30/04/2023
CRIMINAL CASES
JURISDICTION
There are 9 Police Districts and about 125 Police Stations in Delhi. The Metropolitian Magistrates have been assigned jurisdiction as per Police Stations. The Sessions Judges have jurisdiction in respect of entire area of Districts governed from a particular Courts Complex.
LEGAL AID
If an accused (a person who is alleged to have committed a crime) is unable to engage a counsel, he may pray to the concerned Court to give him a lawyer at state expense through Legal Aid. For details see Chapter 17 on page No. 51.
POLICE CASES
When an FIR is registered, copy of the same is sent to the Court for information. As and when the accused is arrested in bailable matters, he can be released on bail by the police officials or he may be produced before the Court from where he may be released on furnishing a bail bond/personal bond. In non-bailable matters, the person arrested by the police is to be
produced before the Magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest and if further custodial interrogation is required, the police official may request for police remand, otherwise, the person is sent to Judicial custody in Jail. He may apply for bail either by moving application himself or through Advocate. The police will file a challan in the Court after completion of the investigation and
trial will start.
COMPLAINT CASES
In minor offences (non-cognizable), police cannot take action on its own and the aggrieved person is required to file a complaint in the Court of concerned
Metropolitian Magistrate. Even in cognizable offences, where police refuses to register an FIR, the victim can approach the court of Metropolitian Magistrate and file a complaint. The court may direct for registration of an FIR or otherwise it will record evidence of the complainant and his witnesses and if it is found that there is some substance in the complaint, the other party will be summoned and heard. A specimen complaint is annexed as Annexure ‘L’.(page No.80) Initial evidence can be filed in the form of an affidavit as
Annexure ‘M’
CASES OF JUVENILES
As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 cases of all the offenders, who were/are below 18 years of age on the date of offence, are to be tried by Juvenile Justice Board consisting of three members. The Board holds its hearings at Seva Kutir, Kingsway Camp, Delhi –110 009. Any offender, who is below 18 years of age, may request the
concerned Court to transfer his case to Juvenile Justice Board.
COURT FEE
For filing a criminal complaint, court fee of Rs.1.25 is to be paid. If an accused is in judicial custody, no court fee is to be paid on vakalatnama. If accused is on bail, court fee stamp of Rs.1.25 is to be affixed alongwith Lawyer Welfare Stamp of Rs.5/-.
STAGES OF TRIAL
3. After filing of the challan if accused are not present, they will be called by issuing summons to them and notices to their sureties.
4. Prosecution will supply copies of the challan and it will be checked by accused whether copies are complete.
5. There are certain cases where punishment is more than 3 years, the said case are to be tried by the Court of Sessions and these matters will be committed to the Sessions where trial will take place.
6. In other cases, the trial will begin in the court of Metropolitian Magistrate itself.
7. First of all the charge will be framed i.e. the substance of the offences alleged against the person facing the trial will be put to him and he will be asked whether he admits his guilt or not.
8. If accused admits the guilt, he will be punished accordingly and if he does not accept his guilt, the prosecution will be given a chance to examine the witnesses to prove its case.
9. Once the witnesses have been examined, the entire substance of the evidence will be put to the accused and his replies will be recorded in the statement of the accused.
10. The person facing a trial also has a right to get his own witnesses
examined in the Court to prove his innocence in defence evidence.
11. After completion of the evidence, final arguments will be heard and case will be decided accordingly.
12. In a criminal case, the trial court can either acquit a person facing trial if there is not sufficient evidence against him or he can be convicted. In case a person has been convicted, he will be heard on the quantum of sentence.
13. All convicted below the age of 21 and other convicts where punishment is less than 7 years, are entitled to probation if they are not previous convicts.
14. Sentence can be in the form of Rigorous Imprisonment/Simple Imprisonment and/or Fine. In a case where imprisonment is of less than 3 years, the convict is entiteld to bail for the period which is required to file an appeal in the Superior Court.
15. In Sessions triable cases, some procedure is followed after committal of the case from Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
DIET MONEY TO WITNESSES
The witnesses summoned to give evidence on behalf of state are paid necessary travelling expenses to enable them to attend the hearing in Court. In cases witnesses have been summoned by the accused, the expenses are to be borne by him.
APPEALS & REVISIONS
Against all the Judgments of conviction passsed by the Metropolitan Magistrates, appeals lie to the Sessions Court and aginst the judgments passed by the Sessions Court, the appeals lie to the High Court. In case of an acquittal, the State can file an appeal only in the High Court.
Revision
petition against the order affecting material rights of the State/accused can be filed before Session Court in case trial is pending before Metropolitian Magistrate and in trials before Sessions Court, a revision petition can be filed before the Hon’ble High Court.