Holding

A magistrate may validly take cognizance of an offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act on the complaint of the authorised officer, Section 210 CrPC does not apply, the complaint does disclose an offence, and the High Court erred in exercising its power under Section 482 to quash the proceedings.

Summary

The State of Bihar filed a complaint under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 alleging that the accused killed an elephant and removed its tusks. A Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the offence and issued summons, while a parallel police investigation under the Indian Penal Code was ongoing. The accused invoked Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code to have the magistrate's order quashed; the Patna High Court set aside the magistrate’s order, holding that Section 210(1) CrPC barred duplicate cognizance and that the complaint did not disclose an offence. The Supreme Court reversed the High Court, ruling that cognizance under the WLPA can be taken only on the complaint of the authorised officer, so Section 210 does not apply, and that the complaint does spell out an offence. It also held that the High Court’s exercise of its inherent power under Section 482 was improper. The appeals were allowed, the High Court orders were set aside, and the magistrate’s order was restored.

Issues considered

The applicability of Section 210(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code when a magistrate takes cognizance of an offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act while a police investigation is pending.
Whether the complaint lodged by the forest officer sufficiently spells out an offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The scope of the High Court’s inherent power under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code to quash proceedings at the stage of taking cognizance.
Whether the offence under Section 9(1) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the offence under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code constitute the 'same offence' for purposes of double jeopardy and Section 56 of the WLPA.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 210(1), s. 482
Constitution of Indias. Art.20(2)
General Clauses Act, 1897s. 26
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 379, s. 429, s. 447
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972s. 2(16), s. 2(36), s. 50(1), s. 51, s. 55, s. 56, s. 9(1)

Subjects

Wild Life Protection ActSection 210 CrPCSection 482 CrPCcognizance of offencedouble jeopardysame offence doctrineenvironmental lawelephant poachingpolice investigationmagistrate jurisdiction

Judgment

. '"r'

STATE OF BIHAR
A
v.
MURAD ALI KHAN, FARUKH SALAUDDIN & VIKRAM
SINGH

OCTOBER 10, 1988
B
[RANGANATH MISRA AND M.N. VENKATACHALIAH, JJ,]

Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, ss. 9(1), 51, 55 and 56-
Cognizance of the offe11ce against the accused by the Magistrate-
Permissibility of-Pendency of police Investigation for the same offence
against the same act-Effect of-Whether s. 210(1) Cr. P. C. applicable.
c
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, s. 482-Scope of-Power of
th~ High Court to go into the question whether the offence could be
established by evidence or not-Explained.

Words and Phrases--'Tlw same offcncc'--'Substantialiy the same D
ojfence'--'/11 effect the same offenc~'--'Practlcally the i·ame offence'--
Meanlng of.
The Ronl!e Ofllcer, Forest of the nppollnnt·Stote lodged
complolnt1 with the Judlclol Mnalstrale Jst CloH11 a11olnNt the respon·
dent&•RCCUllld olleglng thot they hod committed offences under section e
51 of the Wiid Life Protection Act, 1972. The learned Magistrate took
co11nlzance of the offence 011d ordered Issue of process to the respon·
dents·occused. However, before lod11ln11 the nfore1nld complolnt1 1 u
co~e hod also been rc11lstered agolnst the re1pondents·nccuscd with the
concerned police 1tatlon under section~ 44 7, 429 and 379, IPC read with
sections !4 nnd 3!1 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1!172 and the matter F
wus under lnvcHtll!utlon hy the police.

The respondents,nccused moved the High Court under section
482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for quashln11 the aforesaid order
of the Magistrate, The High Court qunshed the proceedings against the
respondents-accused on the ground: (a) tho! the Magistrate acted with· o
out jurisdiction In toking coanlzance of the offence and orderln11 Issue of
proceH 1111olnst the accused, since It was a cnse to which section 210(1)
of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 oitrocted and that aM an :
Investigation by the police w11s In pro11ress In relation to the 1ame
offence the Mnslstrote would be required to 1tay the- proceedln111 on the
complnlnt nnd cnll for n report In the molter from the Police; and (b) H
4SS
456 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

that on the face of the complaint, it could not be said that the complaint
A spells out the ingredients of the offence alleged. Hence these appeals by
special leave by the appellant-State.

Allowing the appeals to this Court,

13 HELD: (I) The orders of the High Court in Crl. Misc. 223of1987
dated 13.2.1987 and the two orders in Crl. Misc. No. 258 of 1987(R)
and Crl. Misc. No. 259 1987(R) dated 18.2.1987 are set aside and the
order dated I. 7.1986 of the learned Magistrate taking cognizance of the
offence and ordering issue of summons to the respondents is restored.·
The criminal case initiated on the complaint will now be proceeded with
in accordance with law. [470H; 471A-B]
c
2(i) A perusal of sections 2(16), 2(36), 9(1), 51 and 55 of the Wild
Life Protection Act, 1972 shows that cognizance of an offence against
the "Act" can be taken by a Court only on the complaint of the officer
mentioned in section 55. Even if the jurisdictional police purported to
D register a case for an alleged offence against the Act, sec. 210(1)
Cr. P.C. would not be attracted having regard to the position that
cognizance of such an offence can .only be taken on the complaint of the
officer mentioned in that section. [462H; 463A-B]

2(ii) Where a Magistrate takes cognizance of an offence instituted
E otherwise than on a police-report and an investigation by the police is in
progress in relation to same offence, the two cases do not lose their
separate identity. The section seeks to obviate the anomalies that might
arise from taking cognizance of the same offence more than once. But,
where, as in the instant case, cognizance can be taken only in one way
and that on the complaint of a particular statutory functionary, there is
p no scope or occasion for taking cognizance more than once and accord-
ingly, section 210 Cr.P.C. has no role to play. [463B-C)

3(i) Jurisdiction nnder section 482 Cr.P.C., which saves the
inherent power of the High Court, to make snch orders as may be
necessary to prevent abuse of the process of any conrt or otherwise to
o secure the ends of justice, has to he exercised sparingly and with
circumspection. In exercising that jurisdiction, the High Court would not
embark upon an enquiry whether the allegations in the complaint-are
like to be established by evidence or not. That is the function of the
Trial Magistrate when the evidence comes before him. [463E-F)

H 3(ii) When the High Court is called upon to exercise jurisdiction
~ :

STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN 457

under Section 4K2 Cr.P.C. to quash a proceeding at the stage of the A
Magistrate taking cognizance of an offence, the High Court is guided by
the allegations, whether those allegations, out in the complaint or the
charge-sheet, do not in law constitute or spell-out any offence and that
resort to criminal proceedings would, in the circumstances, amount to
an abuse of the process of the court or not. [463G-H•]
B
In the instant case, it is difficult to agree with the High Court. that
the allegation in the complaint, taken on their face value, would not
amount in law to any offence against the Wild Life Protection Act,
1972. [465G]

Municipal Corporation of Delhiv. R.K. Rohtagi, [1983] l S.C.R.
884 at 890 and Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. P.D. JIJunjunwala, C
[1983] I SCR 895 at 897 followed. -

4(i) The ingredients of an offence under sec. 9(1) read with sec.
50(1) of the Act require for its establishment certain ingredients which
are not part of the offence under sec. 4291.P.C. and vice-versa. [470G] D

4(ii) The expression "any act or omission which constitutes any
offence under this Act" in section 56 of the Act, merely imports the idea
that the same act or omission might constitute an offence under another
law and could be tried under such other law or laws also. [4668; 467 A]
E
4(iii) The proviso to section 56 has also a familiar ring and
is a facet of the fundamental and salutory principles that permeate
penalogy and reflected in analogous provisions of sec. 26 of General
Clauses Act, 1897; Section 71 IPC; Section 300 of the Cr.P.C.
1973, and constitutionally guaranteed under Art. 20(2) of the Consti-
tution. [467A-B] F

5. The expression "the same offence", "substantially the same
offences", "in effect the same offence", or "practically the same",
have not done much to lessen the difficulty in applying the tests to
identify the legal common denominators of "same offence". The same
set of facts, in conceivable cases, can constitute offences under two G
different laws. An act or an omission can amount to and constitute an
offence under the IPC and at the same time constitute an offence under
any other law. [468B-C; 470A-B]

Leo Roy Frey v. The Superintendent, District Jail, Amritsar,
[1958] SCR 822; State of Madhya Pradesh v. Veereshwar Rao H

·;
'
458 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

Agnihotry, [1957] SCR 868; Omprakash Gupta v. State of U.P., [1957]
A SCR 423; The State of Bombay v. S.L. Apte & Anr., [1961] 3 SCR 107;
"Double Jeoparady" in the Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice, vol. 2,
(p. 630) 1983 Edn. by Sanford H. Kadish v. The Free Press, Collier
Mac Millan Publishers, London and Friedland in "Double Jeoparady"
(Oxford 1969) referred to.
B
6(i) The policy and object of the Wild Life laws have a long
history and are the result of an increasing awareness of the compelling
need to restore the serious ecological-imbalance introduced by the
depradations inflicted on nature by man. [460E-F]

6(ii) The State to which the ecological-imbalances and the conse-
c quent environmental damage have reached is so alarming that unless
immediate, determined and effective steps were taken, the damage
might become irreversible. [460F-G]

6(iii) The largest single factor in the depletion of the wealth of
D animal life in nature has been the "civilized man" operating directiy
through excessive commercial hunting or, more disastrously, indirectly
through invading or destroying natural habitats. [462B-Ci

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal
Nos. 551-553 of 1988.
E
From the Judgment and Order dated 18.2.1987I13.2.1987 of the
Patna High Court in Crl. Misc. No. 258, 259 aand 223 of 1987 (R).

M.P. Jha for. the Appellant.
Dr.. Y.S. Chitale, Kapil Sibal, K.M. Lahiri, R.F. Nariman, K.K.
F Lahiri, Raian Karanjawala, Mrs. Manik Karanjawala and Miss
Meenakshi for the Respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

VENKATACHALIAH, J. SLP 1879 of 1987 is by the State of
G Bihar for special leave under Art. 136 of the Constitution to appeal
from the order dated 13.2.1987 of the High Court of Patna in Cr!.
Misc. 223 of 1987 quashing, in exercise of powers under s.482 of Code of
Crl. Procedure 1973, the order dated 1.7.1986 of the Judicial Magis-
trate, Chaibasa, taking cognizance of an offence under Section 9(1)
read with sec. 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 (Act) against
H. respondent-Vikram Singh.

,'
/'iJ
::;,,;
STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.[ 459
.
}~
·. .;Ii.
Special Leave Petition Nos. 1877 of 1987 and 1878 of 1987 arise
out of the subsequent two similar orders both dated 18.2.1987 in Cri- A
minal Misc. No. 258/1987(R) and 259/1987(R) of the High Court
quashing the same common order of the said Magistrate dated
1.7 ..1986 against two other accused, namely, Murad Ali Khan and
Faruq Salauddin who are respondents in these two Special Leave
Petitions. B

2. Special leave was granted and the three appeals were taken up
for final hearing, heard and disposed of by this common-judgment. We
have heard Shri M.P. Jha, learned counsel for the State of Bihar and
Dr. Chitaley and Shri Nariman for the respondents.

3. The accusation against the three respondents is that on c
8.6.1986 at 2.00 P.M. they along with two others named in the
complaint, shot and' killed an elephant in compartment No. 13 of
Kundurugutu Range Forest and removed the ivory tusks of the
elephant. On 25.6.1986 the Range Officer of Forest of that Range
lodged a written complaint with the Judicial Magistrate, !st Class, D
Chaibasa, in this behalf alleging offences against respondents under
Section 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. The learned Magis-
trate took cognisance of this offence and ordered issue of process to
the accused.

It would appear that at the Police Station, Sonua, a case had E
been registered under sections 447, 429 and 379 IPC read with sec. 54
and 39 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and that the matter was
under investigation by the police. The respondents, who were amongst
the accused, moved the High Court under Sec. 482 Cr.P.C. for quash-
ing of the order of the Magistrate taking cognizance the alleged
offence and issuing summons. The High Court was persuaded to the p
view that this was a case to which section 210( I) of Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 was attracted and that as an investigation by the
police was in progress in relation to the same offence the learned
Magistrate would be required to stay the proceedings on the complaint
and call for a report in the matter from the police; and that the learned
Magistrate acted without jurisdiction in taking cognizance of the G
offence and ordering issue of process against the accused. The High
Court, accordingly, quashed the proceedings against the respondents.

From the orders under appeal it would appear that two grounds
commended themselves for acceptance to the High Court. The first
was that the learned Magistrate acted contrary to the provisions of sec. H
460 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

A 210. The High Court observed:

"The investigation is still continuing and pending in so far
as the petitioner is concerned and the investigation shall .
continue. Obviously the Judicial Magistrate acted beyond·
jurisdiction in taking cognizance .against the petitioner
B when for the same allegation the investigation was pro-
ceeding and pending. He acted contrary to the provisions·
of Section 210 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The
complaint was filed after long delay ... "

The Second ground was on the merits of the complaint. The High
Court, inter alia, observed:
c
"On the face of the complaint petition of the first informa-
tion report itself the facts alleged do not constitute the
offence. The petitioner was never named in the first infor- ·
mation report. There is no eye witness in this case and
D there is no identification of the petitioner in any manner
whatsoever to sustain the allegation even prima facie for ·
the offence alleged."
e.
4. On a careful consideration of the matter, we are afraid., the
approach of and the conclusion reached. by the High Court is unsup- .
E portable, In regard to. the first ground, presumably, certain provisions
of the "Act" in regard to cognizability and investigation of offences.
against the act, relevant to the matter, had not been placed before the
High Court. The policy and object of the Wild Life laws have a long
history and are the result of an increasing awareness of the compelling'
need to restore the serious ecological-imbalances introduced by the
F depradations inflicted on nature by man. The State to which the
ecological-imbalances and the consequent environmental damage
have reached is so alarming that unless immediate, determined and
effective steps were taken, the damage might become irreversible. The
preservation of the fauna and flora, some species of which are getting
extinct at an alarming fate, has been a great and urgent necessity foL {
G the survival of humanity and these laws reflect a last-ditch battle for
the restoration, in part at least, a grave situation ernerging from a long'
history of callous insensitiveness to the enormity of the risks to man-
kind that go with the deterioration of environment. The tragedy of the
predicament of the civilised man is that "Every source from which man
has increased his power on earth has been used to diminish the
H prospects of his successors. All his progress is being made at the_
STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.[ 461

expense of damage to the environment which he can not repair and A
cannot foresee". In his foreward to '.International Wild Life Law',
H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh said:

" Many people seem to think that the conservation of
.nature is simply a matter of being kind to animals and
enjoying walks in the countryside. Sadly, perhaps, it is a B
great deal more complicated than that ...... "

" ...... As usual with all legal systems, the crucial
requirement is for .the terms of the conventions to be
. widely accepted and rapidly implemented. Regretfully
c
.progress in this direction is proving disastrously slow
"
[See International Wild life Law by Simon Lyster,
Cambridge-Grotuis Publications Limited, 1985 Ed.) D

There have been a series of international conventions for the
preservation anj protection of the environment. The United Nations
General Assembly adopted on 29.10.1982 "The World charter for
nature". The charter declares the "Aware" ness that:
E
(a) Mankind is a part of nature and life depends on the
uninterrupted functioning of natural systems which ensure the
supply of energy and nutrients.

(b) Civilization is rooted in nature, which has shaped
human culture and influenced all artistic and scientific achieve- F
ment, and living in harmony with nature gives man the best
opportunities for the development of his creativity, and for rest
and recreation.

In the third century B.C. King Asoka issued a decree that 'has a
particularly contemporary ring' in the matter o; preservation of wild G
life and environment. Towards the end of his reign, he wrote:

"Twenty six years after my coronation, I/declared
that the following animals we1e not to be killed: parrots,
mynas, the aruna, ruddy geese, wild geese, the nandi-
mukha, cranes, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, H
462 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

rhinoceroses .... and all quadrupeds which are not useful
A
or edible .... Forests must not be burned."

Environmentalists' conception of the ecological balii.1ce in nature is
based on the fundamental concept that nature is "a series of complex
biotic -communities of which a man is an inter-dependant part" and
B that it. should not be given to a part to tresspass and diminish the
whole. The largest single factor in the depletion of the wealth of
animal life in nature has been the "civilized man" operating directly
through ex.cessive commercial hunting or, more disa.strously,
indirectly through invading or destroying natural habitats.

C 5.. We might now turn to certain provisions of th.e Ac.t. Sec. 9(1)
of the Act says that no person shall "hunt" any wild animal specified in
Schedule J. Elephant is included in schedule I. The expression "wild-
animal" is defined in sec. 2 (36) to mean any "animal found wild in
nature and includes any animal specified in schedule I" etc. The ex-
pression "l1unting" is defined in sec. 2 ( 16) in a comprehensive
D manner:

"2( 16) 'hunting' with its grammatical variations and r
cognate expressions, includes, '
(a) capturing, killing, poisoning, snaring and trapp-
E ing of any wild animal and every attempt to do so, ·

(b) driving any wild animal for any of the purposes
specified in sub-clause (a), ·

(c) injuring or destroying or taking any part of the
F b 0 dy of- any such animal or, in the case of wild brids or
reptiles, damaging the eggs of such birds or reptiles, or
disturbing the eggs or nests of such birds or reptiles;

Sec. 51 of the Act provides for penalties. Violation of sec. 9( 1) is
an offence 11nder sec. 51(1). Sec. 55 deals with cognizance of offences:
G
"55. No court shall take cognizance of any offence
against this Act except on the complaint of the Chief Wild
Life Warden or such other officer as the State Government
may authorise in this behalf."

H, What emerges 'from a perusal of these provisions is that cogni-
:~: _:-:: ,;,:;,_ . ~

STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.I

zance of an offence against the "Act" can be taken by a Court only on A
the complaint of the officer metioned in Sec. 55. The person who
lodged complaint dated 23.6.86 claimed to be such an officer. In these
circumstances even if the jurisdictional police purported to register a
case for an alleged offence against the Act, Sec. 210 (1) would not be
attracted having regard to the position that cognizance of such an
offence can only be taken on the complaint of the officer men- B
tioned in that section. Even where a Magistrate takes cognisance
of a1,1 offence instituted otherwise than on a police-report and an
inve~tigatio~· by the police is in. progress in relation to same offence,
the two casesdo not lose their separate indentity. The section seeks
to obviate the anomalies that might arise from taking cognisance of
the same offence more than once. But, where, as here cognisance C
can be taken only in one way and that on the complamt of a particular
statutory functionary, there is no scope or occasion for taking cogni-
sance more than on~e and, accordingly, section 210 has no role to play.
The view taken by the High Court on the footing of Section 210 is
unsupportabl,e.
D
,,
6. The second-ground takes into consideration the merits of the
matter. It cannot be said that the complaint does not spell-out the
ingrediants of the offence alleged. A complaint only means any allega-
tion made orally or in writing to a Magistrate, with a view to his taking
action, that some person, whether known or unknown, has committed
an offence. E

It is trite that jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr. P.C., which
saves the inherent power of the High Court, to make such orders as
may be necessary to prevent abuse of the process of any court or
otherwise to secure the ends of justice, has to be exercised sparingly
arid with circumspectfon. In exercising that jurisdiction the High- F.
Court would not embark upon an enquiry whether the allegations in
the complaint are likely to be estaplished by evidence or not. That is
the function of the Trial Magistrate when the evidence comes before
him. Though it is neither possible nor advisable. to lay down any in-
flexible rules to regulate that jurisdiction, one thing, however, appears
clear and it is that when the High Court is called upon to exercise this G
jurisdiction to quash a proceeding at the stage of the Magistrate taking
'I cognizance of an offence the High-Court is guided by the allegatioPs,
I
whether those allegations, set out in the complaint or the charge-sheet,
do not in law constitute or spell-out any offence and that resort to
criminal proceedings would, in the circumstances, amount to an abuse
of the process of the court ornot. H
'I
464 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

A In Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. R.K. Rohtagi, [1983] SCR 1
884 at 890 it is reiterated:

"It is, therefore, manifestly clear that proceedings against
an accused in the initial stages can be quashed only if on the
face of the complaint or the papers accompanying the
B same, no offence is. constituted. In other words, the test is
that taking the allegations and the complaint as they are,
without adding or subtracting anything, if no offence is
made out then the High Court will be justified in quashing
the proceedings in exercise of its powers under Section 482
of the present Code."
c In Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. P.D. Jhunjunwala; [1983] 1
SCR 895 at 897 it was further made clear:

'< ... As tci what would be the evidence against the respon-
dents is not a matter to be considered ar this stage and
D would have to be proved at the trial. We have already held
that for purpose of quashing the proceedings only the alle-
gations set forth in the complaint have to be seen and no·
thing further."

In the complaint No. 653 dated 23.6.1986 of the Range Officer,
El Forests, it is, inter alia, alleged:
"I have to report that on 8.6.86 at about 2 P.M. I
learnt from Sri Aghnu Mah to, Forester, Jomatai Beat, that
somebody has killed an elephant in compartment No. lJof
Kundrugutu Reserve Forest. The matter was serious and so
.F I immediately reported it to Officer incharge, Sonua Police
Station to register a case and for investigation.

It was further reported that Jiwan Mesi Longa,
Coupe Oversee, Jomtal Beat has (been) seen the accused
persons entering into the forest during the night time and
G · had returned on the same Jeep No. BRX 9588 at about 8 or
9 A.M. He could indentify only Sri Prabhu Sahay Bhengra
in the jeep, was is driver of Block Development Officer,
Bandgaon.

During my enquiry I visited the spot and dug out the
body of the elephant and found that both of the tusk had
..
' - ~-~

STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.] 465

been extracted out, from the mouth of the elephant. It was
also learnt from the admission of the accused Prabhu Sahay A
Bhengra, who was interrogated by me during the course of
enquiry, that the elephant was killed in the early morning
of 1.6.86 before dawn i.e. on 1.6.86 by him and (1)
Sri Abranham Bhengra (2) Sri Murad ali Khan (3) Sri
Vikram Sing, (4) Sri Farukh Salauddin (5) Sri Babu Khan B
(name above) by two Riffles and had used 6 rounds of bul-
let. On the spot two empty cartridges were found and I
picked them up and produced them before the officer-in-
charge, Sonua Police Station for needful. Sri Prabhu Sahay
Bhengra had also admitted before me that he had kept one
tusk with him and other tusk was taken away by Murad Ali
Khan and his associates. Later one· of the tusks was pro- c
duced by Sri Prabhu Sahay Bhengra to the officer-in-
charge, Sonua Police Station in my presence.

On the basis of the information resolved from
Bhengra I immediately proceeded to Jamshedpur with D
D.S.P., Chakardharpur and the D.F.O., Pornahat Divi-
sion, Sri Murad Ali Khan and his associates. Sri Baby Khan
was interogated who admitted that they brought one of the
tusks and has sent it to Lucknow for disposal. They were
brought to Chaibasa with jeep No BRX 9588 and they were
handed over in. the custody of the S.P. Singhbhum, B
Chaibasa, for needful. Mr. Murad Ali Khan promised to
produce the tusk in a few days time but did not disclose the
place where he had sent the tusk at Lucknow .... "
/

The complaint further proceeds to say that elephant is included in the
Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and that the F
complainant was authorised by the Bihar Government's notification
No SO- i022/418/73 to file complaints under Act.

It is difficult to agree with the High Court that the allegations in
the complaint, taken on their face-value, would not amount in law to
any offence against the ;'Act". G

The second ground on which the High Court came to quash the
proceedings of the Magistrate, on the facts of this case, is impermissible
as an exercise under Sec. 482, Cr.P.C.

7. It was, however, suggested for the respondents that the H
466 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

A offence envisaged by sec. 9(1) read with sec. 2(16) andsec. 50(1) of the
Act, in its ingredients and content, is the same or substantially the
same as. Sec. 429, IPC and that after due investigation and police had
filed a final report that no offence was made out and that initiation of
any fresh proceedigs against respondents would be impermissible. Sec.
429, !PC, which occurs in thy chapter "Of mis~hi<;f" provides:
B
"429. Mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of
anY v\tlue or ru;iy animal of the value of fifty rupees-
Who.eve~ COIIlffiits mischief by killing, poisoning, mai~ing
or rendering useless, any elephant, camel, horse, mule,
\Jnffal9, bull, <;ow, or ox, whatever may be the val.ue
th\'_r«;"t>f, or any other animal of the value of fifty rupees or
c @W:irds, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
d~sctiption for a term which may extend to five years, or
with fine, or with both."

The o{fence of hunting any wild-animal as defined, in sec. 9(1)
D re;id \Vith ~ec. 2(16) gf the Act is inuch wider.

Sectiw;156 of the 'Act' prpvides:

"56. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed t9 prevent
a!lY person from being prosecuted under any other law for
E the time being in force, for any act or omission.which con-
stit11tes an o\fence agai;tst this Act or from being liable
under such other law to any higher punishment or penalty
th\ln that provided by this Act:

P~ovi\fed that no person shall be punished twice for
F \~i: sam,~ l)ffen9e."

We are µnable. \o acc<;pt the contention of Shri R.F. Nariman
th!\\ the specif:\c alleg'\tion in the present case concerns the specific act
l)f kiU\ng of all. elephant, and that su9h an offence, at all events, falls
witl1in the oy1;rlapp\ng areas between of sec. 429, iPC on the one hand
G '\D,d, 9(1) n'ad with. 50(1) of the Act on the other and therefore consti-
\µtes the sam.e·offence. Apart from the fact that this argument does
not serve to support the order of the High Court in the present case,
\liis llrgl\ment is, even pn its theoretical possibilities, more attractive
tha11 soim<l. The expf~~sion "any a~t or omission which constitutes any
gff~n~e µµper \ltis Act'' jn Sy~\ion Sp of the Act, merely imports the
H il!!'i! th.~t the S~jile ~~t P.f 8mission inigqt constitute an offence under
STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.] 467

another law and could be tried under such other law or laws also.

The proviso to Section 56 has also a familiar ring and is a facet of
the fundamental and salutory principles that permeate penalogy and
reflected in analogous provisions of sec. 26 of General Clauses Act,
1897; Section 71 IPC; Sec. 300 of the Cr.P.C., 1973.and constitution-
ally guaranteed under Art. 20(2) of the Constitution. Sec. 26 of the B
General Clauses Act, 1897 provides:

"26. Provision as to offences punishable under two
or more enactments:

Where an act or omission constitutes an offence
under two or more enactments, then the offender shall be
c
liable to be prosecuted and punished under either or any of
those enactments, but shall not be liable to be punished
twice for the same offence.,,

Broadly speaking, a protection against a second or multiple D
punishment for the same offence, technical complexities aside,
includes a protection against re-prosecution after acquittal, a protec-
tion against re-prosecution after conviction and a protection against
double or multiple punishment for the same offence. These protec-
tions have since received constitutional guarantee under Art. 20(2).
But difficulties arise in the application of the principle in the context of E
what is meant by "same offence". The principle in American law is
stated thus:

" The proliferation of technically different
offences encompassed in a single instance of crime
behavior has increased the importance of defining the F
scope of the offense that controls for purposes of the
double jeopardy guarantee.

Distinct statutory provisions wiU be treated as invo.\v-
ing separate offenses for double jeopardy purposes only if
"each provision requires proof of an additional fact whlc\1 G
the other does not" Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S.
299, 304 1932. Where the same evidence suffices tp prove
botn' crimes, they are the same for double jeopardy
purposes, and the cluase forbids successive trials anct
cumulative punishments for the two crimes. The offens~s
must be joined in one indictment and tried together unless H
468 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.

the defendant requests that they be tried separately. Jeffers
v. United Scates, 432 U.S. 137 1977."

[See "Double Jeoparady" in the Encyclopedia of Crime
and Justice voL 2, p. 630 1983 Edn. by Sanford H. Kadish:
The Free Press, ¢oilier MacMillan Publishers, London)
B
The· expressions "the same offence", "substantially the same
offence" "in effect the saine offence" or "practically the same", have
not done much to lessen the difficulty in applying the tests to identify
the legal common denomninators of. "same offence". Friedland in
"Double Jeoparady" [Oxford 1969) says at page 108:
c "The trouble with this approach is that it is vague and
hazy and conceals the thought processes of the Court. Such
an inexact test must depend upon the individual impres-
sions of the judges and can give little guidance for future
decisions. A more serious consequences is the fact that a
D deci~ion in one case that two offences are 'substantially the
same. may compel tbe .same result in another case involving
the same two offences where the circumstances may be
such that a second prosecution should be permissible
.,

E 8. In order that the prohibition is attracted the same act must
constitute an offence under more than one Act. If there two distinct
and separate offences with different ingredients unde.r two different
enactments, a double punishment is not barred. In Leo Roy Frey v.
The Superimendent, District Jail, Amritsar, [1958) SCR 822 the ques·
tion arose whether a crime and the offence of conspiracy to commit it
F are different offences. This Court said:

"The offence of a conspiracy to commit a crime is a
different offence from the crime that is the object of the
conspiracy because the conspiracy precedes the commis·
sion of the crime and is complete before the crime is
G attempted or completed, equally the crime attempted or
completed .does not require the element of conspiracy as
one of its ingredients. They are, therefore, quite separate
offences." .

In State of Madhya Pradesh v. Veereshwar Rao Angnihotry,
H [ 1957) SCR 868 the accused was tried by the special judge for offences
.-;r-'

STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [VENKATACHALIAH, J.] 469

under sec. 409 !PC, and sec. 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, A
1947. While convicting hirn under sec. 409, !PC, the Special Judge held
that the accused could not be ·tried under sec. 5(2) of the Prevention of
··.Corruption Act, 1947, as there was· a breach of the requirement of law
that the investigation be by a police officer not below a particular rank.
·.In appeal, the High Court set aside even the conviction under Sec. 409
IPC, applying the doctrine of autrefois acquit holding that the Special B
fodge's firiding on the charge under Sec. 5(2) amounte.d to an acquittal
and that punishment as a charge under Sec. 409, would be impermissi-
ble .. This court following the pronouhcement in Omprakash Gupta v.
Smee of UP, [1957] SCR 423 held that the two offences were distinct
and separate offences.
c
In The State of Bombay v. S. L. Apte & Anr., [ 1961] 3 SCR 107,
the question that fell for consider.ation was that in view of earlier
conviction and sentence under sec. 409, !PC a subsequent prosecution
for an offence under sec. 105 of Insurance Act, 1935, was barred by
sec. 26 of the General Clauses Act and Art. 20(2) of the Constitution.
Thi~ Court observed:
0

"To operate as a bar the second prosecution and the
consequential punishment thereunder, must be for 'the
same offence'. The crucial requirement therefore for
attracting the Article is th·at the offences are the same, i.e.,
·they should be identical. If, however, the.two offences are E
distinct, then notwithstanding that the allegations of facts
in the two complaints might be substantially similar, the
benefit of the ban cannot be invoked. It is, therefore,
necessary to analyse and compare not the allegations in the
two complaints but the ingredients of the two offences and
see whether their identity is made out ........... " F

" ..... Though section 26 in its opening words refer
to 'the act or omission constituting an offence under two or
more enactments', the emphasis is not on the facts alleged
in the two complaints but rather on the ingredients which
constitute the two offences with which a person is charged. G
This is made clear by the concluding portion of the section
which refers to 'shall not be liable to be punished twice ·for
the same offence'. If the offences are not the same but are
distinct, the ban imposed by this provision also cannot be
invoked ...... "
H
470 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] Supp. 3 S.C.R.
\

A
The 'same set of facts, in conceiv~ble cases, can constitute
offences 'under 'two different laws. An act or an omission can amount
to and constitute an ·offence under the IPC and at the same time
·constitute an offence under any other law. The observations of this
court made in the context of sec. 2(3) of Contempt of Courts Act might
usefully be recalled. In 'Bathina Ramakrishna Reddy v. State of Madras,
B [1952] SCR 425 this Court examined the contention that the publica-
tion of an article attributing corruption to a judicial officer was not
cognizable in contempt jurisdiction by virtue of sec. 2(3) of the Con-
tempts of Courts Act, 1953, which provided that:

"No High Court shall take cognizance of a con(empt
alleged to have been committed in respect of a court sub-
ordinate to it where such contempt is an offence punishable
under the Indian Penal Code.'"

The contention before this Court was that the allegations made
in the article co.nstituted an offence under s. 499 of IPC and, that there-
0 fore, cognizance of such an offence under the Contempts of Court Act
was barred. Repelling the contention, Mukharji, J., said:

"In our opinion, the sub-section referred to above
excludes the jurisdiction of High Court only in cases where
the acts alleged to constitute contempt of a subordinate
E court are punishable as contempt under specific provisions
ofthe Indian Penal Code, but not where these acts merely
amount to offences of other description for which punnish-
ment has been provided for in the Indian Penal Code. This
would be clear from the language of the sub-section which
uses the words "where such contempt is an offence" and does
p riot say 'where the act alleged to constitute such contempt
is an offence· ...... ·'

It is, however, unnecessary to explore the possibilities of this
contention as indeed there has been admittedly no prior conviction
and sentence for an offence under s. 429, !PC even assuming that the two
'G offences are substantially "the same offence". Suffice it to notice,
printa facie, that the ingredients of an offence under sec. 9(1) read with
sec. 50(1) of the Act require for its establishment certain ingredients
which are not part of the offence under sec. 429 and vice-versa.

In the result, these appeals are allowed, the orders of the High
:H (Court in Cr!. Misc. 223 of 87 dated 13.2.1987 and the two orders in Cr!.
STATE OF BIHAR v. M.A. KHAN [vENKATACHALIAH, J.] 47°1
Misc. No. 258 of 1987(R) and Cr!. Misc. No. 2S9/1987(R) 'dated A
18.2.1987 are set aside and the order dated 1. 7 .1986 of the learned
Magistrate taking cognizance of th'e offence and ordering issue of sum-
mons to the resjJondents is restored. The criminal case initiated on the
complaint will now be proceeded with in accordance with law.
B
M.L.A. Appeals allowed.

'>.

I