Govt Servants, Investigating Officers Expected To Discharge Duty And Ensure 'Truth Alone Triumphs': Madras High Court

Justice B. Pugalendhi remarked that the motto of the Government is Truth alone triumphs and thus, it is the responsibility of every government servant to ensure the same.

“The motto of the government in its emblem is Truth Alone Triumphs and therefore, it is the responsibility of every government servant including the investigating officer to discharge their duty as expected by the government and to ensure Truth alone Triumphs,” the court remarked.

The court was hearing a plea for quashing the criminal proceedings initiated for illegally harvesting crops planted by the de facto complainant. The petitioner contended that the police had registered a case for a civil dispute.

The State, on the other hand, argued that though there was a civil dispute, the nature of the complaint was that the petitioner had illegally harvested crops that were planted and raised by the de facto complainant. The de facto complainant also argued that the crop was planted on the land which belonged to him and thus the petitioner did not have any right to cultivate the crops.

The court noted that the case was at the stage of investigation and the points raised could be considered by the investigating officer during the course of the investigation. The court added that the FIR was nothing but registering the complaint and that the purpose of the investigation was to find whether the complaint was genuine or not.

The court added that it expected the investigating officer to conduct the investigation in a fair manner by considering the evidence produced by the parties. The court thus disposed of the petition granting liberty to the investigating officer to conduct the investigation fairly by verifying the materials and completing the investigation as expeditiously as possible.

Counsel for the Petitioner: Mr.R.J.Karthick

Counsel for the respondent: Mr.P.Kottai Chamy Government Advocate (Crl. side), Mr.R.Alagumani

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Mad) 233

Case Title: Kanthavel and Others v State

Case No: CRL.O.P (MD) No.5955 of 2024