee and
it was held by the Full Bench (Ghose, J. dissenting) that a Presidency
....
Magistrate was competent to rehear a warrant case triable under Ch.
XX! of the Code of Criminal Procedure in which he had earlier
F
discharged the accused person. Nilratan Sen's case and Kamal Chandra
Pal's case were referred· to in the arguments as summarized in the
report, but the view expressed therein was not accepted. Dealing with
the question Prinsep, J. said :

"There is no bar to further proceedings under the law, and,
G
therefore, a Magistrate to whom a complaint has been made
under such circumstances, is bound to proceed in the manner set
out in s.200, that is, to examine the complaint, and, unless he has
reason to distrust the truth of the complaint, or for some other
reason expressly recognized-by law, suth as, if he finds that no
I
H offence had.been committed, he is bourid to take cognizance of
MAHESH CHAND v. B. JANARDHAN [S.B. SINHA. J.] 571

the offence on a complaint, and, unless he has good reason to A
doubt the truth of the complaint. he is bound to do justice to the
co1nplainant, to su1n1non his \Vitnesses and to hear them in the
presence of th~ accused."

The same view was expressed by the Madras High Court In re.
Koyassan Kutty and it was observed that there was nothing in law B
against the entertainment of a second complaint on the same facts on
which a person had already been discharged, inasmuch as a discharge
was not equivalent to an acquittal. This view was reiterated in
Kumariah v. Chinna Naicker, where it was held that the fact that a
previous complaint had been dismissed under s. 203 of the Code of C
Criminal Procedure was no bar to the entertainment of a second
complaint. In Hansabai Sayaji v. Ananda Ganuji the question was
examined with reference to a large number of earlier decisions of
several High Courts on the subject and it was held that there was
nothing in law against the entertainment of a second complaint on the
same facts. The same view was also expressed in Ram Narain v. D
Panachand Jain, Ramanandv. Sheri and Allah Ditta v. Karam Baksh.
.I In all these decisions it was recognized further that though there was
nothing in law to bar the entertainment of a second complaint on the
same facts, exceptional circumstances must exist for entertainment of
a second complaint when on the same allegations a previous complaint
had been dismissed ..................................... I accept the view expressed
by the High Courts that there is nothing in law which prohibits the
entertainment of a second complaint on the same allegations when a
previous complaint had been dismissed under s.203 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure. I also accept the view that as a rule of necessary
caution and of proper exercise of the discretion given to a Magistrate F
under s.204(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, exceptional
circumstances must exist for the entertainment of a second complaint
on the same allegations; in other words, there must be good reasons
why the Magistrate thinks that there is "sufficient ground for
proceeding" with the second complaint, when a previous complaint G
on the same allegations was dismissed under s.203 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure."

The learned Judge posed the question as to whpt would be those
exceptional circumstances. Noticing the decisions in Queen Empress v.
Dolegobinda Dass, (1900) ILR 28 Cal.211, In re. Koyassan Kutty, AIR 1918, H
572 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002) SUPP. 4 S.C.R.

A Mad. 494, Kwnariah v. Chinna Naicker, AIR ( 1946), Mad. 167 and several ·-·
other decisions, the learned Judge came to the conclusion :

"It will be noticed that in the test thus laid down the exceptional
circumstances are brought under three categories; (I) manifest error,
(2) manifest miscarriage of justice, and (3) new facts which the
B complainant had no knowledge of or .could not with reasonable
diligence have brought forward in the previous proceedings. Any
exceptional circumstances coming within any one or more of the
aforesaid three categories would fulfil the test. In Ram Narain v.
Panachand Jain it was observed that an exhaustive list of the
exceptional circumstances could not be given though some of the
c categories were mentioned. One new category mentioned was where
the previous order of dismissal was passed on an incomplete record
or a misunderstanding of the nature of the complaint. This new category
would perhaps fall with the category of manifest error or miscarriage
of justice.
D
It appears to me that the test laid down in the earliest of the
aforesaid decisions. Queen Empress v. Dolegobirid Dass is really wide
enough to cover the other categories mentioned in the later decisions.
Whenever a Magistrate is satisfied that the previous order of dismissal
was due to a manifest error or has resulted in a miscarriage of justice,
E he can entertain a second complaint on the same allegations even
though an earlier compliant was dismissed under s.203 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure"

Yet again in Bindeshwari Prasad's case (supra), this Court followed
Pramatha Nath Taluqdar's case (supra) holding :-
F
" .......... it is now well-settled that a second complaint can lie only on
fresh facts or even on the previous facts only if a special case is made
out"

In Muni/al Thakur's case (supra), the Division Bench of the Patna High
G Court was concerned with the question as to whether a Magistrate even after
accepting final report filed by the police, can take cognizance of offence upon
a complaint or the protest petition on same or similar allegations of fact; to
which the answer was rendered in the affinnative.

The question which has arisen for consideration herein neither arose
H therein nor was canvassed.
MAHESH CHAND v. B. JANARDHAN [S.B. SINHA. J.] 573
.. In Jayashankar Mund's case, the Orissa High Court agaitt did not have A
any occasion to consider the question raised herein. The Court held :

" .......... Even though a protest petition is in the nature ofa complaint,
it is referable to the investigation already held by the vigilance police
culminating in the final report and because the informant was not
examined on solemn affinnation under S.202 of the Code, thereby no B
illegality or prejudice was caused to the accused. If such a view is
accepted and there is no reason why such a view should not be
accepted, the necessary, consequence in this particular case shall be
that the protest petition which is of the nature of a complaint petition
filed by the petitioner shall be in continuation and in respect of the C
case instituted and investigated by the vigilance police"

Keeping in view the settled legal principles, we are of the opinion that
the High Court was not correct in holding that the second complaint was
completely barred. It is settled law that there is no statutory bar in filing a
second complaint on the same facts. In a case where a previous complaint D
is dismissed without assigning any reasons, the Magistrate under Sec. 204
Cr.P.C. may take cognizance of an offence and issue process if there is
sufficient ground for proceeding. As held in Pramatha !fath Taluqdar 's case
(supra) second complaint could be dismissed after a decision has been given
against the complainant in previous matter upon a full consideration of his
case. Further, second complaint on the same facts could be entertained only E
in exceptional circumstances, namely, where the previous order was passed
on an incomplete record or on a misunderstanding of the nature of complaint
or it was manifestly absurd, unjust or where new facts which could not, with
reasonable diligence, have been brought on record in the previous proceedings,
have been adduced. In the facts and circumstances of this case, the matter, F
therefore, should have been remitted back to the learned Magistrate for the
purpose of arriving at a. finding as to whether any case for cognizance of the
alleged offence had been made out or not.

For the reasons aforementioned, the impugned order of the High Court
is set aside. The matter shall now go back to the learned Magistrate who shall G
consider the matter afresh in the light of the observations made hereinbefore.

This appeal thus stand disposed of. In the facts and circumstances of
the case, there shall be no order as to costs.

N.J. Appeals disposed. of. H