Review/Recall/Modification Of Orders/Judgments Barred In Criminal Matters: SC [Read Order]

A man accused of offences under Section 364 and 323 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code had approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking to quash the FIR. During the pendency of this petition, charge sheet was filed.

The High Court dismissed the petition giving liberty to the petitioner to challenge the framing of charge under appropriate provisions. Thereafter, the accused filed another petition seeking to review, recall and modify the order, which was allowed by the High Court.

The complainant approached the Apex Court against this order contending that the High Court could not have entertained the subsequent petition under Section 482 for review or, as the case may be, for modification of its earlier order having regard to the specific bar contained in Section 362 of the CrPC.

Section 362 of CrPC provides that, no Court, when it has signed its judgment or final order disposing of a case, shall alter or review the same except to correct a clerical or arithmetical error. Allowing the appeal, the bench comprising Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta said:

Th"e High Court while dismissing the petition under Section 482 observed that it would be open to the second respondent to pursue his remedies after framing of the charge. In view of the specific bar which is contained in Section 362, we are of the view that the impugned order of the High Court is unsustainable. Such an application for review or modification could not have been entertained."

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