Kumaraswamy Layout Police Station vs A7 Manjukumar @ Manju@Harish on 27 April, 2026

    0
    34
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Bangalore District Court

    Kumaraswamy Layout Police Station vs A7 Manjukumar @ Manju@Harish on 27 April, 2026

    KABC030302582026
    
    
    
    
                             Presented on : 10-04-2026
                             Registered on : 10-04-2026
                             Decided on : 27-04-2026
                             Duration      : 0 years, 0 months, 17 days
    
              IN THE COURT OF THE 30TH ADDL.CHIEF
                JUDICIAL MAGISTRATE, BENGALURU
    
               Dated: This the 27th day of April-2026
    
                 Present: Sri. Thimmaiah.G. B.A., LL.B.
                         XXX ACJM, Bengaluru.
    
                          C.C.No.21970/2026
    
                        (Judgment U/sec,.355 of Cr.P.C.)
    
    Date of Offence                           ---------
    
    Complainant                    State by K.S.Layout Police Station.
                                    R/by. Learned Senior APP
    
                                  V/s.
    Accused Person              A7. Manjukumara
                                    @ Manju @ Harish
                                    S/o. Shivaputhra,
                                    Aged about 44 years,
                                    R/at.House No.26/A,
                                    5th Cross, 7th Main,
          Judgment                   2               C.C.No.21970/2026
    
    
    
                                   Subbanna Garden,
                                   Vijayanagara,
                                   Bengaluru City.
    
    Offences                       U/sec,.120B, 420, 467, 468,
                                  471, 506 R/w sec., 34 of IPC.
    
    Plea/Charge                     Recorded on 10.04.2026 and
                                  Accused No.7 Pleaded not guilty.
    
    Examination U/sec., 313 of              On 04.04.2026
    Cr.P.C recorded on:
    Final Oder                          Accused No.7 is Acquitted
    
    Date of Order                           27.04.2026
    
    
    
    
                                              (Thimmaiah.G)
                                            30th A.C.J.M., B'lore.
    
    
                             JUDGMENT
    

    The Police Sub-Inspector of K.S.Layout Police Station has
    filed charge sheet against accused persons for the offences
    punishable U/sec,.120B, 420, 467, 468, 471, 506 R/w sec.,
    34
    of IPC.

    Judgment 3 C.C.No.21970/2026

    SPONSORED

    02. The brief facts of the prosecution case is as
    follows:-

    It is alleged that, the site No. 706, 1st Phase, 58th Cross,
    KS Layout, located within the jurisdiction of KS Layout Police
    Station, was allotted to Cw-1 by the BDA Department on
    27.06.1984. On 19.09.1986, the BDA officials executed a lease
    cum sale agreement in the name of Cw-1 at the Basavanagudi
    Sub-Registrar’s office. The said house was in the possession of
    Cw-4’s mother, Mrs. Shanta, after she became a widow, she
    had to leave the house and live somewhere else. After Mrs.
    Shanta became a widow, Cw-4 knew that, the said house
    belonged to his mother and sold it to the 6th accused. When
    informed, the 6th accused took him to the 5th accused, and
    accused 2, 5 and 6th, after seeing the original documents,
    gave Cw-4 Rs.30 lakhs and vacated the house, saying that,
    they would register it with the original owner. The 2nd accused
    lived in the said house. In this case, upon learning that, the
    children of Cw-1, the owner of the said property, had entered
    into an advance purchase agreement without possession with
    Cw-3 on 05.08.2023, the 2nd to 6th accused, with the same
    malicious intent to seize the property of Cw-1 by fraud, in the
    house of the 2nd accused residing at KS Layout 2nd Phase,
    Judgment 4 C.C.No.21970/2026

    58th Cross, No. 206, 1st Floor, within the limits of KS Layout
    Police Station. Further, The 5th accused, with the co-operation
    of the 7th accused, created fake documents on behalf of the
    deceased C. Venkatarao, in order to obtain the valuable
    certificate and general power of attorney document given by
    Cw-1 to the 2nd accused’s father Cw-7 on 23.03.1988.

    Further, the accused persons, forged signature and
    thumbprint of Cw-1 were put on the created documents and
    the 3rd and 4th accused, signed as witnesses, identifying Cw-

    1. Further, the even though 5th and 6th accused, were
    knowing the fabricated documents,used them to commit fraud
    by having a registration done in the name of the 2nd accused
    at the Attibele Sub-Registrar’s office on 29.11.2023, by the
    father of the 2nd accused, Cw-7. Further, the accused persons
    on 11.05.2024, in the afternoon, Cw-1’s son went to Cw-2 and
    told him that, he made an agreement which was wrong and
    threaten the Cw.2 and thereby the accused persons have
    committed the above offences punishable U/sec,.120B, 420,
    467, 468, 471, 506 R/w sec., 34 of IPC.

    03. During the pendency of the trail, there is no prima
    facie alleged offense found against the accused No.1. Hence,
    Judgment 5 C.C.No.21970/2026

    the accused No.1 is dropped from the case. After filing the
    charge sheet, cognizance taken for the offence punishable
    U/sec,.120B, 420, 467, 468, 471, 506 R/w sec., 34 of IPC
    against the accused No.7. The accused No.7 was released on
    bail. Copy of the prosecution papers furnished to the The
    accused No.7 as required U/Sec.207 of Cr.P.C. Heard before
    charge. Charge has been framed and read over to the The
    accused No.7, wherein he has denied the same and claim to
    be tried.

    04. The accused No.2 to 6 are acquitted in the original
    C.C.No.24021/2025, as per the order dated:04.04.2026 and
    filed separate charge sheet against them and now the Learned
    Sr.APP filed memo to adopt the evidence of the witnesses
    deposed in the said original C.C.No.24021/2025. On the other
    hand counsel of the accused No.7 has given consent to the
    same. Accordingly this court considered the same.

    05. In order to secure the Cw.3 to 23 witnesses, this
    court repeatedly issued Summons and Proclamation, even
    though the sufficient time given to the concerned police, they
    have failed to secure these witnesses. Hence, the said
    Judgment 6 C.C.No.21970/2026

    witnesses are dropped after given sufficient opportunities to
    prosecution. In this regard this court relied on the following
    Hon’ble High Court, full bench Judgment of the Madras
    High Court, passed in The State ( Tamil Nadu) V/s
    Veerappan and Others, on 24 March 1980, AIR 1980
    MAD260-ILR 3 MAD 245 where in it held as below:

    2. Of the two questions which have been
    referred to this Full Bench, the first one, namely,
    whether under Section 255(1) Cr. P. C., a
    Magistrate can acquit the accused if the
    prosecution fails to apply for the issue of
    summons to any witness and does not produce
    the witness for several hearings and does not
    serve summons on the witnesses despite
    having been granted sufficient opportunity to
    serve the summons or to produce the witnesses,
    is the one that directly arises for determination
    in these appeals. The second question which
    arises for determination by us incidentally is
    whether a Magistrate can acquit the accused
    under Section 248(1) Cr. P. C., if the prosecution
    does not apply for the issue of summons to any
    of the witnesses and does not produce the
    witness for several hearings and does not serve
    the summons on the witnesses despite having
    been granted sufficient opportunities to serve
    Judgment 7 C.C.No.21970/2026

    the summons on the witnesses or to produce
    the witnesses.

    3. In all these appeals, the learned
    Magistrate acquitted the accused under Section
    255(1)
    Cr. P. C., on the ground that even though
    the cases had been posted for hearing on
    various dates and summons had been issued
    to the witnesses for all the hearings, the
    witnesses were not produced on any of the
    hearing dates and in spite of a notice issued
    that the case would be disposed of without
    examining the witnesses if they are not
    produced the prosecution did not choose to let
    in any evidence and as such the Magistrate
    found that the prosecution had no evidence to
    let in.

    15. In State of Madh. Pra. v. Kaluthawar,
    1972 Cri LJ 1639, a Division Bench of the
    Madhya Pradesh High Court observed as
    follows: “It was the duty of the prosecution to
    make necessary arrangements for the
    production of its witnesses…. The Police must
    always remember that it has got a duty to the
    court and they cannot just send a challan and
    think that the rest will be done by the court.

    When nobody appeared in t he court to inform
    what the reason was for non-appearance of the
    witnesses, the court could legitimately come to
    Judgment 8 C.C.No.21970/2026

    the conclusion that the police was not very
    serious in prosecuting the offence which was a
    minor one. Under Section 245, the Magistrate
    can record an order of acquittal if there is no
    evidence to hold the accused guilty. If the
    prosecution did not take proper steps to
    produce the witnesses, or ask the court to give
    them time to do the same, or to issue fresh
    summons, the court was not bound to fix
    another date. The police has a duty towards
    the citizen. When the accused is brought before
    the court and the prosecuting department does
    not take any steps it will be an abuse of the
    process of the court to continue the trial.
    Bringing a person before the court accusing him
    of some offence is a serious matter and
    however petty the offence may be, the
    prosecuting department, must do its duty
    towards the accused as well as the court. When
    once the accused is challaned there is no
    privilege given to the police to remain absent”.

    16. There are quite a number of decisions in
    which it had been held that an acquittal of the
    accused on the failure of the prosecution to
    produce the witnesses is not legal. (Vide State
    v. Kaliram Nandlal, ), the State of Mysore v.
    Ramu
    , 1973 Mad LJ (Crl.)
    116: (1973 Cri LJ
    1257) (Mys); State of Mysore v. Kalilulla Ahmed
    Judgment
    9 C.C.No.21970/2026

    Sheriff. AIR 1971 Mys 60; Kanduri Misra v.
    Sabadev Kunda, (1962) 2 Cri LJ 295; State of
    Orissa v. Sibcharan Singh, ; State of Mysore v.
    Somala
    , 1972 Mad LJ (Cri) 476: (1972 Cri LJ
    1478) (Mys); State of Mysore v. Shanta, 1972
    Mad LJ (Cri) 589 (Mys); State v. Nagappa, 1973
    Cri LJ 548 (Mad); Public Prosecutor v.

    Sambangi Mudaliar, ; State of Kerala v.
    Kunhiaraman
    , 1964 Mad LJ (Cri) 330 (Ker);
    State of Mysore v. Narasimha Gowda, AIR 1965
    Mys 167; State of Gujarat v. Thakorbhai
    Sukhabhai
    , , State of U.P. v. Ramjani, All LJ
    1126; Lakshmiamma Kochukuttiamma v.

    Raman Pillai, AIR 1952 Trav-Co 268; State v.
    Madhavan Nair
    , 1959 Mad LJ (Cri) 633 (Ker);
    Emperor v. Varadarajulu Naidu, AIR 1932 Mad
    25 (2); State of Kerala v. Desan Mary, 1960
    Mad LJ (Cri) 378 (Ker); Kesar Singh v. State of
    Jammu and Kashmir
    , 1963-1 Cri LJ 765: (AIR
    1963 J & K 23); R. K. V. Motors and Timbers
    Ltd. v. Regional Transport Authority,
    Trivandrum
    , ; K. K. Subbier v. K. M. S.
    Lakshmana Iyer
    , 1942 Mad WN (Cri) 64: (AIR
    1942 Mad 452 (1)); State of Tripura v. Niranjan
    Deb Barma
    , 1973 Cri LJ 108 (Tripura); Apren
    Joseph v. State of Kerala
    , 1972 Mad LJ (Cri)
    10: (1972 Cri LJ 1162) (Ker). As against these
    decisions, there are the following decisions in
    Judgment 10 C.C.No.21970/2026

    which it has been held that acquittal on the
    ground of non-production of witnesses by the
    prosecution was proper.

    23. On the question as to whether the
    Magistrate can acquit an accused at all under
    Section 251A (11), Cr. P. C., if the prosecution
    failed to produce their witnesses, a Division
    Bench of the Gujarat High Court observed in
    State of Gujarat v. Bava Bhadya (1962)’2 Cri
    LJ 537 (2), as follows: “Where a charge Is
    framed In a warrant case on police report, if
    owing to the failure of the prosecution to
    produce their witnesses and owing also to the
    failure of the prosecution to make full
    endeavour to serve the summonses according
    to the provisions contained in Sections 69, 70
    and 71, Cr. P. C., 1890, there is no evidence
    before the Magistrate, the Magistrate can acquit
    the accused under Section 251A (11).”

    ” In State of Karnataka v. Subramania Setti
    1980 Mad LJ 138: (1980 CA LJ NOC 129), a
    Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court
    referring to the decisions in State of Mysore v.
    Narasimha Gowda
    (1964) 2 Mys LJ 241: (AIR
    1965 Mys 167) and the State of Mysore v.
    Abdul Hameed Khan (1969) 1 Mys LJ 4: (1970
    Cri LJ 112 (Mys)), observed that the real
    Judgment 11 C.C.No.21970/2026

    distinction between the two decisions is as to
    whether there was remissness and want of
    diligence on the part of the prosecuting agency
    in producing the witnesses before the Court
    and therefore the principle laid down in Abdul
    Hameed Khan’s case applied to the facts of
    the case with which the Division Bench was
    concerned. We may riots here that in Abdul
    Hameed Khan’s case, it was found on the
    facts that the prosecution was not at all
    diligent as the non-bailable warrants issued
    to the witnesses had neither been served nor
    returned to the court by the concerned police
    and it was therefore held that where the
    prosecution was not diligent in producing its
    witnesses and had failed to serve the bailable
    warrants on the witnesses and return the
    same the Magistrate would be justified in
    refusing to grant an adjournment and to
    proceed to acquit the accused on the material
    on record. We may note here that in State of
    Karnataka v. Subramania Setti 1980 MLJ 138
    the Division Bench was dealing with a24.
    After carefully considering all the aforesaid
    decisions and the views expressed therein, we
    are of the view that if the prosecution had
    made an application for the issue of summons
    to its witnesses either under Section 242(2) or
    Judgment 12 C.C.No.21970/2026

    254(2) of the Criminal Procedural Code it is
    the duty of the court to issue summons to the
    prosecution witnesses and to secure the
    witnesses by exercising all the powers given to
    it under the Criminal Procedure Code, as
    already indicated by us and if still the
    presence of the witnesses could not be
    secured and the prosecution also either on
    account of pronounced negligence or
    recalcitrance does not produce the witnesses
    after the Court had given it sufficient time and
    opportunities to do so, then the Court, being
    left with no other alternative would be
    justified in acquitting the accused for want of
    evidence to prove the prosecution case, under
    Section 248, Cr. P. C., in the case of warrant
    cases instituted on a police report and under
    Section 255(1), Cr. P. C. in summons cases,
    and we answer the two questions referred to
    us in the above terms.

    Hence, considering the present case on hand, the Cw.3 to
    23 witnesses are dropped. In order to prove the guilt of the
    accused No.7, the prosecution has examined 03 witnesses as
    PW.1 to PW.3 and got marked 02 documents as Ex.P1 & 2.

    Judgment 13 C.C.No.21970/2026

    06. Thereafter examination of accused No.7 under
    Sec.313 of Cr.P.C. is recorded, the accused No.7 has denied
    the incriminating evidence in the prosecution case and not
    chosen to lead his side evidence. No documents are got marked
    on his behalf.

    07. Heard both the side and perused the material
    evidence on record.

    08. The following points would arise for my
    consideration.

    POINTS

    1. Whether the prosecution has been
    proved beyond reasonable doubt, the site
    No. 706, 1st Phase, 58th Cross, KS
    Layout, located within the jurisdiction of
    KS Layout Police Station, was allotted to
    Cw-1 by the BDA Department on
    27.06.1984. On 19.09.1986, the BDA
    officials executed a lease cum sale
    agreement in the name of Cw-1 at the
    Basavanagudi Sub-Registrar’s office. The
    said house was in the possession of Cw-
    4’s mother, Mrs. Shanta, after she
    became a widow, she had to leave the
    house and live somewhere else. After Mrs.
    Shanta became a widow, Cw-4 knew that,
    the said house belonged to his mother
    and sold it to the 6th accused. When
    Judgment 14 C.C.No.21970/2026

    informed, the 6th accused took him to the
    5th accused, and accused 2, 5 and 6th,
    after seeing the original documents, gave
    Cw-4 Rs.30 lakhs and vacated the house,
    saying that, they would register it with
    the original owner. The 2nd accused lived
    in the said house. In this case, upon
    learning that, the children of Cw-1, the
    owner of the said property, had entered
    into an advance purchase agreement
    without possession with Cw-3 on
    05.08.2023, the 2nd to 6th accused, with
    the same malicious intent to seize the
    property of Cw-1 by fraud, in the house of
    the 2nd accused residing at KS Layout
    2nd Phase, 58th Cross, No. 206, 1st
    Floor, within the limits of KS Layout
    Police Station and thereby committed an
    offence punishable U/sec.,120B R/w sec.,
    34
    of IPC ?

    2. Whether the prosecution has been
    proved beyond reasonable doubt
    that,Further, The 5th accused, with the
    co-operation of the 7th accused, created
    fake documents on behalf of the deceased
    C. Venkatarao, in order to obtain the
    valuable certificate and general power of
    attorney document given by Cw-1 to the
    2nd accused’s father Cw-7 on
    23.03.1988. and thereby committed an
    offence punishable U/sec.,471 R/w sec.,
    34
    of IPC?

    Judgment 15 C.C.No.21970/2026

    3. Whether the prosecution has been
    proved beyond reasonable doubt, Further,
    the accused persons forged the signature
    and thump impression of the Cw.1 in the
    alleged forged documents and thereby
    committed an offence punishable U/sec.,
    467
    , 468 R/w sec., 34 of IPC ?

    4. Whether the prosecution has been
    proved beyond reasonable doubt, Further,
    the even though 5th and 6th accused,
    were knowing the fabricated
    documents,used them to commit fraud by
    having a registration done in the name of
    the 2nd accused at the Attibele Sub-
    Registrar’s office on 29.11.2023, by the
    father of the 2nd accused, Cw-7 and
    thereby committed an offence punishable
    U/sec., 420 R/w sec., 34 of IPC ?

    5. Whether the prosecution has been
    proved beyond reasonable doubt, Cw-1’s
    son went to Cw-2 and told him that, he
    made an agreement which was wrong and
    threaten the Cw.2 and thereby committed
    an offence punishable U/sec.,506 R/w
    sec., 34 of IPC ?

    6. What order.?

    Judgment 16 C.C.No.21970/2026

    09. My findings on the above points are as

    follows:

    Point No.1 : In The Negative
    Point No.2 : In The Negative
    Point No.3 : In The Negative
    Point No.4 : In The Negative
    Point No.5 : In The Negative
    Point No.6 : As per final order

    REASONS

    10. Point No.1 to 5 : These points are inter connected to
    each other and have taken for discussion in common to avoid
    repetition of the facts and evidence. The case of the
    prosecution is already narrated at the inception of this
    judgment hence, without repeating the same, I proceed to
    appreciate the evidence on records. Further, I have carefully
    perused the oral and documentary evidence on records, in my
    humble opinion, some portion of the evidence is irrelevant,
    hence without wasting much time on explaining its irrelevancy
    this court proceeds to appreciate the material evidence.

    11. The accused No.2 to 6 are acquitted in the original
    C.C.No.24021/2025, as per the order dated:04.04.2026 and
    filed separate charge sheet against them and now the Learned
    Judgment 17 C.C.No.21970/2026

    Sr.APP filed memo to adopt the evidence of the witnesses
    deposed in the said original C.C.No.24021/2025. On the other
    hand counsel of the accused No.7 has given consent to the
    same. Accordingly this court considered the same. Accordingly
    this court considered the same. Under such circumstances,
    such evidence this court can be considered. In support of the
    same, I relied on the Judgment of the Hon’ble High Court of
    Karnataka, reported in Criminal Petition No.6129 of
    2024, dated: 24.07.2024, passed in Chethan V/s State of
    Karnataka and Others, where it is held as follows:

    ” 9. The reason for acquitting the other
    accused as afore- quoated is the fact that the
    complainant himself had turned hostile and
    other witnesses had not supported the charge
    sheet. If the complainant had turned hostile
    and it said that the same would be applicable
    to the petitioner as well, notwithstanding the
    fact that he was not available for trial. It is
    not the case of sending the petitioner for trial
    for the very same offences and result being
    the same as is ordered on 01.12.2021 in
    S.C.No.103/2018. It would be an exercise in
    futility to permit further trial, which would
    be of no utility and be a waste of judicial
    time.

    Judgment 18 C.C.No.21970/2026

    Thus, in the present case on hand, in the original
    CC.No.24021/2025, passed the judgment dated: 04.04.2026
    as acquitted against the accused No.2 to 6. Under such
    circumstances, It would be an exercise in a futility to permit
    further trial, which would be of no utility and be a waste of
    judicial time. Therefore, considering the trial which is held in
    the original CC.No.24021/2025 and also judgment passed in
    the same case.

    12. In order to secure the Cw.3 to 23 witnesses, this
    court repeatedly issued Summons and Proclamation, even
    though the sufficient time given to the concerned police, they
    have failed to secure these witnesses. Hence, the said
    witnesses are dropped after given sufficient opportunities to
    prosecution.

    13. It is the paramount duty of the prosecution to
    establish the guilt of the accused No.7 beyond all reasonable
    doubt. Unless the guilt is established beyond all reasonable
    doubt, the accused No.7 can not be held guilty of the alleged
    offences.

    14. The Cw.1 Smt Aruna.E, who is examined as Pw.1 and
    complainant in this case, she has deposed in her evidence
    Judgment 19 C.C.No.21970/2026

    before the court that, Cw.2 is her son, she knows the accused
    persons and the accused persons not cheated her not made
    any fabricated documents of her property. Further she had
    identified her signature on Ex.P1, where in she put her
    signature on the said document about 1 year ago but, she do
    not know the contents of the said documents. Further the
    Cw.2, Nandakumar, who is examined as Pw.2 and he is the
    son of Pw.1 incident/eye witness in this case, he has deposed
    that, he knows the accused persons and the said accused
    persons have not cheated his mother and further, he had not
    given any statement before the police.

    15. I have carefully perused the oral evidence of the
    material witness, ie., Pw.1 who is complainant in this case,
    and Pw.2 who is the incident witness, they both denied the
    alleged offences against the accused No7. Hence, in this regard
    they have turned hostile to the prosecution case and their
    evidence is not helpful to the prosecution to prove the guilt of
    the accused No.7 beyond all reasonable doubt with regard to
    Ex.P1.

    16. The Cw.24 Sarthik, who is examined as Pw.3 and IO
    in this case, he has deposed in his evidence before the court
    Judgment 20 C.C.No.21970/2026

    that, On 23.05.2024 at 01:35 PM, while he was in charge of
    the police station, he received the confirmed complaint given
    by Cw-1 and registered a case in and submitted the final
    report to the Honorable Court and to his superior officers.

    Later on the same day, he recorded the statements of Cw-2, 3
    and 5, Later on 24.05.2024, he served a notice on the 1st
    accused, and upon his personal appearance at the police
    station, he took action against him, recorded his voluntary
    statement and released him on appropriate bail. Later, he
    verbally ordered Cw-7 to 9 to find the 2nd and 5th accused,
    and accordingly Cw-7 to 9 located the 2nd and 5th accused
    and produced them before him at the police station on the
    same day at 10:00 PM, and he gave a report before Cw-7 and
    obtained the statements of Cw-8 and 9. On 25.05.2024, the
    2nd accused was arrested in the presence of Cw12 and 13
    from 01-00 to 02-30 in the afternoon, the items were seized,
    and the items were Register in P.F.No.92/2024. Then on
    25.05.2024, the 2nd accused was questioned, his statement
    was recorded, appropriate arrest was taken and he was
    produced before the Honorable Court. He had filed a petition
    with the Honorable Court and have taken the 5th accused into
    police custody as per the order of the Court, Later, on
    Judgment 21 C.C.No.21970/2026

    19.02.2025, the Sub-Registrar’s Office, Basavanagudi,
    Chamarajpet, requested the Registrar to send the original
    registered purchase deed for plot No. 706 KS Layout to Cw-1,
    bearing his thumb impression and signature, as there were no
    documents available regarding the previous consent of Cw-1,
    i.e., his thumb impression, which was not in dispute, to the
    Forensic Science Examination Laboratory, and accordingly, he
    submitted the said documents on 03.03.2025. Later, on
    28.04.2025, he had received the FSL report from Cw-23. Later,
    he had sent back the original signatures obtained from the
    Chamarajpet Basanavgudi Sub-Registrar, incorporated in the
    Police Station Register No. 28/2025, to the Registrar and have
    obtained his acknowledgment. Later, the investigation was
    completed, and since no prima facie evidence was found
    against the 1st accused, the said 1st accused was dropped
    from the final report, and since prima facie evidence was found
    against the remaining 2nd to 7th accused, he had submitted
    the final report to the Honorable Court on 25.06.2025.

    Further, the learned counsel for the accused No.7 had
    cross examined the said witnesses, where in nothing
    worthwhile elicited from his mouth.

    Judgment 22 C.C.No.21970/2026

    17. In the present case, it is important to note that the
    material witness ie., Pw.1 & 2 have admittedly denied the
    alleged offenses committed by the accused No.7. Further, the
    Pw.3 who is the police official IO, he has deposed only about
    the finding of the accused No.2 and produced the accused
    No.2 before the court and after the investigation and submitted
    the charge sheet before the court.

    18. Further, the alleged recovery of stolen articles from
    the possession of the accused No.7 have been satisfactorily
    proved, no independent witnesses were joint at the time of
    recovery of the stolen articles. Hence, the prosecution has not
    proved their case with cogent and believable evidence as
    alleged by the Pw.1 in Ex.P1 and the material witness has
    been turned hostile to the prosecution case as discussed
    supra. As such against the accused No.7 at the initial stage
    itself the accused No.7 is certainly would be entitled to benefit
    of the doubt, since material witness has turned hostile to the
    prosecution case.

    On this point held in, (2016) 10 SCC 519 – AIR 2016 SC
    4581 in para 56, Hon’ble Apex held thus hereunder:

    Judgment 23 C.C.No.21970/2026

    ”56. It is a trite proposition of law, that
    suspicion however grave, it cannot take the place of
    proof and that the prosecution in order to succeed on a
    criminal charge cannot afford to lodge its case in the
    realm of ”may be true”’ but has to essentially elevate it
    to the grade of ”must be true”. In a criminal
    prosecution, the court has a duty to ensure that mere
    conjectures or suspicion do not take the place of legal
    proof and in a situation where a reasonable doubt is
    entertained in the backdrop of the evidence available, to
    prevent miscarriage of justice, benefit of doubt is to be
    extended to the accused. Such a doubt essentially has
    to be reasonable and not imaginary, fanciful, intangible
    or non-existent but as entertainable by an impartial,
    prudent and analytical mind, judged on the touchstone
    of reason and common sense. It is also a primary
    postulation in criminal jurisprudence that if two views
    are possible on the evidence available one pointing to
    the guilt of the accused and the other to his innocence,
    the one favourable to the accused ought to be adopted.”
    Judgment 24 C.C.No.21970/2026

    19. In the present case, it is important to note that the
    material witness and the IO witnesses have not proved the
    alleged commission of the offence by the accused No.7 with
    corroborative evidence. As such the accused No.7 is certainly
    would be entitled to benefit of the doubt, since no
    corroborative evidence of the witnesses against the accused
    No.7 to prove the prosecution case. Hence, the accused No.7 is
    entitled to the benefit of the reasonable doubt. By considering
    all these aspects the prosecution utterly failed to prove the
    guilt of the accused No.7 beyond all reasonable doubt.
    Therefore, I answer to the Point No.1 to 5 in the Negative.

    20. POINT NO.6: In view of the above findings on Points

    No.1 to 5, I proceed to pass the following:

    ORDER

    In the exercise of powers Confirmed
    U/sec,.248(1) of Cr.P.C., the Accused No.7
    is hereby Acquitted for the alleged offence
    punishable U/sec,.120B, 420, 467, 468,
    471, 506 R/w sec., 34 of IPC.

    Judgment 25 C.C.No.21970/2026

    The bail bond of the Accused No.7 and
    surety extended for further 6 months in
    order to comply Sec.437A of Cr.P.C.
    Thereafter, this bail bond automatically
    stands cancelled.

    (Dictated to the Stenographer directly on computer and after corrections made by

    me and then pronounced by me in the Open Court on this the 27th day of April-2026)

    (Thimmaiah.G)
    30 A.C.J.M., B’lore.

    th

    ANNEXURE

    1. LIST OF THE WITNESS EXAMINED FOR THE PROSECUTION:

           P.W.1          :      Smt. Aruna.E
           P.W.2          :      Sri. Nandakumar
           P.W.3          :      Sri. Sarthik
    
    
    

    2. LIST OF THE DOCUMENTS MARKED FOR THE
    PROSECUTION:

          Ex.P.1      :   Computerized Complaint
           Ex.P.1(a)             :      Signature of Pw.1
           Ex.P.2                :      Statement of Pw.2
         Judgment                 26              C.C.No.21970/2026
    
    
    
        Ex.P.2(a)    :    Signature of Pw.2
        Ex.P.2(b)    :    Signature of Pw.3
    
    
    

    3. LIST OF THE WITNESS EXAMINED AND DOCUMENTS
    MARKED FOR THE DEFENCE:

    NIL

    4. LIST OF THE METERIAL OBJECTS MARKED FOR THE
    PROSECUTION:

    Digitally
    NIL signed by
    THIMMAIAH G
    THIMMAIAH
    G Date:

    2026.05.21
    16:40:52
    +0530

    (Thimmaiah.G)
    30th A.C.J.M., B’lore.

    Judgment 27 C.C.No.21970/2026



    Source link

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here