SATVINDER KAURversusSTATE (GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI) AND ANR.

A                             SATVINDER KAUR
                                         v.
             STATE (GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI) AND ANR.

                               OCTOBER 5, 1999

B
                     (K.T. THOMAS AND M.B. SHAH, JJ.]


          Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 :

          Sections 156, 170, 177, 178 and 482-Quashing of FIR on the ground
C of lack of tenitorial jurisdiction to investigate the offence-Allegation of
  torture and dowry demand against husband and in laws at Patiala--FIR
  lodged at Delhi-FIR quashed by High Court at the stage of investigation on
  the ground of tenitorial jurisdiction-Validity of-Held, High Court not jus-
  tified in quashing the FIR-S.H.O. has statutory authority to investigate any
D cognizable offence for which FIR was lodgetf-After investigation, if he comes
  to the conclusion that the offence was not committed within his tenitorial
  jurisdiction, he can forward the case to the Magistrate-Indian Penal Code,
  1860-Sections 406 and 498-A.

          Sec. 482-Investigation into cognizable offence-Interference with on
E the ground of lack of tenitorial jurisdiction-Scope and extent of

           Appellant and respondent no.2 married at Delhi and a daughter
    was born to them. Appellant-wife alleged that she was thrown out of her
    matrimonial home in Patiala weeks after the birth of the baby. She lodged
F a complaint against her husband and in-laws at Police Station, Kotwali
    in Patiala. Thereafter, she came to Delhi to stay with her parents. Since
    respondent no. 2-husband continued to threaten her, she lodged a com"
    plaint in the Women's cell at Delhi. Subsequently, an FIR was also lodged
  · under Ss.406 and 498A, IPC for occurrences at Patiala, at a Police Station
G in Delhi. Respondent no. 2-husband was arrested at Patiala. He filed a
    petition under Sec. 482 Cr. P.C. for quashing the FIR on the ground that
    the Investigating Officer had no territorial jurisdiction to investigate the
    offence. High Court upholding the said plea quashed the FIR. Hence the
    present appeal.

H         Allowing the appeal, this Court
                                        348
           SATVINDER KAUR v. STATE (GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI)              349

       HELD : 1.1. The S.H.O. has statutory authority under Sec. 156 of A
 the Criminal Procedure Code to investigate any cognizable case for which
 an FIR is lodged. Thus, High Court committed grave error in quashing
 the FIR on the ground that Investigating Officer has no territorial juris-
 diction to investigate the offence. [353-C; 357-C]

         1.2. Section 156 of the Code empowers the Police Officer to inves- B
  tigate any cognizable offence. After investigation, if the Investigating Of-
  ficer arrives at the conclusion that the cause of action for lodging the FIR
  has not arisen within his territorial jurisdiction, then he is required to
_ submit a report accordingly under Sec. 170 of the Code and forward the
· case to the Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence. But C
  this would not mean that in a case which requires investigation, the police
  officer can refuse to record the FIR and/or investigate it. That apart, Sec.
  156(2) contains an embargo that no proceeding of a police officer shall
  be challenged on the ground that he has no territorial power to inves-
  tigate. ~e High Court has completely overlooked the said embargo when D
  it entertained the petition of respondent no. 2 on the ground of want of
  territorial jurisdiction. [353-E; 357-E-F; 354-E]

       State of West Bengal v. S.N. Basak, [1963] 2 SCR 52, relied on.

       1.3. Under Chapter XIII of the Code, there is no absolute prohibi-
 tion on courts that the offence committed beyond the local territorial
                                                                                  E
 jurisdiction cannot be investigated, inquired or tried. Section 178 inter
 alia provides for place of inquiry or trial when it is uncertain in which of
 several local areas an offence was committed or where the offence was
 committed partly in one local area and partly in other and where it
 consisted of se.veral acts done in different local areas; it could be inquired   F
 into or tried by a Court having jurisdiction over any of such local areas.
 Hence, at the stage of investigation, it cannot be held that S.H.O. does
 not have territorial jurisdiction to investigate the crime. [354-F; 355-DJ

       2. There should be no interference under Sec. 482 of the Code at
 the stage of investigation, on the ground that there Investigating Officer G
 has no territorial jurisdiction. Further, the legal position is well settled
 that if an offence is disclosed the Court will not normally interfere with
 an investigation into the case and will permit investigation into the offence_
 alleged to be completed. If the F.I.R.,primafacie, discloses the commission"'
 of an offence, the Court does not normally stop the investigation, for, to H
    350                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A do so would be to trench upon the lawful power of the police to investigate
    into cognizable offences. It is also settled by a long course of decisions of
    this Court that for the purpose of exercising its power under Section 482,
    Cr. P.C. to quash an FIR or a complaint, the High Court would have to
    proceed entirely on the basis of the allegations made in the complaint of
B   the documents accompanying the same per se; it has no jurisdiction to
    examine the correctness or otherwise of the allegations. Further, while
    exercising the jurisdiction under Sec. 482 of the Code for quashing and
    investigation, the court should bear in mind the observation made in 0. C.
    Kuttan's* case. [353-D; 356-G; H; 357-A; C; G]

C         *State of Kera/a & Ors. Etc. v. O.C. Kuttan & Ors. Etc., JT (1999) SC
    486, relied on.

          Re: State of West Bengal v. Swapna Kumar, [1982) 1 SCC 561; Re:
    Pratibha Rani v. Suraj Kumar and Anr., [1985] 2 SCC 370, referred to.

D         CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No.
    1031 of 1999.

         From the Judgment and Order dated 13.10.98 of the Delhi High
    Court in Crl. M. No. 540 of 1993.
E         D.N. Goburdhan (SCLSC) for the Appellant.
          ,.

         Ashok Bhan, (Ms. Neera Gupta) for Ms. Sushma Suri for the
    Respondent no. 1.

F         Sudhir Walia and Mahinder Singh Dahiya for the Respondent no. 2.

          The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

          SHAH, J. Leave granted.

G       . The appellant -wife contends that she had married to Rajinder
    Singh-Respondent no. 2 on December 9, 1990. Her parents were resident
    of Delhi and the marriage was performed at Delhi. A daughter was born
    on 19th December, 1991. It is her contention that on 19th January, 1992,
    she was thrown out from the matrimonial home in Patiala with 4 weeks
H   baby girl and that at that time, she had only wearing apparel.
         SATVINDER KAUR v. STATE (GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI) [SHAH, J.]       351

          On the same day, that is, 19th January, 1992 at 3.40 p.m., a complaint    A
    bearing no. DD no. 18 was lodged by her at P.S. Kotwali, Patiala making

-   various allegations of torture and dowry demand against her husband and
    parents-in-law. Thereafter, she came to Delhi to live with her parents.
    Within that time also, threats by her husband continued. On 30th April,
    1992, a complaint was lodged against her husband in the Women Cell,
    Delhi. Subsequently, on 23rd January, 1993, the impugned FIR no. 34 of
                                                                                    B
    1993 under Sections 406 and 498A I.P.C. for the alleged occurrence dated
    9th December, 1990 at Patiala was lodged at Police Station, Paschim Vihar,
    New Delhi. Rajinder Singh, respondent no. 2 was arrested on 4th February,
    1993 at Patiala and certain recoveries were effected and he was brought to
    Delhi and produced before the Metropolitan magistrate, who remanded             c
    him to judicial custody and, thereafter, released him on bail on 9th
    February, 1993.


           Thereafter, the husband (R-2) filed petition in Delhi High Court
    under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code for quashing the FIR           D
    no. 34 of 1993 on the ground that the allegations made in the complaint
    were false and ma/a fide and no part of the cause of action for investigation
    or trial of an offence arose within Delhi. On 12th October, 1993, after
    hearing the Counsel for the parties, the High Court held "since the return
    of stridhan and accounting thereof is being sought in Delhi, the Courts at      E
    Delhi will have the jurisdiction to try the case." Hence, the petition was
    dismissed. That order was challenged before this Court. By Order dated
    4th April, 1995, the order passed by the High Court was set aside and
    matter was remitted for fresh consideration on the points raised by the
    respondent in the petition. This. Court observed :
                                                                                    F
                 "The High Court dealt with only the territorial jurisdictional
             question and did not g0 into the merits of the matter. Ex-facie, it
             appears there a clear prayer of the appellant in his petition under
             Section 482 Cr. P.C. is to the effect seeking proceedings to be
             quashed. The claim apparently is based on the aforesaid memoran- G
             dum recorded at the Police Station, Patiala. In the face of it, it is
             claimed that criminal proceedings could not be initiated at Delhi
             after settling the matter out of Court. As said before, there is no
             discussion on ·the merit of the matter in the order of the High
             Court."                                                               H
    352                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1999] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A       After remand, the High Court heard learned counsel for the parties
  and quashed the F.I.R. on the ground that Investigating Officer at Delhi
  was not having territorial jurisdiction. The Court further clarified that the
  alleged compromise arrived at between the parties on 19.1.1992 cannot be
  a ground for quashing the FIR because it would depend upon the evidence
  which may be led by the parties with regard to the articles returned by the
B in-laws. That order is. challenged before us in this appeal by special leave.

        At the time of hearing of this appeal, learned counsel for the appel-
  lant submitted that after rightly holding that the alleged settlement of
  19.1.1992 cannot be a ground for quashing the F.I.R., the High Court
C materially erred in holding that the alleged cause of action for lodging the
  F.I.R. had not arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the Delhi Police
  Station. He further pointed out that the matter was remanded by this Court
  for deciding the effect of the alleged settlement and the findings given by
  the High Court on the question of territorial jurisdiction to investigate the
D matter by Delhi Police was not disturbed.

           As against this, learned counsel for the Respondent submitted that
   the alleged offence took place at Patiala .and that the articles given at the
    time of marriage were returned at Patiala on the basis of the F.I.R. dated
    19th January 1992 lodged by the appellant at Patiala. A compromise was
E arrived at between the parties on the same day and is recorded at the
    Police Station as DD no. 28. He further submitted that as husband has filed
    petition under Section 9 of .the Hindu Marriage Act for restitution of
    conjugal rights, as a counter blast appellant filed complaint to the DCP
    (Women Crime Cell), Delhi on 10th June, 1992 in which she never stated
p that she had not received back all dowry articles or her Stridhan. There-
    after, itµpugned FIR no. 34 dated 23rd January, 1992 was lodged in which
    she has made material improvements. On the basis of the said FIR,
    husband and his family members were harassed and arrested. Various
  . other statements are made in the affidavit in reply filed by the respondent-
    husband and also in rejoinder filed by the appellant.
G
        In our view, the submission made by the learned counsel for the
  appellant requires to be accepted. The. limited question is whether the
  High Court was justified in quashing the FIR on the ground that Delhi
  Police Station did not have territorial jurisdiction to investigate the offence.
H From the discussion made by the learned Judge, it appears that learned
     SATVINDER KAUR v. STAIB (GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI) [SHAH, J.]         353

Judge has considered the provisions applicable for criminal trial. The High       A
Court arrived at the conclusion by appreciating the allegation made by the
parties that the S.H.O., Police Station Paschim Vihar, New Delhi was not
having territorial jurisdiction to entertain and investigate the F.I.R. lodged
by the appellant because the alleged dowry items were entrusted to the
respondent at Patiala and that. the alleged cause of action for the offence
punishable under Section 498A I.P.C. arose at Patiala. In our view, the
                                                                                  B
findings given by the High Court are, on the face of it, illegal and erroneous
because:

         (1) The S.H.O. ha~ statutory authority under Section 156 of the
             Criminal Procedure Code to investigate any cognizable case           C
             for which an F.I.R. is lodged.

         (2) At the stage of investigation, there is no question of inter-·
             ference under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code
             on the ground that the Investigating Officer has no territorial
             jurisdiction.                                                        D
         (3) After investigation is over, if the Investigating Officer arrives
             at the conclusion that the cause of action for lodging the
             F.I.R. has not arisen within his territorial jurisdiction, then he
             is required to submit a report accordingly under Section 170
             of the Criminal Procedure Code and to forward the case to            E
             the Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence.

      T_his would be clear from the following discussion. Section 156 of the
Criminal Procedure Code empowers the Police Officer to investigate any
cognizable offence. It reads as under :
                                                                                  F
        "156. Police Officer's power to investigate cognizable case : -

         (1) Any officer in charge of a police station may, without the
             order of a Magistrate, investigate any cognizable case which
             a Court having jurisdiction over the local area within the limits    G
             of such station would have power to inquire into or try under
             the provisions of Chapter XIII.

        (2) No proceeding of a police officer in any such case shall at
            any stage be called in question on the ground that the case
            was one which such officer was not empowered under this H
    354                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1999] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A                 section to investigate.

             (3) Any Magistrate empowered under Section 190 may order
                                       •
                 such an investigation as above-mentioned."

         It is true that territorial jurisdiction also is prescribed under sub-sec-
B ti on (1) to the extent that the Officer can investigate any cognizable case
  which a court having jurisdiction over the local area within the limits of
  such police station would have power to inquire into or try under the
  provisions of Chapter XIII. However, sub-section (2) makes the position
  clear by providing that no proceeding of a police officer in any such case
C shall at any stage be called in question on the ground that the case was one
  which such officer was not empowered to investigate. After investigation is
  completed, the result of such investigation is required to be submitted as
  provided under Sections 168, 169 and 170. Section 170 specifically provides
  that if, upon an investigation, it appears to the Officer in charge of the
D police station that there is sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of
  suspicion to justify the forwarding of the accused to a Magistrate, such
  officer shall, forward the accused under custody to a Magistrate em-
  powered to take cognizance of the offence upon a police report and to try
  the accused or commit for trial. Further, if the Investigating Officer arrives
  at the conclusion that the crime was not committed within the territorial
E jurisdiction of the police station, then F.I.R. can be forwarded to the police
  station having jurisdiction over the area in which crime is committed. But
  this would not mean that in a case which requires investigation, the police
  officer can refuse to record the FIR and/or investigate it.

p          Chapter XIII of the Code provides for "Jurisdiction of the Criminal
    Courts in inquiries and trials". It is to be stated that under the said Chapter
    there are various provisions which empower the Court for inquiry or trial
    of a criminal case and that there is no absolute prohibition that the offence
    committed beyond the local territorial jurisdiction cannot be investigated,
    inquired or tried. This would be clear by referring to Sections 177 to 188.
G   For our purpose, it would be suffice to refer only to Sections 177 and 178
    which are as under :-

             "177. Ordinary place of inquiry and trial - Every offence shall
             ordinarily be inquired into and tried by a Court within whose local
H            jurisdiction it was committed.
     SATVINDERKAURv. STATE(GOVT. OFN.C.T. OF DELHI) [SHAH,J.]              355

         178. Place of inquiry or trial. - (a) When it is uncertain in which      A
         of several local areas an offence was committed, or

            (b)     where an offence is committed partly in one local area
                    and partly in another, or

            (c)     where an offence is continuing one, and continues to          B
                    be committed in more local areas than one, or

            (d)     where it consists of several acts done in different local
                    .areas,

            it may be inquired into or tried by a Court having jurisdiction       C
         over any of such local areas."

       A reading of the aforesaid sections would make it clear that Section
 177 provides for 'ordinary' place of inquiry or trial. Section 178 inter alia
provides for place of inquiry or trial when it is uncertain in which of several
local areas an offence was committed or where the offence was committed           D
partly in one local area and partly in other and where it consisted of several
acts done in different local areas, it could be inquired into or tried by a
court having jurisdiction over any of such local areas. Hence, at the stage
of investigation, it cannot be held that S.H.O. does not have territorial
jurisdiction to investigate the crime.                                            E
      This Court in the State of West Bengal v. S.N. Basak, [1963] SCR 52,
dealt with a similar contention wherein the High Court had held that the
statutory powers of investigation given to the police under Chapter XIV
were not available in respect of an offence triable under the West Bengal
Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1949 and hence the                   F
investigation was without jurisdiction. Reversing the said finding, it was
held thus :-

        "The powers of investigation into cognizable offences are con-
        tained in Chapter XIV of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Section
        154 which is in that Chapter deals with information in cognizable G
        offences and Section 156 with investigation into such offences and
        under these sections the police has statutory right to investigate
        into the circumstances of any alleged cognizable offence without
        authority from a Magistrate and this statutory power of the police
        to investigate cannot be interfered with by the exercise of power H
    356                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A           under Section 439 or under the inherent power of the Court under
            Section 561A of Criminal Procedure Code. As to the powers of
            the Judiciary in regard to statutory right of the police to investigate,
            the Privy Council in King Emperor v. Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, (1944)
            L.R. 71 I.A. 203, 212 observed as follows :-

B                 "The functions of the judiciary and the police are com-
                  plementary~ not overlapping, and the combination of in-
                  dividual liberty with a due observance of law e.nd order is only
                  to be obtained by leaving each to exercise its own function,
                  always, of course, subject to the right of the Court to inter-
c                 vene in an appropriate case when moved under· Section 491
                  of the Criminal Procedure Code to give directions in the
                  nature of habeas corpus. In such a case as the present,
                  however, the Court's functions begin when a charge is
                  preferred before it, and not until then. It has sometimes been
                  thought that Section 561A has given increased powers to the
D                 Court which it did not posses before that Section was
                  enacted. But this is not so, the section gives no new powers,
                  it only provides that those which the Court already inherently
                  possesses shall be preserved and is inserted as their
                  Lordships think, lest it should be considered that the only
E                 powers possessed by the Court are those expressly conferred
                  by the Criminal Procedure Code and that no inherent powers
                  had survived the passing of that Act."

             With this interpretation, which has been put on the statutory duties
F            and powers of the police and of the powers of the Court, we are
             in accord. The High Court was in error therefore in interfering
             with the powers of the police in investigating into the offence which
             was alleged in the information sent to the Officer-in-charge of the
             police station."

G          Further, the legal position is well settled that if an offence is disclosed
    the Court will not normally interfere with an investigation into the case and
    will permit investigation into the offence alleged to be completed. If th~
    F.I.R., prima facie, discloses the commission of an offence, the Court does
    not normally stop the investigation, for, to do so would be to t.rench upon
H   the lawful power of the police to investigate into cognizable offences. (Re:
         SA1VINDERKAURv. STATE(GOVT. OFN.C.T. OF DELHI) [SHAH,J.)              357

    State of West Bengal v. Swapna Kumar, [1982] 1 SCC 561.) It is also settled       A
    by a long course of decision of this Court that for the purpose of exercising
    its power under Section 482, Cr. P.C. to quash an FIR or a complaint, the
    High Court would have to proceed entirely on the basis of the allegations
    made in the complaint or the documents accompanying the same per se;
    it has no jurisdiction to examine the comctness or otherwise of the allega,-
    tions. (Ref. Pratibha Rani v. Suraj Kumar and another, [1985] 2 SCC 370 at        B
    395).

           Hence, in the present case, the High Court committed grave error
    in accepting the contention of the respondent that investigating officer had
    no jurisdiction to investigate the matters on the alleged ground that no part     C
    of the offence was committed within the territorial jurisdiction of police
    station at Delhi. The appreciation of the evidence is the function of the
     Courts when seized of the matter. At the stage of investigation, the material
     collected by an investigating officer cannot be judicially scrutinized for
    arriving at a conclusion that police station officer of particular police         D
    station would not have territorial jurisdiction. In any case, it has to be
    stated that in view of Section 178(c) of the Criminal Procedure Code, when
    it is uncertain in which of the several local areas an offence was committed.
    or where it consists of several acts done in different local areas, the said
    offence can be inquired into or tried by a Court having jurisdiction over
    any of such local areas. Therefore, to say at the stage of investigation that     E
    S.H.O., Police Station Paschim Vihar, New Delhi was not having territorial
    jurisdiction, is on the face of it, illegal and erroneous. That apart, Section
    156(2) contains an embargo that no proceeding of a police officer shall be
    challenged on the ground that he has no territorial power to investigate.
    The High Court has completely overlooked the said embargo when it
                                                                                      F
    entertained the petition of respondent no. 2 on the ground of want of
    territorial jurisdiction.

           Lastly, it is required to be reiterated that while exercising the juris-
    diction under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code of quashing and
    investigation, the Court should bear in mind what has been observed in the        G
    State of Kera/a & Ors. Etc. v. O.C. Kuttan & Ors. Etc., JT (1999) 1 SC 486


-
    to the following effect :-

             "Having said so, the court gave a note of caution to the effect that
             the power of quashing the criminal proceedings should be exer-           H
    358                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999) SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A            cised very sparingly with circumspection and that too in cne rarest
             of rare cases; that the Court will not be justified in embarking upon
             an inquiry as to the reliability or genuineness or otherwise of the
             allegations made in the F.I.R. or the complaint and that the
             e.xtraordinary or inherent powers do not confer an arbitrary juris-
             diction on the Court to act according to its whim or caprice. It is
B            too well settled that the first information report is only an initiation
             to move the machinery and to investigate into a cognizable offence
             and, therefore, while exercising the power and deciding whether
             the investigation itself should be quashed, utmost care should be
             taken by the Court and at that stage it is not possible for the Court
c            to shift the materials or to weigh the materials and then come to
             the conclusion one way or the other. In the case of State of U.P.
             v. O.P. Shanna, JT (1996) 2 SC 488, a.three Judge Bench of this
             Court indicated that the High Court ~hould be loath to interfere
             at the threshold to thwart the prosechtion exercising its inherent
             power under Section 482 or under Articles 226 and 227 of the
D
             Constitution of India, as the case may be and allow the law to take
             its own course. The same view was reiterated by yet another three
             Judges bench of this Court in the case of Rashmi Kumar v. Mahesh
             Kumar Bhada, JT (1996) 11 SC 175, where this Court sounded a
             word of caution and stated that such power should be sparingly
E            and cautiously exercised only when the Court is of the opinion that
             otherwise there will be gross miscarriage of justice. The Court had
              also observed that social stability and order is required to be
              regulated by proceeding against the offender as it is an offence
              against the society as a whole".
F        In the result, the appeal is allowed. The order passed by the High
    Court quashing the FIR is set aside. The Investigation Officer is directed
    to complete the investigation as early as possible.

    S.V.K.                                                         Appeal allowed.




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