Holding

A court may, under Section 311 of the CrPC, recall or re‑examine witnesses after the evidence is closed to correct oversights, as such oversights do not constitute an irreparable lacuna in the prosecution case.

Summary

The appellant, Rajendra Prasad, was tried under the NDPS Act. After both sides had closed their evidence, the prosecution sought to re‑examine two witnesses under Section 311 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prove certain documents. The trial court allowed the resummoning, and the appellant challenged this, arguing that a court cannot fill a "lacuna" in the prosecution case by recalling witnesses after closure. The Supreme Court held that an oversight or mistake by the prosecutor does not constitute a lacuna; the court’s plenary power under Section 311 permits it to summon or recall any witness at any stage if necessary for a just decision. Consequently, the trial court’s order was upheld and the appeal dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether a court may exercise its power under Section 311 CrPC to recall prosecution witnesses after the evidence has been closed in order to fill an alleged lacuna in the prosecution case.
What is the proper meaning of "lacuna in the prosecution case" for the purpose of exercising Section 311.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 311, s. 397(2)
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985s. 21, s. 25, s. 29

Subjects

Section 311 CrPCresummoning witnesseslacuna in prosecutioncriminal procedureNDPS Actappellate jurisdictioncourt's plenary power

Judgment

A RAJENDRA PRASAD
v.
THE NARCOTIC CELL THROUGH ITS
OFFICER INCHARGE, DELHI

JULY 12, 1999
B
[K.T. THOMAS AND M.B. SHAH JJ.]

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 Section 311-Prosecution seeking
resummoning of witnesses after evidence was closed-Whether power under
C this Section can be exercised to fill up lacuna in Prosecution case-Held :
oversight or mistakes during conducting of case cannot be understood as
lacuna and can be corrected.

Words & Phrases.

D "Lucuna in Prosecution case"-Meaning of

Appellant along with certain other persons was tried. before a Court of
Sessions for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psych'otropic Substance
Act, 1985. After the evidence was closed by the Prosecution and the defence,
E the Prosecution resummoned two witnesses who were already examined for
the purpose of proving certain documents for prosecution. Thereafter evidence
was closed and case was posted for arguments. Public Prosecutor moved an
application seeking permission to examine PW-21 and two other persons.
The trial court allowed the application in exercise of its power under Section
-311 of the Code and issued summons to the witnesses. The Revision petition
F preferred by the appellant was dismissed by the High Court.

It was contended by the appellant before this Court that in the garb of
exercise of powers under section 311 of the Code a court cannot allow the
prosecution to re-examine prosecution witnesses in order to fill up lacuna
G in the case.

Dismissing the appeal, the Court

HELD : 1.1. The steps which the trial court permitted in this case for
resummoning certain witnesses cannot be spurned down nor frowned at.
I-I [823-B]
818
RAJENDl~A PRASAD v. NARCOTIC CELL [THOMAS, J.] 819
1.2. A lacuna in the prosecution is not to be equated with the fall out A
of an oversight committed by a Public Prosecutor during trial, either in
producing relevant materials or in eliciting relevant answers from witnesses.
A corollary of any such latches or mistakes in the conduct of a case cannot
be understood as a lacuna which a Court cannot fill up. [827-G]

Mohan/al Shamji Soni v. Union ofIndia, AIR (1991) SC 1346; Jamatraj B
Kewalji Govani v. The State of Maharshtra., [1967) 3 SCR 415 and Ram
Chander v. State of Haryana, AIR (1981) SC 1036, relied on.

2. Lacuna in the prosecution must be understood as the inherent
weakness or a latent wedge in the matrix of the prosecution case. The C
advantage of it should normally go to the accused in the trial of the case, but
an oversight in the management of the prosecution cannot be treated as
irreparable lacuna. No party in a trial can be foreclosed from correcting
errors. If proper evidence was not adduced or a relevant material was not
brought on record due to any inadvertence, the Court should be magnanimous
in permitting such mistakes to be rectified. [821-H; 822-A) D
3. The power of the Court is plenary to summon or even recall any
witness at any stage of the case if the court considers it necessary for a just
decision. (823-A-B)

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No. E
621of1999.

From the Judgment and Order dated 23.2.99 of the Delhi High Court in
Cr!. R. No. 64of1999.
F
Manoj Swarup, Ms. Lalita Kohli and Ms. Malini Swarup for M/s. Manoj
Swarup & Co. for the Appellant.

The Judgrp.ent of the Court was delivered by

THOMAS, J. Leave granted. G

Can a trial court permit lacuna in prosecution evidence filled up? The
conventional concept is that the court should not do so. But then, what is
meant by lacuna in a prosecution case, has to be understood before deciding
the said questions one way or the other. H
SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] 3 S.C.R.

A The present case provides an occasion to decide the said question.
Appellant is now facing trial along with certain other persons before a court L

of sessions for offences under Sections 21, 25 and 29 of the Narcotics Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Appellant is now on bail pursuant
to an order granted by the High Court of Delhi. As the trial proceeded almost
to the end when the prosecution and the defence closed their evidence. on
B 19.9.1997, the case was posted for further steps. Nevertheless, subsequently,
the case stood posted to some other days also. On 7.3.1998, at the instance
of the prosecution two of the witnesses, who were already examined, were re-
summoned for the purpose of proving certain documents for prosecution.
They were further examined and the evidence was once again closed and the .....
C case was posted for hearing arguments. It appears that arguments were heard
in piece-meal on different days. On 7.6.1998, the Public Prosecutor moved an
application seeking permission to examine PW-21 (Dalip Singh-SI) and two
other persons. Though the application was stoutly opposed by the accused's
counsel the trial court allowed it in exercise of its power under Section 311
D of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short 'the Code') and summons were
issued to the witnesses as per its order dated 8.1.1999.

The relevant portion of that order of the trial court is the following :

"In order to find out whether the CESL Form accompanied the samp.le
packet or not, it has been repeatedly held by the Hon'ble High Court
E
that the Read Certificate should be produced to make things clear in
this respect. It cannot be denied that it is an old case and directions
Jtave been issued several times to expedite the trial but at the same
time when the witnesses are available the prosecution cannot be
debarred by examining him. In the present case, cross examination of
F P.w. 4· was deferred by learned Additional Public Prosecutor. Cross
examination of P.W. 21 by the Defence Counsel was deferred but
thereafter he was never summoned for cross examination. There was
negligence on the part of Public Prosecutor as he closed evidence
twice without verifying whether cross examination of all the witnesses
has been concluded or not. However, in the interest of justice, I allow
G
the application to the extent that P. W. 21 Dalip Singh be recalled for
cross examination. The interest of justice demands that things should
be clear before the Court to assist it to meet the ends of justice."
l.l~t,fl~ .JJ~

~::< ~ppellant challenged the said order in revision before the High Court
H . of Delhi. As it was an interlocutory order the question whether a revision was
RAJENDRA PRASAD v. NARCOTIC CELL [THOMAS, J.] 821
not maintainable as per Section 397(2) of the Code was not considered by the A
High Court. Nevertheless, the High Comt entertained the revision and
dismissed it as per the impugned order. According to the learned single judge
who dismissed the revision "there are certain circumstances which have been
mentioned in the order of the sessions Judge which forced him to pass the
order."
B
Learned counsel for the appellants contended that the trial court failed
to appreciate that in the garb of exercise of powers under Section 311 of the
Code a court cannot allow the prosecution to re-examine prosecution witnesses
in order to fill up lacuna in the case. Lacunae, as pointed out by the learned
counsel, were the following·: C
(a) PW 21 Dalip Singh was never tendered by the prosecution for
cross examination.
(b) PW4 Suresh Chand Sharma was also not cross examined by the
State.
D
(c) There was no link evidence to correct the testimony of PW28 HI
C Jai Prakash. That aspect was highlighted during arguments in
the trial court, before the court resorted to the impugned steps.

The above contention was based on the observation made by this
Court in Mohan/al Shamji Soni v. Union of India, AIR (1991) SC 1346 that E
the court while exercising its power under Section 311 of the Code shall not
- use such power 'for filling up the lacuna left by the prosecution.'

It is a common experience in criminal courts that defence counsel would
raise objections whenever courts exercise powers under Section 311 of the
Code or under Section 165 of the Evidence Act by saying that the Court could F
not 'fill the lacuna in the prosecution case'. A lacuna in prosecution is not
to be equated with the fallout of an oversight committed by a public prosecutor
during trial, either in producing relevant materials or in eliciting relevant
answers from witnesses. The adage 'to err is human' is the recognition of the
possibility of making mistakes to which humans are proved. A corollary of G
any such latches or mistakes during the conducting of a case cannot be
understood as the lacuna which a court cannot fill up.

Lacuna in the prosecution must be understood as the inherent weakness
or a latent wedge in the matrix of the prosecution case. The advantage of it
should normally go to the accused in the trail of the case, but an over sight H
822 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] 3 S.C.R:

A in the management of the pro~ecution cannot be treated as irreparable lacuna.
No party in a tr.ial can before-blosed from correcting errors. If proper evidence
was not adduced or a relevant material was not brought on record due to
any inadvertence, the court should be magnanimous in permitting such
mistakes to be rectified. After all, function of the criminal Court is administration
B of criminal justice and not to count errors committed by the parties or to find
out and declare who among the parties performed better./,

The very same decision Mohan/al Shamiji Soni v. Union of India,
(supra) which cautioned against filling up lacuna has also laid down the ratio
-
thus :

C "It is therefore clear that the Criminal Court has ample power to
summon any person as a witness or recall and re-examined any such
person even if the evidence on both sides is closed and the jurisdiction
of the Court must obviously be dictated by exigency of the situation,
and fair play and good sense appear to be the only safe guides and
D that only the requirements of justice command the examination of any
person which would depend on the facts and circumstances of each
case.'

Dealing with Corresponding Section in the old Code Section 540.
Hidyatullah Jias the learned Chief Justice then was) speaking for a three-judge
E bench of this Court had said in Jamatraj Kewalji Govani v. The State of
Maharashtra, [1967] 3 SCR 415 as follows:-

"It would appear that in our criminal jurisdiction, statutory law confers
a power in absolute terms to be exercised at any stage or the trail to
-
summon a witness or examine one present in Court or to recall a
F witness already examined, and makes this the duty and obligation of
the Court provided the just decision of the case demands it. In other
words, where the court exercise the power under the second part, the
inquiry cannot be whether the accused has brought anything suddenly
or unexpectedly but whether the court is right in thinking that the new
G evidence is needed by it for a just decision of the case."

Chinnappa Reddy, J. has also observed in the same tone in Ram Chander
v. State of Haryana, AIR (1981) SC 1036.

We cannot therefore accept the contention of the appellant as a legal
H proposition that the Court cannot exercise power of re-summoning any witness
RAJENDRA PRASAD v. NARCOTIC CELL [THOMAS, J.] 823
if once that power was exerCised, nor can the power be whittled down merely A
, on the ground that prosecution discovered latches only when the defence
highlighted them during final arguments. The power of the court is plenary
to summon or even recall any witness at any stage of the case if the court
considers it necessary for a just decision. The steps which the trial court
permitted in this case for re-summoning certain witnesses cannot therefore be B
spurned down nor frowned at.

The appeal is accordingly dismissed.

A.M. Appeal dismissed.

-