The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has granted bail to the petitioner in the case of Rohit vs State of Himachal Pradesh while hearing the same on 20th February, 2023.
Facts:
Here the petitioner is a 28 year old man who is a permanent resident of Village Palsawan, Post Office, Chanog, Tehsil . He had been in a relationship with the respondent for the past three years. A FIR has been filed by her stating that the petitioner has been living with her and they had sexual relations repeatedly. But He refuses to marry her and had sexual intercourse by making false promises.
Petitioner’s contentions:
The petitioner has prayed for grant of bail against the FIR no. 33/23 filed on 6th January 2023. He’s been in custody since then. He pleaded that the girl has been maintaining the relationship for a very long time . He accepted that his parents are against their marriage due to their caste differences. But he claims that he never made false promises to her and she voluntarily made physical relations with him. He is a permanent resident of village Palswan and promises to abide by all the terms and conditions which may be imposed.
Respondent’s contentions:
The learned additional advocate general opposed the plea for bail on the grounds that the petitioner has committed serious offence. The investigation is under process and
He may try to mess with the evidence if he is granted bail.
Judgement:
The single judge bench after hearing both the parties , pronounced the judgement that the girl is mature enough to take decision when she indulges herself in any unwanted relationship. Also she has been in a relationship for so long. It would not be just if the petitioner is kept in custody for an indeterminate period. The apprehension that he may mess with the evidence, can be taken care of by putting certain terms and conditions on him. Hence keeping in view all the facts, the petition is allowed and bail is granted. However it will be subject to certain conditions which are :
He will appear before the court and investigation officer whenever required.
Will not threat or induce any person who is related to the facts of the case.
Will not mess with the evidences.
Will not repeat the offence.
Will not act in a manner which will delay the trial in court.
Will not leave India without the permission of court
The Investigation agency can move for quashing this order if the above said points are violated.
A crime committed against society at large that puts society’s safety at risk is known as public tranquillity or offense against society. It is not necessary that an actual offence is committed towards society, even an apprehension is created in the mind of the public at large or society, even if an apprehension is created in the mind of the public at large or the society that they are under the threat of an offense or an action by any person would result in an injury to them is necessary enough to constitute to an offense against the society. These offenses are usually committed by individuals in a group with a common object to hamper the peace of society.
How crime is defined by society?
The word society has been derived from the Latin word ‘ socius meaning association. Therefore, a society can be defined as an ‘association of people or people in a group who are related to each other by means of some common traits. While governing a society, the interests of the people are taken at large rather than depending on the needs and wants of one single person. The requirement of the people at large is considered. Different Legislations are not passed for different individuals, for one single society common legislation is applicable to them. A committed is defined as a crime only when it is wrong in the eyes of society.
If a particular act is not opposed by a group of people, then it can never be considered an offense. For example, trespass, money laundering, and bribery these acts wouldn’t be a crime if it was not wrong in the eyes of society. Therefore, what society thinks is important in defining a crime.
The foundation of a society lies in the maintenance of peace and morals. Therefore, chapter 8 of IPC has been framed to deal with those actions which would put society’s peace at risk. The offenses which put public safety at risk can be classified into rioting, unlawful assembly, affray, assembly of five or more people in a situation where dispersion has been ordered and promotion of enmity between different classes of people.
Analysis of crimes against the society
Section 141- unlawful assembly: Every person has the fundamental right to assemble peacefully under Article 19(1)(b). However, certain circumstances given under section 141 of the IPC lead to unlawful assembly and it is considered a criminal offense. Any assembly which has been formed with 5 or more people with the intention to commit an unlawful offense is called an unlawful assembly. People in groups with a common intention and object to gather unlawfully and create a threat to the public peace is always dangerous. This is the main reason why unlawful assembly is criminalized. When an assembly gathered lawfully turns out to be aggressive and indulges in unlawful means, it will come under the purview of section 141 of IPC. The instances where there is a shift from lawful assembly to unlawful assembly is when the object of the assembly changes to resist legal proceedings, using criminal force against the state or any public servant, to committing trespass or mischief of the property of any person, to using criminal force against a person to make him do something against the law.
In the case P.S. Kirubakaran v. Commr. of Police, Vepery (2021)[1], In this case, a group of advocates indulged in certain criminal activities like forcibly getting possession of certain properties, destruction of properties, etc., and therefore they caused the interruption in the peace of the society. The court charged them with the offense of unlawful assembly and took measures to curb such practices.
In the case of Amrika Bai v. State of Chhattisgarh (2019).[2], dealing with the offense of unlawful assembly and the scope of section 141 of IPC was analysed. In this case, the cattle of the deceased jumped on the door of the appellant as a result exchange of words took place and the appellant started abusing the deceased after which an attack by a group of people took place, and eventually the deceased died. The appellant also sustained injuries during the attack and challenged before the court that he was unarmed during the attack and therefore he is not a part of the unlawful assembly. The court acquitted the accused.
Merely a person being part of an assembly that has indulged in an unlawful act is not enough, it is also necessary that at the time of the commission of the act, the people indulged also had the same object. Therefore, in the present times, section 149 is one of the most misused sections as it is difficult to interpret every person’s object in an assembly and there are chances of misrepresentations where an innocent person would be charged with a crime.
Section 146- Rioting: Rioting is dealt with under sections 146 and 147 of the IPC. Riot is similar to that unlawful assembly, and the only difference is the term violence. If an unlawful assembly starts to get engaged in any violent act, it will be known as a riot. Therefore, the ingredients of rioting are the same as that of unlawful assembly which is a common intention. Engaging in violence is always a threat to the harmony of society. It will affect the co-existence of society. . Rioting Is committed as a means to show the group’s intention to oppose the policies of the government, the outcome of any legislation passed or a judgment made, etc. Under most circumstances, grave and sudden provocation lead to riots. An act done in sudden provocation is considered a defense under IPC. But the impact of this act is so huge as it can even cause disintegration and heavy losses and damages.
In the case Bilkis Yakub Rasool v. State of Gujarat (2019)[3], the appellant was a victim of gang rape that occurred during a riot in the year 2002 which came to be known as godhara train incident. She also lost her family during the attack. The Supreme Court in this case gave a compensation of 50 lakhs to the appellant under section 147 of IPC who was surviving with a daughter deprived of basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, etc.
Affray: Affray is usually committed by 2 or more people when they fight in public which disrupts the peace of society. The offense is committed in such a manner that there must be some sort of disturbance to the public arising out of the actions of the people engaging in the fight. For example, If one person comes and attacks another person by knocking him down in a private place, it does not amount to affray as there is no chance of the act disrupting the peace of the society. Punishment for the offense of affray is imprisonment of one month or fine or both. Punishment is less compared to rioting and unlawful assembly only because of the fact that the impact caused by the offense of affray is much less.
Section 153- Promoting enmity between classes. The outcome of a clash between different communities of society is huge. Thus, the need to criminalize the act of causing enmity was considered, and causing enmity between people belonging to different classes or different sections of society based on class, sex, religion, language, place of birth, etc. is considered a criminal offense. This section is wide in nature and consists of those offenses like moral corruption. The validity of this section has been challenged overtime on the basis that it is a violation of Article 19(1)(a) as it restricts freedom of speech and expression for any statement made which can create an enmity between communities. But the validity of this section was still upheld considering the fact that creating disruption among communities can lead to a threat to the country’s national security and sovereignty. Every person has the right to express their opinions through any means but there are certain restrictions laid down under article 19(1)(f) and promoting enmity is one such restriction.
In the case Patricia Mukhim v. State of Meghalaya & Ors. (2021)[4], In this case, the appellant through the means of the social media platform ‘Facebook’ posted writing representing the non-tribal group of Meghalaya, and therefore, he was charged under section 153A of the IPC. The court in this case analyzed section 153A of IPC and held that the main intention behind this section is to prevent any sort of act which would disrupt public harmony and create a threat to the nation’s sovereignty or national security. The appellant didn’t have any motive to create disturbances among communities by publishing the statement and it was just pleading for equality.
The concept of good faith plays an integral role to define the offense of promoting enmity. Actions that are done in good faith without a wrongful intention are always a defense.
Vinod Dua V. Union of India & Ors. (2020)[5], In this case, the petitioner filed for a writ petition under Article 32 of the constitution. The petitioner was accused of creating a disturbance in society by making malicious statements against the prime minister and the government through his youtube channel for providing false information regarding PPE kits to the public. The Supreme court in this case held that the statement made by the petitioner was just a disagreement against the policies of the government and that won’t cause any disturbance to the peace of the society.
In the case Bijumon v. State of Kerala (2018).[6], In this case, the accused was charged under section 153A for publishing wrong information regarding a communal war between Christians and Muslims. The petition for anticipatory bail from the side of the accused was dismissed by the court as a such publication can result in putting the public peace in danger.
Recent developments
The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by the Uniform crime reporting program, each offense reported where classified into offenses against persons, offenses against property, and offenses against society. Offenses against society are basically victimless offenses that put the safety of society at risk. Some offenses classified as offenses against society in the alphabetic order are animal cruelty, drug violations, gambling offenses such as betting or wagering, offenses under pornography or obscene material, prostitution offenses, weapon law violations, intoxication such as drunk and drive, family offenses, and trespass of real property.
In a recent judgment, the Allahabad High court denied a bail application of a baba who was accused of raping a minor girl and stated that ‘rape is not just a crime against an individual it is a crime against society.’ Sexual assault against a girl would result in inducing trauma in the mind of any girl belonging to that society, not just the victim. The impact of the offense is something that must be overlooked. If the impact of an offense is on one single person it cannot be a crime against society. If a person is stabbed by his colleague during an argument it can never be a crime against society as the impact of the crime is on the victim only. But when the person has been murdered in a heinous manner, this creates a situation of fear in the minds of the people in the society too. The impact is not just on the victim or the family of the victim. It is collective in nature.
Similarly, a bench of Justices S A Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian made the observation that the practice of corruption by a public servant is an offense against the state or the society, and such cases cannot be dealt with under the suit of specific performances. The offense of corruption is of the nature that people in the society as a whole will start losing their trust in the government and other officials, as well as the rich or privileged section, would get an upper hand in the society. This might lead to the disintegration of the nation and society. Therefore, the impact is huge.
Conclusion
The public or society is considered the core of the country’s democracy, Therefore, any offense which is committed against an individual does not come under the purview of the chapter of IPC but it can disrupt public peace and is categorized as an offense against society. During the pandemic, there was a steady increase in the number of cases against society, especially through social media. A lot of wrong information about the spreading of covid 19 government policies was spread across the nation creating a situation that made society to be panic.
Along with the legislation and the laws brought in to tackle the offenses against society, the judgments passed in various cases are also an essential means to maintain public peace.
References:
P.S. Kirubakaran v. Commr. of Police., SCC OnLine Mad 508.
Amrika Bai v. State of Chhattisgarh., (2019) 4 SCC 620.
Bilkis Yakub Rasool v. State of Gujarat., (2020) 13 SCC 733.
Patricia Mukhim v. State of Meghalaya & Ors., 2021 SCC OnLine SC 258.
Vinod Dua v. Union of India & Ors., 2020 SCC OnLine SC 1209.
Bijumon v. State of Kerala., 2019 SCC OnLine Ker 11481.
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Lexpeeps Placement Cell established in 2021 operates with a vision to ensure maximum placement of students studying in different law schools across the country. The sole purpose of Lexpeeps Pvt. Ltd. is to provide law students and law schools quality and to create value for the legal fraternity
Lexpeeps Xcell is an Initiative of Lexpeeps Pvt Ltd to bring the practical aspects of law subjects to the desk of law students via personalized and curated courses.
Lexpeeps provides you with internships, where legal experts and budding lawyers come in touch with each other and grow by associating with the company. Lexpeeps Pvt. Ltd. has taken an oath to ensure the right of the student and to help them in every possible way so that they reach immense heights of success.
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The recent case of Government of NCT of Delhi v Krishan Kumar was based on the Statement of Objectives and Reasons of the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 1984, which discussed the “sacrifices” of the affected individuals who were “unavoidably” losing their property rights for the greater good of society. The Land Acquisition Act of 2013 aims to correct this unbalanced paradigm of development by making the land acquisition process more collaborative and facilitating.
FACTS:
Affirming that the acquisition of the disputed lands was deemed to have terminated in accordance with Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the petitioner felt wronged and dissatisfied with the impugned judgement and order issued by the High Court of Delhi at New Delhi in a Writ Petition.
PETITIONER’S CONTENTIONS:
It was argued that since the petitioners did not assert that they had possession of the subject land in their writ petition but rather that the government was obligated to return the property to them, it was implied that they were admitting that the government had taken actual vacant physical possession of the land. The petitioners had complained about the lack of remuneration.
RESPONDENT’S CONTENTIONS:
The High Court had granted the writ petition and stated that the acquisition with regard to the subject land is assumed to have expired under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013, on the grounds that the compensation has not been paid.Regarding the action brought on behalf of the Act, the High Court made no findings, including that the beneficiary department was awarded immediate ownership of the disputed lands in question. As the entire land acquisition processes are regarded to have expired, it was the contention on behalf of the respondents that possession of the land is liable to be returned to the petitioners.
Indore Development Authority:
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013 (the “2013 Act”), which governs State land purchase, rehabilitation, and resettlement, was unclear in this case, but a five-judge Supreme Court bench had clarified it.The question in front of the court was whether land acquisition procedures may be terminated if the State failed to compensate landowners was a key concern. The Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was repealed in 2013, and the Court had to decide how that act interacts with it. This created complications.
In Indore Development Authority v. Manohar Lal, the landowners argued that acquisitions undertaken in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 had expired and that new procedures in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 were necessary.In this landmark ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that cases still pending under the 2013 Act would have to be renewed and would expire under two circumstances.
The five-judge panel also held that landowners who rejected the offered compensation or asked for more money may not pursue compensation under Section 24(2) of the Act. However, if compensation is not given in accordance with Section 24(1)(a) of the Act, the proceedings will not be regarded as having ended, and compensation must be given in line with the Act of 2013’s rules.
JUDGEMENT:
The impugned judgement and order issued by the High Court declaring that the acquisition with respect to the lands in question was deemed to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013 as it was observed to be unsustainable and so it deserved to be quashed set aside as a result of applying the law established by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Indore Development Authority to the facts of the case at hand.
As a result, the appeal was accepted. However, the court decided that given the facts and circumstances of the case, there would be no judgement regarding costs, and any pending applications would likewise be dismissed.
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Supreme Court while hearing the special leave petition on 17th February 2023 in the case of S.M. Pasha & Ors. (Petitioner) Versus State of Maharashtra & Ors (Respondents) allows the petitioners to withdraw the special leave petition and dispose of all the pending applications if any.
FACTS:
In the present case, the Petitioners aggrieved with the judgement passed by the Hon’ble High Court Of Bombay in Writ Petition No. 6142/2014 and Writ Petition No. 5490/2014 filed these SLPs before this Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and the Petitioners (except petitioner no. 4) states that the development agreement with Respondent no. 5 is terminated by the present management / Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) and fresh development agreement is entered into with a new developer and the cause for this petition did not survive due to the change in circumstances. However, Respondent No. 5 opposed the withdrawal of SLPs and challenged the termination of his development agreement by way of an Interim Application and also initiated perjury proceedings.
PETITIONERS CONTENTIONS:
The petitioner contended before this hon’ble court to permit the withdrawal of this Special Leave Petition no. 4428/2016.
RESPONDENTS CONTENTIONS:
The respondents opposed the withdrawal of SLPs and challenged the termination of the development agreement and fresh development agreement with the new developer and also consideration of perjury application in accordance with the law.
JUDGEMENT:
The Hon’ble Court after hearing all the facts in the present case dismissed the present SLP No. 4428/2016 due to a change in circumstances.
Condoned the delay with respect to SLP CC no. 4922/2016 and disposed of the SLP CC No. 4922/2016 by taking note of the termination of the development agreement and directing the present management to furnish a copy of the fresh development agreement to the tenants;
Also liberty is given to the tenants to challenge the fresh development agreement before the appropriate court/forum if the terms and conditions mentioned therein are not agreeable.
The Court also allowed respondent no. 5 to challenge the termination of his development agreement and subsequent development agreement before the appropriate court and allowed the perjury application for consideration on its merits.
The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, on the 15th of February 2023, allowed for the partial acceptance of an appeal, by allowing a majority of it, in the case of Tinku@ Vijay Singh v. The State of Madhya Pradesh. The appeal was against the Trial Court’s decision of convicting the two appellants for murder, as punished under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter referred to as the “IPC”), 1860. Provisions of the Arms Act, 1959 were also included in the charges, which one of the appellants was convicted for.
FACTS:
On the morning of the 10th of December 2022, the two appellants arrived at the place of occurrence, an English Liquor shop. Both of them demanded alcohol, but on credit. When they were denied being given any, they hurled abuses at the workers there, and left, after exclaiming that they’d be returning shortly. Upon their return, they assaulted one of the workers of the liquor shop, and one of the appellants fired at him using a country-made pistol that he had procured. Subsequently, both of the appellants fled from the spot. The injured worker’s dying declaration was recorded, proceeding which he succumbed to his injuries after he was en route to a hospital. The appellants were charged with murder, and the appellant who shot the worker was additionally charged with Section 25 (1B) (a) read with Section 27 of the Arms Act. Both of them abjured their guilt, and pleaded their false implication in the case.
APPELLANTS’ CONTENTIONS:
The appellants contended that the decision of the Trial Court had been based on the misappreciation of evidence which had not been materially interpreted in the right perspective. Furthermore, they argued that the purported eye-witness in the present case cannot be considered as reliable since he witnessed the incident through gratings encasing the liquor shop, which have to have hampered with his vision during the incident. Additionally, they argued that the dying declaration of the injured worker does not bear the signature of a medical official, and his condition was critical at the time of his death. Had his condition not been critical, they argue, the injured worker would’ve filed the complaint himself, and not through a person. The other eye witnesses were relatives of the deceased, making them interested witnesses. They further contended that due to the non-deposition of the fact that a quarrel had arisen between the appellants and the deceased, mens rea cannot determinedly be proven. The pistol seized from the one of the appellants cannot truly be construed as the weapon of crime, as it had not been produced before the court, and the possibility of it being tampered cannot be ruled out, due to the delay in sending it for examination. They even contended that the statements of the witnesses and the deceased have contradictions in them which renders the entire case made by the prosecution rather doubtful.
THE COURT’S CONTENTIONS AND THE JUDGMENT:
The Court concluded that fatal gunshots were, as a matter of fact, fired by one of the appellants, which led to the death of the deceased. The Court also opined that the Trial Court had, rather correctly, not given importance to minor depositional inconsistencies as they do not materially alter the case. The Court took the help of the case of Laxman v. State of Maharashtra and held that the dying declaration cannot be called unacceptable just because a doctor’s certificate of fitness was missing. Further, the Court held that the mere presence of relatives doesn’t make the dying declaration doubtful. At this juncture the Court recalled the maxim – nemo moriturus proseumitur mentiri – which means that when one is about to meet his maker, one does not lie. As for the nature of the crime committed, the Court opined that mens rea was absent in the conduct of the appellants, as they committed this offence in the heat of passion, which is considered an exception to the definition of murder, as given in Section 300 of the IPC. The non-recovery of the murder weapon is essential for conviction, however, if enough evidence is available on record, even in the absence of the weapon itself, it may still lead to a conviction, as was held in State through the Inspector of Police v. Laly @ Manikandan and Anr. The Court therefore altered their punishments from those of Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part I of the IPC. Their sentences were subsequently reduced to the time they had already spent in prison, and hence, their appeal was partially allowed.
