ASHIQ HUSSAIN FAKTOO Vs. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.
Section 302 - Punishment for murder
Section 120 B - Punishment of criminal conspiracy
TERRORIST AND DISRUPTIVE ACTIVITIES (PREVENTION) ACT, 1987 (TADA)
Supreme Court of India (Full Bench (FB)- Three Judge)
Writ Petition (Crl.), 46 of 2008, Judgment Date: Aug 30, 2016
The principle of ex debito justitiae is founded on a recognition of
a debt that the justice delivery system owes to a litigant to correct an
error in a judicial dispensation. Its application, by the very nature of
things, cannot be made to depend on varying perceptions of legal omissions
and commissions but such recognition of the debt which have the potential
of opening new vistas of exercise of jurisdiction to relook concluded
cases, must rest on surer foundations which have been discerned and
expressed in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra). Frantic cries of injustice founded
on perceived erroneous application of law or appreciation of facts will
certainly not be enough to extend the frontiers of this jurisdiction.
The present writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of
India by no stretch of reasoning would fit into any of the permissible
categories of post conviction exercises permissible in law as laid down by
this Court. The doctrine of ex debito justitiae being circumscribed by the
judgment of this Court in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra) it is for the petitioner
to exhaust the said remedy, if is he so inclined and so advised. Merely
because in the comprehension of the writ petitioner the judgment of this
Court is erroneous would not enable the Court to reopen the issue in
departure to the established and settled norms and parameters of the extent
of permissible exercise of jurisdiction as well as the procedural law
governing such exercise. We, therefore, hold that the present writ
petition is not maintainable and is accordingly dismissed subject to the
observations as above.
REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO.46 OF 2008
ASHIQ HUSSAIN FAKTOO ...PETITIONER
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA & ORS. ...RESPONDENTS
JUDGMENT
RANJAN GOGOI, J.
1. The writ petitioner has been convicted by this Court by its
judgment and order dated 30th January, 2003 passed in Criminal Appeal
No.889 of 2001 under Section 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1987 (hereinafter referred to as “TADA Act”) and under
Section 302 read with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
(hereinafter referred to as “IPC”). He has been sentenced, inter alia, to
undergo imprisonment for life. The review petitions filed by the writ
petitioner as also by the co-accused (Mohd. Shafi Khan @ Mussadiq Hussain)
against the aforesaid judgment dated 30th January, 2003 i.e. Review
Petition (Criminal) No.478 of 2003 and Review Petition (Criminal) No.1377
of 2003 have been dismissed by order dated 2nd September, 2003 of this
Court. Curative Petition filed by the co-accused (Mohd. Shafi Khan @
Mussadiq Hussain) i.e. Curative Petition (Criminal) No.23 of 2004 in Review
Petition (Criminal) No.1377 of 2003 in Criminal Appeal No.889 of 2001 has
also been dismissed by order dated 2nd February, 2005 of this Court.
Thereafter, this writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of
India has been filed by the present accused writ petitioner making the
following prayers:
(a) Issue a writ in the nature of habeas corpus or other similar
direction, order or writ to the Respondents thereby commanding them to
produce the petitioner before this Hon'ble Court and thereafter forthwith
release him from illegal custody; and
(b) grant any other or further reliefs as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit
and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case and in the interests
of justice.”
2. Notwithstanding the prayers made, extracted above, in essence,
the writ petition seeks interference with the order of conviction and the
sentence imposed on the petitioner by this Court by its judgment and order
dated 30th January, 2003 passed in Criminal Appeal No.889 of 2001.
3. The Bench initially hearing the present writ petition had passed an
order dated 24th September, 2014 to the following effect:
“We have been apprised by Mr. Jethmalani as the writ petition was
filed, no application for review was filed. We are of the considered
opinion if the present writ petition is converted to a review petition and
heard in the open Court on the fundamental principles of review as well as
the maxim ex debito justitiae, the cause of justice would be subserved and
accordingly we direct the Registry to convert the present writ petition to
a review petition and list before the appropriate Bench in open Court as
expeditiously as possible.
Ordered accordingly”
Subsequently the matter has been referred to a larger Bench.
This is how we are in seizen of the matter.
4. As already noted review petitions were filed by the present
writ petitioner as also by the co-accused (Mohd. Shafi Khan @ Mussadiq
Hussain) and the same were dismissed by this Court by order dated 2nd
September, 2003 the said fact was not brought to the notice of the Court
while the order dated 24.09.2013 was rendered.
5. Shri Ram Jethmalani, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the
writ petitioner has urged that the sole basis of the conviction of the writ
petitioner is the alleged confession made by him. Shri Jethmalani has
urged that the same is not a confession in law inasmuch as nowhere in the
said statement the accused implicates himself with the alleged offence(s)
in any manner. Neither the confession has been put to the accused in the
course of his examination under the provisions of Section 313 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure, 1973, nor there is any corroboration to the alleged
confession. Shri Jethmalani has further urged that Section 15 of the TADA
Act makes a confession made to a Police Officer, not lower in rank than a
Superintendent of Police, admissible in the trial of such person. Section
15 of the TADA Act, therefore, works as an exception to Section 25 of the
Indian Evidence Act, 1872. However, in the instant case, the confession
was recorded while the accused was in police custody and, therefore, would
not be admissible under Section 26 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The
provisions of Section 15 of the TADA Act are not in exception to what has
been laid down in Section 26 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. It is also
urged that the confession recorded is contrary to the provisions of Rule 15
of the TADA Rules read with the guidelines laid down by this Court in para
263 of the judgment in Kartar Singh Vs. State of Punjab[1]. On the
aforesaid grounds, Shri Jethmalani has submitted that a manifest
miscarriage of justice has been occasioned by the conviction of the accused
writ petitioner and the sentence imposed upon him which needs to be
corrected on the principle of ex debito justitiae. Shri Jethmalani has
also pointed out the decision of this Court in Mohd. Arif alias Ashfaq
Vs. Registrar, Supreme Court of India and others[2] to contend that review
petitions in matters of convictions recorded under the TADA Act are
required to be heard in open Court.
6. Shri R.S. Suri, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the Union
of India has questioned the maintainability of the present writ petition on
the ratio of the law laid down by this Court in Rupa Ashok Hurra Vs. Ashok
Hurra and another[3]. Drawing the attention of the Court to the relevant
paragraphs of the report in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra) Shri Suri has urged
that neither a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India
nor a second review petition would be maintainable. It is also submitted
that invoking the principles of ex debito justitiae, this Court in Rupa
Ashok Hurra (supra) had carved out an exception permitting the Court to
have a re-look at its concluded judgments on twin grounds i.e. (1) the
order being in infraction of the principles of natural justice; and (2) or
an order which shakes the integrity of the justice delivery system by an
association of the judge with the subject matter or the litigating parties
which may have escaped the attention of the learned Judge.
7. On merits, Shri Suri has submitted that what has been urged by
Shri Jethmalani is not at all legally tenable and all the issues raised
have been duly considered by this Court in its judgment dated 30th January,
2003 passed in Criminal Appeal No.889 of 2001. Shri Suri has further
submitted that principle of open court hearing laid down by the
Constitution Bench in Mohd. Arif alias Ashfaq (supra) is only in cases of
death penalty cases either under the IPC or the TADA Act. The reference to
TADA cases in paragraph 40 of the report in Mohd. Arif alias Ashfaq
(supra) has to be understood accordingly.
8. Having heard the learned counsels for the parties we are of the
view that on the strength of the Constitution Bench judgment in Rupa Ashok
Hurra (supra) the present writ petition would not be maintainable. It
would also not be maintainable as a review petition inasmuch as Review
Petition (Criminal) No.478 of 2003 filed by the writ petitioner has been
dismissed by this Court on 2nd September, 2003. Open Court hearing of
review petitions in terms of the judgment of this Court in Mohd. Arif alias
Ashfaq (supra) is available as of right only in death sentence cases.
9. The principle of ex debito justitiae invoked on behalf of the
accused writ petitioner to attract the jurisdiction of this Court under
Article 32 of the Constitution of India to set the accused writ petitioner
at liberty, in our considered view, has been elaborately dealt with in the
concurring judgment of Umesh C. Banerjee, J. in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra)
and holding that the doctrine of ex debito justitiae would prevail over
procedural law but would be applicable only in a situation where the order
of this Court had been passed without notice or where the order has the
effect of eroding the public confidence in the justice delivery system.
Paragraph 69 of the report in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra) containing the view
of Umesh C. Banerjee, J. may be usefully extracted herein below:
“69. True, due regard shall have to be had as regards opinion
of the Court in Ranga Swamy [(1990) 1 SCC 288] but the situation presently
centres around that in the event of there being any manifest injustice
would the doctrine of ex debito justitiae be said to be having a role to
play in sheer passivity or to rise above the ordinary heights as it
preaches that justice is above all. The second alternative seems to be in
consonance with time and the present phase of socio-economic conditions of
the society. Manifest injustice is curable in nature rather than incurable
and this Court would lose its sanctity and thus would belie the
expectations of the founding fathers that justice is above all. There is no
manner of doubt that procedural law/procedural justice cannot overreach the
concept of justice and in the event an order stands out to create manifest
injustice, would the same be allowed to remain in silentio so as to affect
the parties perpetually or the concept of justice ought to activate the
Court to find a way out to resolve the erroneous approach to the problem?
Mr Attorney-General, with all the emphasis in his command, though
principally agreed that justice of the situation needs to be looked into
and relief be granted if so required but in the same breath submitted that
the Court ought to be careful enough to tread on the path, otherwise the
same will open up a Pandora’s box and thus, if at all, in rarest of the
rare cases, further scrutiny may be made. While it is true that law courts
have overburdened themselves with the litigation and delay in disposal of
matters in the subcontinent is not unknown and in the event of any further
appraisal of the matter by this Court, it would brook no further delay
resulting in consequences which are not far to see but that would by itself
not in my view deter this Court from further appraisal of the matter in the
event the same, however, deserves such an additional appraisal — the note
of caution sounded by Mr. Attorney-General as regards opening up of a
Pandora’s box, strictly speaking, however, though may be very practical in
nature but the same apparently does not seem to go well with the concept of
justice as adumbrated in our Constitution. True it is, that practicability
of the situation needs a serious consideration more so when this Court
could do without it for more than 50 years, which by no stretch of
imagination can be said to be a period not so short. I feel it necessary,
however, to add that it is not that we are not concerned with the
consequences of reopening of the issue but the redeeming feature of our
justice delivery system, as is prevalent in the country, is adherence to
proper and effective administration of justice in stricto. In the event
there is any affectation of such an administration of justice either by way
of infraction of natural justice or an order being passed wholly without
jurisdiction or affectation of public confidence as regards the doctrine of
integrity in the justice delivery system, technicality ought not to
outweigh the course of justice — the same being the true effect of the
doctrine of ex debito justitiae. The oft-quoted statement of law of Lord
Hewart, C.J. in R. v. Sussex Justices, ex p McCarthy [(1924) 1 KB 256] that
it is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done,
should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done, had this doctrine
underlined and administered therein. In this context, the decision of the
House of Lords in R. v. Bow Street Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate, ex
p Pinochet Ugarte (No. 2)[(1999) 1 All ER 577(HL)] seems to be an epoch-
making decision, wherein public confidence in the judiciary is said to be
the basic criterion of the justice delivery system — any act or action even
if it is a passive one, if erodes or is even likely to erode the ethics of
judiciary, the matter needs a further look.”
10. The principle of ex debito justitiae is founded on a recognition of
a debt that the justice delivery system owes to a litigant to correct an
error in a judicial dispensation. Its application, by the very nature of
things, cannot be made to depend on varying perceptions of legal omissions
and commissions but such recognition of the debt which have the potential
of opening new vistas of exercise of jurisdiction to relook concluded
cases, must rest on surer foundations which have been discerned and
expressed in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra). Frantic cries of injustice founded
on perceived erroneous application of law or appreciation of facts will
certainly not be enough to extend the frontiers of this jurisdiction.
11. The opinion of Syed Shah Mohammed Quadri, J. with regard to the
situations in which an aggrieved litigant would be entitled to relief under
the doctrine of ex debito justitiae has been set out in paragraph 51 of the
report which may be reproduced herein below:
“Nevertheless, we think that a petitioner is entitled to relief ex
debito justitiae if he establishes (1) violation of the principles of
natural justice in that he was not a party to the lis but the judgment
adversely affected his interests or, if he was a party to the list, he was
not served with notice of the proceedings and the matter proceeded as if he
had notice, and (2) where in the proceedings a learned judge failed to
disclose his connection with the subject-matter or the parties giving scope
for an apprehension of bias and the judgment adversely affects the
petitioner.” (para 51)
12. The said jurisdiction because of its very nature has attracted the
terminology of curative jurisdiction. The procedural steps with regard to
filing and disposal of applications invoking the curative jurisdiction,
termed as curative petitions, have also been laid down in paragraphs 52 and
53 of the report of Syed Shah Mohammed Quadri, J. in Rupa Ashok Hurra
(supra) which now finds mention in Order XLVIII of the Supreme Court
Rules, 2013.
13. The present writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of
India by no stretch of reasoning would fit into any of the permissible
categories of post conviction exercises permissible in law as laid down by
this Court. The doctrine of ex debito justitiae being circumscribed by the
judgment of this Court in Rupa Ashok Hurra (supra) it is for the petitioner
to exhaust the said remedy, if is he so inclined and so advised. Merely
because in the comprehension of the writ petitioner the judgment of this
Court is erroneous would not enable the Court to reopen the issue in
departure to the established and settled norms and parameters of the extent
of permissible exercise of jurisdiction as well as the procedural law
governing such exercise. We, therefore, hold that the present writ
petition is not maintainable and is accordingly dismissed subject to the
observations as above.
……….....................,J.
(RANJAN GOGOI)
……….....................,J.
(PRAFULLA C. PANT)
……….....................,J.
(A.M. KHANWILKAR)
NEW DELHI
AUGUST 30, 2016.
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[1] (1994) 3 SCC 569
[2] (2014) 9 SCC 737
[3] (2002) 4 SCC 388