Bombay High Court
Bench At Aurangabad vs The State Of Maharashtra on 30 March, 2012
Author: U.D. Salvi
Bench: U.D. Salvi
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF BOMBAY,
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO. 834/2011
Jyoti Deorao Mhaske
@ Jyoti W/o Jaychand Kasliwal,
Age : 37 years, Occ. Household,
R/o Jadhavwadi Surewadi,
Ashwini Medical, Jalgaon Road,
Aurangabad.
....Petitioner.
Versus
1. The State of Maharashtra,
2. Shri Padar,
P.S.O. Mukundwadi Police Station,
Age : Major, Occ. Service,
Mukundwadi Police Station,
Aurangabad.
3. Shri Vijay Sonwane,
P.I. Mukundwadi Police Station,
Age : Major, Occ. Service,
Mukundwadi Police Station,
Aurangabad.
4. Shri K.K. Yelamkar,
AC.P. CIDCO Division,
Age : Major, Occ. Service,
Near Renuka Mata Mandir,
Jalgaon Road, Aurangabad.
5. Shri Manikchand Bansilal Chudiwal,
Age : Major, Occ. Business,
R/o N-11, C-3/7/5,
Gajanan Nagar, HUDCO,
Aurangabad.
6. Shri Dhiraj Manikchand Chudiwal,
Age : Major, Occ. Medical representative,
R/o N-11, C-3/7/5
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Gajanan Nagar, HUDCO,
Aurangabad.
7. Ujawala Manikchand Chudiwal,
Age : Major, Occ. Household,
R/o N-11 C-3/7/5,
Gajanan Nagar, HUDCO,
Aurangabad.
8. Smita Manikchand Chudiwal
@ Smita Vinodkumar Kasliwal,
Age : Major, Occ. M.R.
R/o N-11, C-3/7/5,
Gajanan Nagar, HUDCO,
Aurangabad.
All having alternate address of
New Om Medical,
Thakare Nagar, N-2 Mahalaxmi Chowk,
CIDCO, Aurangabad.
....Respondents.
.....
Shri Praveen B. Waghmare, Advocate for the petitioner.
Shri N.B. Patil, A.P.P. for the respondent / State.
Shri S.S. Panale, Advocate for respondent Nos. 5 to 8.
.....
.....
CORAM : U.D. SALVI, J.
DATED : 26, 28th and 30th March, 2012
ORAL JUDGMENT:-
1. This petition challenges the grant of anticipatory bail to the respondent nos. 5 to 8, in Criminal Bail Application No. 1339/2011, by ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 3 cri.wp834.2011 the Special Judge, [Prevention of Atrocities (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Act, 1989] Aurangabad, on 15/09/2011.
2. The petitioner lodged a complaint against respondent Nos. 5 to 8, alleging that on 23/02/2011, while she belonging to Mang caste - a Scheduled Caste', was proceeding to Thakare Nagar to meet her brother and was passing along public street in front of New Om Medical and General Stores, N-2, CIDCO, Aurangabad, the respondent Nos. 5 to 8, persons belonging to Jain Marwadi caste- non Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe (for short "non S.C./S.T.") who were in the said stores, humiliated her with insult or annoyance by use of caste abusive language and assaulted her. Initially, it appears, the police remained passive to the complaint lodged by her and later on, the police responded to the issuance of notice in Criminal Writ Petition No. 635/2011 preferred by the petitioner against the State and registered an offence against the respondent Nos. 5 to 8, at Crime No. I-14/2011 under section 3(i)(x) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe ( Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ( for Short " the said Act,") and under section 323, 506 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal code 1860, with Mukundwadi Police Station on 22/08/2011. It appears that the investigation was carried out in the said crime and the police recorded the scene of offence panchanama and the statements of the witnesses.
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3. No sooner the crime was registered, the application for grant of anticipatory bail was moved before the Special Judge by the respondent Nos. 5 to 8, being Bail Petition No. 1339/2011. The parties including the present petitioner were heard, and anticipatory bail was granted to the respondent Nos. 5 to 8. Learned Special Judge was of the view that the alleged incident had not taken place in public view -
one of the essential requirement of section 3(i)(x) of the said Act and, therefore, bar under section 18 of the said Act would not come into play.
4. The learned advocate Mr. Praveen Waghmare for the petitioner submits that the learned Special Judge, erred in taking the said view as the incident had occurred on a public street, which happened to be witnessed by the passers-by one of them being one Shaikh Salim. The learned advocate Mr. Praveen Waghmare for the petitioner however, gave up his contention that the petitioner was not heard by the learned Special Judge. Reading of the scene of offence panchanama dated 23/08/2011 in conjunction with the statement of Shaikh Salim, prima facie reveals that the alleged incident had taken place in public view.
5. The learned advocate Mr. Panale for the respondents submits that the complaint is concocted one and has been filed as a counter ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 5 cri.wp834.2011 blast to the Criminal M.A. No. 1652/2010 lodged by the respondent No. 8 in the Court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Aurangabad under section 12 of the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005. At this stage, the courts are not expected to dissect the material and arrive at the conclusions, which can be properly arrived at the end of the trial. Prima facie, there is material disclosing occurrence of the alleged incident in public view. Submissions made on behalf of the respondent Nos. 5 to 8, therefore, deserve to be rejected. On this back drop, it can very well be seen that the learned Special Judge needlessly embarked on an exercise of evaluating probative value of statements of the witnesses instead of taking into consideration prima facie disclosures made through the papers of investigation and ultimately landed in an error of taking a view that the alleged incident had not taken place in public view.
6. Section 18 of the Act puts the embargo on the application under Section 438 of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 moved by person committing an offence under the said Act. Thus, in the given facts and circumstances, this bar under section 18 of the said Act could not have been ignored.
7. The learned advocate Mr. Panale for the respondent Nos. 5 to 8 submitted that the petitioner though Scheduled Caste by birth, ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 6 cri.wp834.2011 lost the caste attribute as a result of she marrying into non -
Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe family and, therefore, the provisions of the said Act could not have been invoked in the present case. He pointed out that the petitioner was married to one Jaychand Kasliwal Jain Marwadi- non S.C./S.T. at Trimbakeshwar on 02/05/1999. In support of his submission the judgment of Single Bench of this Court in Dulatrao Nanasaheb Pisal's Case [Daulatrao Nanasaheb Pisal Vs. Bhuinj Police Station & Ors; 1998 ALL MR (Cri) 1181] has been cited.
8. In Daulatrao Nanasaheb Pisal's case (Supra) the complainant who complained of commission of offences under Sections 354, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and under Section 3(1) and (xi) and 3(ix) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 ( for Short "
the said Act,") vis-vis herself belonged to Scheduled Caste.
Apprehending arrest the accused - non S.C. / S.T. filed anticipatory bail application No. 535/1997 in the Sessions Court at Satara. It was dismissed by learned Additional Sessions Judge in view of the bar contained in Section 18 of the said Act. It appears that the husband of the complainant had filed an affidavit to the effect that he belongs to Hindu (Maratha) caste - non S.C./ S.T. A certificate issued by the Sarpanch of Village Panchayat in support ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 7 cri.wp834.2011 was also tendered. These facts were considered by the Single Bench of this Court and the following observations were made :
" In my view, the disputes which have been raised with regard to the caste of Mrs. Parte cannot be adjudicated in these proceedings. Had it been an admitted case that the alleged victim belonged to S.C. Then perhaps the bar under Section 18 would apply.
Even otherwise the Supreme Court in the case of Mrs. Valsamma Paul V. Cochin University & Ors JT 1996 (1) SC 57 : AIR 1996 SC 1011 : 1996 Lab IC 919 :
1996 (33) ATC 713 : 1996 (3) SCC 545: 1996 (3) Guj LR 92 has held that a husband wife are one under Hindu law so long as the wife survives, she is half of the husband. The Supreme Court further held as under :-
"It would, therefore, be clear that be it either under the Canon law or the Hindu law, on marriage wife becomes an integral part of husband's marital home entitled to equal status of husband as a member of the family. Therefore, the lady, on marriage, becomes a member of the family and thereby she becomes a member of that caste to which she moved. The caste rigidity breaks down and would stand no impediment to her becoming a member of the family to which the husband belongs and she gets herself transplanted."::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 :::
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9. In response to these submissions learned Advocate Shri Waghmare for the petitioner argued that it has been consistent view of the Hon'ble Apex Court that the marriage between S.C. / S.T. and non S.C./ S.T. does not bring about equations favorable to non S.C./ S.T. party to the marriage. Referring to Mrs. Valsamma Pau's case [ Mrs. Valsamma Paul V. Cochin University and others; AIR 1996 S.C. 1011 (1)] which has been basis of the Judgment in Daulatrao Nanasaheb Pisal's case (supra), learned Advocate Shri Waghmare for the petitioner submitted that the Hon'ble Apex Court upheld the view - that Mrs. Valsamma Paul, the appellant-a Syrian Catholic - forward class despite marriage with backward class-Latin Catholics was not entitled to the benefit of reservation under Article 16(4) to the reserved post of Lecturer.
He also placed reliance on pronouncements of the Hon'ble Apex Court in Meera Kanwaria's case [ Meera Kanwaria Vs. Sunita and Ors; AIR 2006 S.C. 597], and Lillykutty's case [Lillykutty Vs. Scrutiny Committee S.C. & S.T.; AIR (SC) 4313]. He further submitted that the marriage between S.C. / S.T. - non S.C. / S.T. may be indication of break down of caste rigidity and there would not be an impediment to an S.C./ S.T. person becoming a member of the family of non S.C./ S.T. upon a marriage, but question remains whether factually there has been effective transplantation of S.C. / S.T. on marriage.
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10. This pertinent question needs to be answered in light of the wisdom expressed by the Hon'ble Apex Court through the judgments cited before this Court and facts of the present case.
11. In Valsamma Paul's case, the Hon'ble Apex Court took account of the evolution of the institution of marriages right from the Vedic period to the present times. At para 20 of the judgment, the Hon'ble Apex Court observed that inter sub-caste marriages were validated under the Hindu Marriage (Removal of Disabilities) Act, 1946 and further observed that performance of both forms of inter-caste marriages was permitted under the Hindu Marriage (Validity) Act, 1949. With enactment of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Hon'ble Apex Court noted, the said Act has done away with the rigidity and made valid inter-caste marriages amongst all castes. Summing up the salubrious effect of inter-caste marriages on the evolution of egalitarian social order as envisaged under the Constitution, the Hon'ble Apex Court observed : "the intercaste marriage and adoption are two important social institutions through which secularism would find its fruitful and solid base for egalitarian social order under the Constitution. It is in this context that the Hon'ble Apex Court took note of the observations which are found quoted at para 5 of the judgment delivered by the Single Bench of ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 10 cri.wp834.2011 this Court in Daulatrao Nanasaheb Pisal's case. Even then, the Hon'ble Apex Court declined to give benefit of reservation under the Constitution to the non-Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe person marrying to Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe person with the following observations :--
"Thus, education, employment and economic empowerment are some of the programmes, the State has evolved and also provided reservation in admission into educational institution, or in case of other economic benefits under Articles 15(4) and 46 or in appointment to an office or a post under the State under Article 16(4). Therefore, when a member is transplanted into the Dalits, Tribes and OBCs, he/she must of necessity also undergo same handicaps, be subject to the same disabilities, disadvantages,. Indignities or sufferings so as to entitle the candidate to avail the facility of reservation. A candidate who had the advantageous start in life being born in forward caste and had march of advantageous life but is transplanted in backward caste by adoption or marriage or conversion, does not become eligible to the benefit of reservation either under Article 15(4) status of Scheduled Caste etc. by voluntary mobility into these categories would play fraud on the Constitution,and would frustrate the benign constitutional policy under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution."
12 Instance of Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes woman marrying to Non Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes man is exactly a converse of the Valsamma Paul's case genderwise and as such, it will have to be seen whether a Scheduled Castes/ ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 11 cri.wp834.2011 Scheduled Tribes woman on marriage to Non S.C./ S.T. man gets transplanted into Non Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes family, family of spouse, and thereby gets freed of the disabilities, disadvantages, sufferings and restrictions attached to the caste.
Times have changed and so the Laws, but it is doubtful whether the minds of all individuals have so changed keeping pace with times.
Otherwise, there was no need to enact the said Act after almost four decades of Republic to protect the members of S.C./ S.T. (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) from the atrocious acts of non S.C./S.T. people which have origin in their conservative mindsets. Answer to the said pertinent question, therefore, cannot be given by fiction of canonical law - Dharmashtra, but what the facts actually reveal.
13. In the instant case, it may well appear that the caste rigidity is broken down and it has not stood as an impediment to the petitioner becoming a member of joint Marwadi family. However, it is also seen that the petitioner's sister-in-law was one amongst the persons giving caste abuses thereby humiliating her in public view.
It only prima facie shows that there was no transplant of the petitioner belonging to Scheduled Castes into Non-Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes family in true sense.
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 :::12 cri.wp834.2011 14 In Meera Kanwaria's case, the Hon'ble Apex Court did not view the marriage as the means for an individual to acquire the caste attributes of the family she joins after the marriage despite the fact the marriage had been accepted by the Biradari, meaning thereby, the elders of the family, for the reason that acceptance by Biradari is not the same as acceptance by the community to which the said family belongs. Rationally, therefore, it is the general acceptance of the said marriage by the community at large which matters in deciding whether there has been transplant of a individual from one caste to another caste.
15 In this view of the matter, it is difficult to prima facie hold that in the instant case the petitioner had lost the caste attributes and consequently, the protection or relief available to her as a member of Scheduled Caste under the said Act from the atrocities committed by non S.C. / S.T. members. Learned Special Court, Aurangabad, therefore, had clearly erred in holding that the case in hand did not attract the provisions of Section 18 of the said Act.
16. It is revealed that the charge sheet has been filed and the respondent Nos.5 to 8 after availing the benefit of anticipatory bail have been released on regular interim bail by the Special ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 ::: 13 cri.wp834.2011 Court, Aurangabad and as such there is no propriety in setting aside the order of grant of anticipatory bail. Criminal Writ Petition No.834/2011 is disposed off accordingly.
( U.D. SALVI, J. ) ts k/ ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 18:22:47 :::