S.200 CrPC | Magistrate Can Implead Co-Accused Even After Taking Cognizance Of Crime & Committal To Competent Court: MP High Court
Live LawThe Madhya Pradesh High Court, Indore Bench recently held that a JMFC who had taken cognizance of a matter and committed the same to sessions court, can also entertain an application under Section 200 CrPC later, to implead other co-accused in the same crime. Disagreeing with the observations of JMFC, the sessions court set aside the order of rejection and remanded the matter back to the JMFC to be decided on merits. Examining the submissions of parties and documents on record, the Court opined that it could not be said that by entertaining an application under section 200 CrPC for impleading other co-accused in a crime already committed to sessions court, the JMFC was taking cognizance of the matter for the second time- There is no doubt that it is a well settled position of law that cognizance of an offence can only be taken once and perusal of the order dated 11.07.2018, passed by the learned Court of JMFC, indicates that in the instant case initially the cognizance of the offence was taken by the Court of JMFC itself. The Court, thus, held that there was no error in the impugned order to the extent of remanding the matter back to the JMFC to decide the application moved by the Complainant on merits.