High Court Must Not Conduct Mini Trial While Exercising Inherent Powers Under Section 482 CrPC: Supreme Court.
Date of Judgment: May 2024 Case Title: Dharambeer Kumar Singh v. State of Jharkhand Neutral Citation: 2024 INSC 583 Bench: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Prasanna B. Varale Introduction The Supreme Court of India recently delivered a significant ruling emphasizing the limitations of the High Court’s powers under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) . In Dharambeer Kumar Singh v. State of Jharkhand , the apex court set aside a High Court order that quashed criminal proceedings by entering into a factual analysis, reminding that Section 482 CrPC does not empower High Courts to conduct a “mini trial.” What is Section 482 CrPC? Section 482 CrPC preserves the inherent powers of the High Court to: Give effect to any order under CrPC, Prevent abuse of the process of any court, and Secure the ends of justice. However, this power is not absolute and must be exercised sparingly and cautiously . Case Background In the present case, Dharambeer Kumar S...