Case Laws On Cognizance
Case Laws On Cognizance
# 2. Narsingh Das Tapadia vs. Goverdhan Das Partani, AIR 2000 SC 2946
It was held that the mere presentation of a complaint cannot be held to mean
that the Magistrate has taken the cognizance.
# 3. Subramanian Swamy vs. Manmohan Singh, (2012) 3 SCC 64
Apex Court explained the meaning of the word cognizance holding that
In legal parlance cognizance is taking judicial notice by the court of law,
possessing jurisdiction, on a cause or matter presented before it so as to decide
whether there is any basis for initiating proceedings and determination of the
cause or matter judicially.
# 7. Nirmaljit Singh Hoon vs. State of West Bengal, (1973) 3 SCC 753
Under s. 202 Cr.P.C., Magistrate, on receipt of a complaint, may postpone the
issue of process and either inquire into the case himself or direct on inquiry to
be made by a Magistrate subordinate to him or by a police officer for
ascertaining. its truth or falsehood.
The inquiry by the Magistrate envisaged at this stage is for ascertaining the truth
or falsehood of the complaint, that is, for ascertaining whether there is evidence
in support of the complaint so as to justify the issue of process.
Unless, therefore, the Magistrate finds that the evidence led before him is self-
contradictory, or intrinsically untrustworthy, process cannot be refused if that
evidence makes out a prima facie case. In a revision against such refusal, the
High Court also has to apply the same test.
# 9. CREF Finance Ltd. vs. Shree Shanthi Homes (P) Ltd., (2005) 7 SCC 467
Cognizance is taken of the offence and not of the offender and, therefore, once
the court on perusal of the complaint is satisfied that the complaint discloses the
commission of an offence and there is no reason to reject the complaint at that
stage, and proceeds further in the matter, it must be held to have taken
cognizance of the offence.
One should not confuse taking of cognizance with issuance of process.
Cognizance is taken at the initial stage when the Magistrate peruses the
complaint with a view to ascertain whether the commission of any offence is
disclosed. The issuance of process is at a later stage when after considering the
material placed before it, the court decides to proceed against the offenders
against whom a prima facie case is made out.
It is possible that a complaint may be filed against several persons, but the
Magistrate may choose to issue process only against some of the accused. It
may also be that after taking cognizance and examining the complainant on
oath, the court may come to the conclusion that no case is made out for issuance
of process and it may reject the complaint.
A perusal of the above decision would show that Apex Court has emphasized
upon the satisfaction of the Court to the commission of offence as a condition
precedent for taking cognizance of offence. However, in the facts of the said
case, Court was of the view that the cognizance was taken by the Magistrate
once the Magistrate applied his mind on the contents of the complaint and on
the satisfaction that prima facie case existed.