A clear attempt to link circumstances to a pre-judged conclusion by Hon’ble CJ of India himself. At best, this is just an attempt to let go off one of the many grounds husband’s can take in their Discharge and Quash petitions, going against such landmark precedents.
If this assumption is allowed to continue, ablanaris will claim, her hubby dear comes in her dreams and molests, threatens, harasses, violates her & thereby it is a continuing offence as per Black&White Dictionary and attracts 179 CrPC squarely, and consequently your’s truly will wag their tails (heads may be) to it too.
One Gem from this Judgment:
Even the silence of the wife may have an underlying element of an emotional distress and mental agony.
Alright. Little bit of difficulty in travel involved. We will use 20 other grounds, Mr. CJI. We also have clubbing of cases judgment and many more judgments on our side.
Frankly speaking, one has to see the caveat laid by Supreme Court in this judgment. Only when the Prosecution can establish that there was threat to the life and/or limb of the knife due to which the false case if institute out side the Jurisdiction, where the alleged offence has happened as mentioned in the Complaint, this judgment can be gainfully invoked.
The Key element is this “compelled the wife to leave the matrimonial home and take shelter with her parents“. As long as the Prosecution documents do not prima facie exhibit the above criteria, the ground of Territorial Jurisdiction is still a valid ground to see Discharge or Quash from a false case.
Go here.
My Note:
This is a bad judgment because, we all know the complainant may invoke Zero FIR at her place of residence/parental/shelter home which may be transferred to the location where there is actual territorial jurisdiction to the alleged offence. Or the parents or relative or any good Samaritan can file a report under sec 154(1) to a nearby police station, and again that PS has to register a Zero FIR. Moreover, the complaint’s case is fought by the State via Public Prosecutor and the Chief examination is done via affidavit these days and even that may be one of the instances when the complaint has to appear before Court. Due to technological advances which are expedited by COVID-19 pandemic, even the oath taken at such instance can be made via Video conference. Even the Cross can be conducted via Video conference.
Then what was the need to muddle the sacred principle of territorial jurisdiction enshrined under CHAPTER XIII provisions of Cr.P.C.?
Citations: [2019 SCC 5 384], [2019 SCC ONLINE SC 493], [2019 AIR SC 1790], [2019 KLJ 2 601]
Other Source links:
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/78252061/
https://www.legitquest.com/case/rupali-devi-v-state-of-uttar-pradesh/11C400
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/in/5cb00bc54a9326247ab05a22
