Holding

A magistrate may, under Section 156(3) CrPC, direct the police to register a case and investigate, the complaint thereby becoming an FIR.

Summary

Madhu Bala filed two complaints alleging offences under Sections 498A and 406 IPC before Chief Judicial Magistrates. The magistrates, invoking Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, directed the police to register a case and investigate; the police registered FIRs, investigated, and submitted charge‑sheets. The respondents sought quashing of the proceedings under Section 482, and the Punjab & Haryana High Court held that a magistrate could only direct investigation, not the registration of a case, thereby setting aside the magistrates' orders. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme and held that when a magistrate directs investigation under Section 156(3), the complaint is treated as a First Information Report and the police are obliged to formally register the case before investigating. Consequently, the High Court’s judgment was set aside and the magistrates were directed to proceed with the cases. The appeal was allowed.

Issues considered

Whether a magistrate exercising power under Section 156(3) CrPC can direct the police to register a case (i.e., treat the complaint as an FIR) in addition to directing investigation.
Whether the High Court was correct in quashing the magistrates' orders on the ground that they exceeded their jurisdiction.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 154, s. 156(1), s. 156(3), s. 173(2), s. 190(1), s. 190(1)(a), s. 190(1)(b), s. 240, s. 2(c), s. 2(d), s. 2(r), s. 482
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 406, s. 498A
Police Act, 1861

Subjects

Criminal ProcedureSection 156(3) CrPCFIR registrationMagistrate powersPolice investigationQuashing of proceedingsSection 498A IPCSection 406 IPC

Judgment

A MADHU BALA
v.
SURESH KUMAR AND ORS.

JULY 23, 1997

B (M.K. MUKHERJEE ANDS. SAGHIR AHMAD, JJ.)

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973-Section 156(3)-Magistrate ordeling
registration of case and investigation upon Appellant's complaint under sec-
tions 498A and 406, !PC-High Coillt quashing the order under section 482,
C Cr.P. C. holding Magistrate can only direct investigation under section
156(3)-Whether the Magistrate can only direct investigation, but not direct
the registration of case under section 156(3) HELD : Police bound to register
a case upon Magistrate fonvarding complaint to it for investigation treating
the same as FIR-Regardless of whether Magistrate has directed registration
D of case or not as Police can only investigate after it has registered the case.

The appellant filed a complaint against the respondents before the
Magistrate under section 498A and 406, IPC. The Magistrate passed an
order under section 156(3) Cr.P.C. directing the police to register a case
and investigate. On completion of the investigation, the Magistrate took
E cognizance and charge was framed against the respondents. Thereafter,
the appellant filed another complaint at another place against the respon-
dents under section 498A IPC as the concerned Magistrate had refused to
frame the charge under section 498A in the earlier case and framed the
charge only under section 406 IPC as the offence under 498A was com-
F mitted elsewhere. On the second complaint also the other Magistratl!
passed a similar order for registration of a case and investigation and
proceeded to frame the charge.

While the two cases were being tried, the respondents moved the
High Court for quashing the proceedings on the ground that the orders
G passed by the two Magistrates directing the registration of cases unde1~
section 156(3) Cr.P.C. were wrong and illegal. The High Court quashed th1!
orders of the two Magistrates. Hence this appeal.

HELD : 1.1. When a written complaint disclosing a cognizable of··
H fence is made before a Magistrate, he may take cognizance upon the samt!
32
MAD HU BALA v. SURESH KUMAR 33

under section 190(1) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code and proceed with A
the same in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XV. The other
option available to the Magistrate in such a case is to send the complaint
->
to the appropriate Police Station under section 156(3) for investigation.
Once such a direction is given under sub-section (3) of section 156 the
• police is required to investigate into that complaint under sub-section (1) B
thereof and on completion of investigation to submit a 'Police Report' in
accordance with section 173(2) on which a Magistrate may take cognizance
nnder section 190(l)(b) - but not under section 190(1)(a). Since a com·
-~ plaint filed before a Magistrate cannot be a 'Police Report' in view of the
definition of 'complaint' and since the investigation of a 'cognizable case'
by the police nnder section 156(1) has to culminate in 'police report' the
c
'complaint' • as soon as an order under section 156(3) is passed thereon •
transforms itself into a report given in writing within the meaning of
section 154 of code, which is known as First Information Rep~rt (F.l.R).
As under section 156(1), the police can only investigat~ a cognizable 'case',
it has to formally register a case on that report. [37-A-E] D

-I 1.2. Whenever a Magistrate direct~ an investigation on a 'complaint'
the police has to register a cognizable case on that complaint treating the
same as FIR and comply with the requirements of the Punjab Police Rules,
1934. It, therefore, passes comprehension as to how the direction of a E
Magistrate asking the police to 'register a case' makes an order of inves-
ligation under section 156(3) legally unsustainable. Indeed, even if a
Magistrate does not pass a direction to register a case, still in view of
provisions of section 156(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code which em-
powers the police to investigate into a cognizable 'case' and the Rules
F
framed under the Indian Police Act, 1861 it (the police) is duty bound to
· formally register a case and then investigate into the same. The provisions
of the Code, therefore, does not in any way stand in the way of a Magistrate
to direct the police to register a case at the police station and then
investigate into the same. When an order for investigation under section
156(3) of the code is to be made the proper direction to the police would G
~ be to register a case at the police station treating the complaint as the First
Information Report and investigate into the same. [38-A-D]

Gopal Das Sindhi & Ors. v. State of Assam, AIR (1961) SC 986 and
Tula Ram and Ors. v. Kishore Singh, AIR 1977 SC 2401, distinguished. H
34 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1997] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal
Nos. 658-659 of 1997.

From the Judgment and Order dated 18.7.96 of the Punjab &
Haryana High Court in Crl.M.Nos. 15402-M and 15613-M of 1995

B Dr. Aparna Bhardwaj, Rajesh Tyagi for Praveen Jain for the appel-
lant.

Nidhesh Gupta for Ms. Minakshi Viz, for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
c
M.K. MUKHERJEE, J.

Special leave granted. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

On February 18, 1988, the appellant filed a complaint against the
D three respondents, who are her husband, father-in-law and mother- in-law
respectively, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kurukshetra alleging
commission of offences under Section 498A and 406 of the Indian penal
Code (1.P.C. for short] by them. On that complaint, the learned Magistrate
passed an order under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure
('Code' for short) directing the police to register a case and investigate into
E the same. Pursuant to the said direction, Thaneswar Police Station
registered a case being FIR No. 61 of 1988 and on completion of investiga-
tion submitted charge sheet (police report) against the three respondents
under Sections 498A and 406 I.P.C. The learned Magistrate took cog-
nizance upon the said charge-sheet and thereafter framed charge against
the three respondents under Section 406 l.P.C. only as, according to the
F learned Magistrate, the offence under Section 498A l.P .C. was allegedly
committed in the district of Karna!. Against the framing of the charge the
respondents moved the Sessions Judge in revision, but without success.

Thereafter on January 29, 1994 the appellant filed another complaint
G against the respondents under Section 498A IPC before the Chief Judicial
Magistrate, Kamal and on this complaint the learned Magistrate passed a
similar order under Section 156(3) of the Code for registration of a case
and investigation. In compliance with the order, FIR No. 111 of 1994 was
registered by the Karna! Police Station and on completion of investigation
charge-sheet was submitted against the three respondents under Section
H 498A I.P.C. On that charge sheet the learned Magistrate took cognizance
MAD HU BALA v. SURESH KUMAR [M.K. MUKHERJEE, J.] 35

of the above offence and later on framed charge against them in accord- A ·
ance with Section 240 of the Code.

While the above two cases were being tried, the respondents filed
petitions under Section 482 of the Code before the Punjab & Haryana High
Court for quashing of their proceedings on the ground that the orders
passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrates of Kurukshetra and Karna! direct- B
ing registration of cases in purported exercise of their power under Section
156(3) of the Code were patently wrong and consequently all actions taken
pursuant thereto were illegal. The contention so raised found favour with
the High Court; and by the impugned judgment it quashed the orders of
the Chief Judicial Magistrates of Kurukshetra and Karna! dated February C
18, 1988 and January 29, 1994 respectively, pursuant to which cases were
registered by the police on the complaints of the appellant, and the entire
proceedings of the two cases arising therefrom. According to the High
Court, under Section 156(3) of the Code a magistrate can only direct
investigation by the police but he has no power to direct 'registration of a D
case'. In drawing the above conclusion, it relied upon the judgments of this
Court in Gopal Das Sindhi & Ors. v. State of Assam, AIR (1961) SC 986
and Tula Ram & Ors. v. Kishore Singh, AIR (1977) SC 2401, and some
judgments of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which, according to it,
followed the above two decisions of this Court.
E
In our considered view, the impugned judgment is wholly unsus-
tainable as it has not only failed to consider the basic provisions of the
Code but also failed to notice that the judgments in Gopal Das (supra) and
-- Tula Ram (supra) have no relevance whatsoever to the interpretation or
purport of Section 156(3) of the Code. The earlier judgments of the Punjab F
& Haryana High Court, which have been followed in the instant case also
suffer from the above two infirmities.

Coming first to the relevant provisions of the Code, Section 2( d)
defines 'complaint' to mean any allegation made orally or in writing to a G
Magistrate, with a view to his taking action under the Code, that some
person, whether known or unknown has committed an offence, but does
not include a police report. Under Section 2(c) 'cognizable offence' means
·an offence for which, and 'cognizable case' means a case in which a police
officer may in accordance with the First Schedule (of the Code) or under
·any other law for the time being in force, arrest without warrant. Under H
36 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1997] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A Section 2(r) 'police report' means a report forwarded by a police officer
to a Magistrate under sub-Section (2) of Section 173 of the Code. Chapter ·
XII of the Code comprising Sections 154 to 176 relates to information to
the police and their powers to investigate. Section 154 provides, inter alia,
..
that the officer incharge of a police station shall reduce into writing every
information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence given to him
B orally and every such information if given in writing shall be signed by the
person giving it and the substance thereof shall be entered in a book to be
kept by such officer in such form as the State Government may prescribe
in this behalf. Section 156 of the Code with which we are primarily .
concerned in these appeals reads as under :
c
"(1) Any officer in charge of a police station may, without the order
of a Magistrate, investigate any cognizable case which a Court
having jurisdiction over the local area within the limits of such
station would have power to inquire into or try under the provisions
of Chapter XIII.
D
(2) No proceeding of a police officer in any such case shall
at any stage be called in question on the ground that the case
was one which such officer was not empowered under this
section to investigate.
E (3) Any Magistrate empowered under Section 190 may order
such an investigation as above mentioned".

On completion of investigation undertaken under Section 156(1) the
officer in charge of the Police Station is required under Section 173(2) to
p forward to a Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence on
a police report, a report in the form prescribed by the State Government
containing all the particulars mentioned therein. Chapter XIV of the Code
lays down the conditions requisite for initiation of proceedings by the
Magistrate. Under sub-section (1) of Section 190 appearing in that Chapter
any Magistrate of the first class and any Magistrate of the second class
G specially empowered may take cognizance of any offence (a) upon receiv-
ing a 'complaint' of facts which constitutes such offence; (b) upon a 'police
. report' of such facts; or (c) upon information received from any person
other than a police officer, or upon his own knowledge that such offence
has been committed. Chapter XV prescribes the procedure the Magistrate
H has to initially follow if it takes cognizance of an offence on a complaint
MADHU BAI.A v. SURESH KUMAR [M.K. MUKHERJEE, J.] 37

· under Section 190(1)(a). A

From a combined reading of the above provisions it is abundantly
clear that when a written complaint disclosing a cognizable offence is made
before a Magistrate, he may take cognizance upon the same under Section
190(1)(a) of the Code and proceed with the same in accordance with the B
provisions of Chapter XV. The other option available to the Magistrate in
such a case is to send the complaint to the appropriate Police Station under
Section 156(3) for investigation. Once such a direction is given under sub-
section (3) of Section 156 the police is required to investigate into that
complaint under sub-section (1) thereof and on completion of investigation
to submit a 'police report' in accordance with Section 173(2) on which a C
Magistrate may take cognizance under Section 190(1)(b) - but not under
190(1)(a). Since a complaint filed before a Magistrate cannot be a 'police
report' in view of the definition of 'complaint' referred to earlier and since
the investigation of a 'cognizable case' by the police under Section 156(1)
has to culminate in a 'police report' the 'complaint' - as soon as an order D
under Section 156(3) is passed thereon - transforms itself to a report given
in writing within the meaning of Section 154 of the Code, which is known
as the First Information Report (F.1.R.). As under Section 156(1), the
police can only investigate a cognizable 'case', it has to formally register a
case on that report.
E
The mode and manner of registration of such cases are laid down in
the Rules framed by the different State Governments under the Indian

- Police Act, 1861. As in the instant case we are concerned with Punjab
Police Rules, 1934 (which are applicable to Punjab, Haryana, Hirnachal
Pradesh and Delhi) framed under the said Act we may now refer to the F
relevant provisions of those Rules. Chapter XXIV of the said Rules lays
down the procedure an officer-in- charge of a Police Station has to follow
on receipt of information of commission of crime. Under Rule 24.1 appear-
ing in the Chapter every information covered by Section 154 of the Code
must be entered in the First Information Report Register and substance G
thereof in daily diary. Rule 24.5 says that the First Information Report
Register shall be a printed book in Form 24.5(1) consisting of 200 pages
and shall be completely filled before a new one is commenced. If further
requires that the cases shall bear an annual serial number in each police
station for each calendar year. The other requirements of the said Rules
need not be detailed as they have no relevance to the point at issue. H
38 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1997] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A From the foregoing discussion it is evident that whenever a
Magistrates directs an investigation on a 'complaint' the police has to
register a cognizable case on that complaint treating the same as the FIR
and comply with the requirements of the above Rules. It, therefore, passes
our comprehension as to how the direction of a Magistrate asking the
police to 'register a case' makes an order of investigation under Section
B 156(3) legally unsustainable. Indeed, even if a Magistrate does not pass a
direction to register a case, still in view of the provisions of Section 156(1)
of the Code which empowers the Police to investigate into a cognizable
'case' and the Rules framed under the Indian Police Act, 1861 it (the .
police) is duty bound to formally register a case and then investigate into
C the same. The provisions of the Code, therefore, does not in any way stand
in the way of a Magistrate to direct the police to register a case at the
police station and then investigate into the same. In our opinion when an
order for investigation under Section 156(3) of the Code is to be made the
proper direction to the Polite would be 'to register a case at the police
D station treating the complaint as the First information Report and inves-
tigate into the same.

Adverting now to the two cases of this Court on which reliance has
been placed by the High Court we find that in the case of Gopal Das
(supra) the facts were that on receipt of a complaint of commission of
E offences under Sections 147, 323, 342 and 448 of the Indian Penal Code,
the Additional District Magistrate made the following endorsement : "To
Shri C. Thomas, Magistrate 1st Class, for disposal." ON receiving the
complaint Mr. Thomas directed the Officer In-charge of the Gauhati
Police Station to register a case, investigate and if warranted submit a
p charge sheet. After investigation police submitted a charge sheet under
Section 448 of the Indian Penal Code and on receipt thereof the Additional
District Magistrate forwarded it to Shri R. Goswami, Magistrate for dis-
posal. Shri Goswami framed a charge under Section 448 of the Indian
Penal Code against the accused therein and aggrieved thereby the accused
first approached the revisional Court and, having failed there, the High
G Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India. Since the petition
before the High Court was also dismissed they moved this Court. The
contention that was raised before this Court was that Mr. Thomas acted
without jurisdiction in directing the police to register a case to investigate
it and thereafter to submit a charge sheet, if warranted. The steps of
H reasoning for the above contention was that since the Additional District
J,:ADHU BALA v. SURESH KUMAR [M.K MUKHERJEE, J.] 39

Magistrate had transferred the case to Mr. Thomas for disposal under A ,·
Section 192 of the Code it must be said that the former had already taken
cognizance thereupon under Section 190(1)(a) of the Code. Therefore, he
·" (Mr. Thomas) could not pass any order under Section 156(3) of the Code
as it related to a pre-cognizance stage; and he could deal with the same
only in accordance with Chapter XVI. In negativing this contention this
Court held that the order of the Additional District Magistrate transferring B
the case to Mr. Thomas on the face of it did not show that the former had
taken cognizance of any offence in the complaint. According to this Court
the order was by way of an administrative action, presumably because Mr.
Thomas was the Magistrate before whom ordinarily complaints were to be
filed. The case of Gopal Dass (supra) has, therefore, no manner of applica- C
tion in the facts of the instant case. It is interesting to note that the order
that was passed under Section 156(3) therein also contained a direction to
the Police to register a case.

In Tula Ram's case (supra) the only question that was raised before D
this Court was whether or not a Magistrate after receiving a complaint and
after directing investigation under Section 156(3) of the code and on
receipt of the 'Police report' from the police can issue notice to the
complainant, record his statement and the statements of other witnesses
and then issue process under Section 204 of the Code. From the question
itself it is apparent that the said case related to a stage after police report E
under Section 173(2) of the Code was submitted pursuant to an order
under Section 156(3) of the Code and not to the nature of the order that
can be passed thereunder [Section 156(3)]. The cases of the Punjab &
Haryana High Court referred to by the learned Judge in the impugned
judgment need not be discussed in details for they only lay down the F
preposition that under Section 156(3) a Magistrate can only direct inves-
tigation but cannot direct registration of a case for no such power is given
to him under that section. We repeat and reiterate that such a power
inheres in Section 156(3), for investigation directed thereunder can only be
in the complaint filed before the Magistrate on which a case has to be
formally registered in the Police Station treating the same as the F.I.R. If G
the reasoning of the Punjab and Haryana High Court is taken to its logical
conclusion it would mean that if a Magistrate issues a direction to submit
a report under Section 173(2) of the Code after completion of investigation
while passing an order under Section 156(3) it would be equally bad for
the said Section only 'directs investigation' and nothing more. Needless to H
40 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1997] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A say, such a conclusion would be fallacious, for while with the registration
of a case by the police on the complaint, the investigation directed under
Section 156(3) commences, with the submission of the 'police report' under
Section 173(2) it culminates. •
On the conclusions as above we set aside the impugned judgment
B and orders of the High Court and direct the concerned Magistrates to
proceed with the cases in accordance of law. The appeals are accordingly
allowed.

S.S. Appeals allowed. •

....