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The details of the batch of writ petitions are as follows ;

    S.        WP.No.         Police Station      Crime    Section
    N                                                                   Complaintfiled by
                                                  numb    of Law
    o.
                                                   er
    1.    WP.No.25540        Bhimunipatnam       253 of     409.          Branch Head,
              of 2023         Police station     2023      420 of          NFL Finance
                                                            IPC                Ltd..
   2.     WP.No.28721          Bobbin Town       541 of    457,             K.Kavitha
              of 2023         Police Station      2023    380 IPC           Sravanthi
                                                                         alleging theft of
                                                                             her gold
                                                                            ornaments
   3.     WP.No.26267       Bhimunipatnam        253 of    409,           Branch Head.
             of 2023         Police Station      2023     420 IPC        IIFL Finance
                                                                             Ltd.,
   4      WP.No.23757           Sompta           119 of   303 (2)       G.Jeevaratnam
             of 2024         Police Station      2024      BNS          alleging theft of
                                                                        gold ornaments
   5      WP.No.23656        Kovvur Town         227 of   331 (4)           K.Ushasri
             of 2024         Police Station      2024     305(a)        alleging theft of
                                                           BNS              her gold
                                                                           ornaments
                                     //9//
r
                                                              WP.No.25540 of 2023& batch



    6    WP.N025826       Alamuru           212 of   331 (4),           J.Maaruthi
           of 2024      Police Station      2024       305               SIvaram,
                                                      BNS           alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
    7    WP.No.3584     Chodavaram          32 of     454          R.Sasank Bharat
           of 2023      Police Station      2023     380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
    8    WP.No.26080      Tadepalli         474 of     306            M.Sambasiva
           of 2024      Police Station      ^024      BNS                 Rao
                                                                    alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
    9    WP.No.24620    Madanapalle         423 of   Woman            P.Surendra,
            of 2024         Rural           2024     missing        alleging missing
                        Police Station                               of woman and
                                                                   also theft of gold
                                                                       ornaments
    10   WP.No.8621    Guntakal I Town       5 of     454,             D.Rajesh
           of 2024      Police Station      2024     380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
    11   WP.No.9480       Muddanur          286 of   . 454,           P.Viswarupa
           of 2024      Police Station      2023     380 IPC              Achari
                                                                    alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
    12   WP.No.28888    Yeleswaram          267 of    457,            G.Chinnarao
           of 2023      Police Station      2022     380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                        Jaggampeta          295 of     457,         Satyavathi Rayi
                        Police Station      2023     380 IRC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                        Jaggampeta          296 of    457,               Srinivas
                        Police Station      2023     380 IPC             Bhumadi
                         Kirlampudi         103 of    457,           Kanta Sanyasi
                        Police Station      2023     380 IPC                Rao
                                                                    alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                         Samalkota          192 of    457              Satyaveni
                        Police Station      2023     380 IPC           Palacharlla
                                                                    alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                        Peddapuram          120 of    457,         P.Satyanarayana
                        Police Station      2023      380,                  Rao
                                                     511 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                        Peddapuram          174 of    457,         P.Satyanarayana
                        Police Station      2023     380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                    gold ornaments
                                 Inon
                                                             WP.No.25540 of 2023& batch



                        Yeleswaram        171 of      457,           G.Reddibabu
                       Police Station     2023      380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                   gold ornaments
                         Samalkot        267 of       457,        B.V.V.Satyanara
                       Police Station     2023      380 IPC                yana
                                                                   alleging theft of
                                                                   gold ornaments
                       Jaggampeta        194 of       457,              S. Srinu
                      Police Station      2023      380IPC         aHeging theft of
                                                                   gold ornaments
                        Samalkot         124 of       457,          Devi Jyothula
                      Police Station      2023      380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                   gold ornaments
                        Prathipadu       362 of       457,          K.Veerababu
                      Police Station      2022      380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                   gold ornaments
                       Addateegala        52 of      457,        Y.Satyanarayana
                      Police Station      2022      380 IPC        alleging theft of
                                                                  gold ornaments

         of 2023
                                                                 N.V.Satyanaraya
                      Police Station      2023      380 IPC          na Murthy
                                                                  alleging theft of

                                                                  gold ornaments
       WP.No.9648       Vinukonda          75        457,          D.Gangadhara
         of 2024      Police Station      and       380 IPC               Rao
                                         76 of                   D.Akhilandeswari

                                                                  alleging theft of
                                                                     their gold
                                                                     ornaments
15    WP.No. 10424     Parawada         175 of       454,          Ch.Ramadevi
         of 2024     Police Station     2024         380         alleging theft of
                                                     IPC         gold ornaments
16    WP.No.14279    Pattabhipuram      193 of     380 IPC         P.Arunkumar
        of 2024      Police Station      2024
                                                                 alleging theft of

                                                                 gold ornaments
      WP.No. 13928   Kavali I Town       ^5 of     380 IPC            P.Madhu
        of 2023      Police Station      2023                     Sudhana Rao
                                                                 alleging theft of
18                                                               gold ornaments
      WP.No.17065      Pendurthy        270 of      457,            M.Jayanth
        of 2024      Police Station     2024       380 IPC             Kumar
                                                                 alleging theft of
19                                                              gold ornaments
       WP.No.         Pedakakani        232 of
       16467 of                                    380 IPC      K.Samrajyamma
                     Police Station     2023

                                                                alleging theft of
                                                                gold ornaments
 r                                       //ii//
                                                                    WP.No.25540 of 2023& batch



       20   WP.No. 13944       Salur Town        135 of      454,             N.Yogitha
                 of 2023      Police Station     2023     380 IPC              Sailaxmi
                                                                          alleging theft of
                                                                              her gold
                                                                             ornaments


7. The learned senior counsel further submits that the criminal cases in which the police are investigating are for the purposie of punishing the accused, not for the recovery of gold. It is also submitted that the petitioner company is a Pawnee and as per Section 173 of the Indian Contract Act. The Pawnee may retain the goods pledged not only for payment of debt or for the interest on the debt, but also for all other expenses relating to the said pledge,

8. The learned senior counsel also submits that the petitioner company would acquire title to the goods pledged in terms of Section 178-A of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 as the Pawnee cannot be held responsible for defect of the title of the Pawnor. It is also submitted that the petitioner, as a Company, is in the business of extending loans by mortgaging the gold. Any customer who obtains a loan by mortgaging gold after entering into a valid agreement will be responsible and liable for repaying the entire loan, together with applicable interest and other charges. It is only after discharge of the loan amount and other charges that the Pawnor can reclaim the gold ornaments. Any event of default r //13// WP.No.25540 of 2023& batch under the terms of the agreements would entitle the petitioner company to auction the gold towards the realisation of the outstanding dues.

13. It is also submitted by the learned counsel for respondent No. 4 that the gold ornaments under mortgage to the petitioners would have to be considered as crime property under Section 114 of the Indian Evidence Act. It is submitted that the petitioner company is duty-bound to ascertain the source of possession of the gold ornaments before pledging them. It is also submitted that the petitioner-company' s extension of the gold loan by pledging gold ornaments is supported by an agreement. Any defect in the title fo/- the gold pledged would entitle the petitioner company to take steps for recovery of the outstanding dues by invoking the jurisdiction of the competent Court or invoking the dispute resolution clause as per the recitals of the agreement(s).

17. The short point for consideration in the batch of writ petitions is Whether a direction as sought by the petitioners seeking to set aside the impugned notice(s) issued under Sections 91 and Section 102 of Cr.P.C., can be issued by exercising the jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India 7

18. In the present batch of writ petitions, WP Nos. 25540 of 2023 and 26267 of 2023, are filed by representatives of a finance company alleging that their own employees are involved in misappropriati ng gold ornaments belonging to customers and subsequently subjecting them to k mortgage with the petitioners. In WP.No.28888 of 2023, the petitioner is challenging the notices issued under Section 91 of the Cr.P.C. in as many as 12 FIRs registered in various police stations, all of which are registered for offences under Section 380 of the IPC and Sections 454 and 457 of the IPC. All the complainants had reported house breaking and theft of valuables, including gold ornament?. Those gold ornaments were mortgaged by the accused with the petitioner company.