Crl. M.P. No. 18713/2012 in Crl. A. Nos. 889/2007, Crl. M.P. Nos. 18711, 18712/2012 in Crl. A. No. 1383/2007, R.P. (Crl.) No. 426/2011 in Crl.A. No. 889/2007 and R.P. (Crl.) No. 417/2011 in Crl.A. No. 1383/2007. Case: Arup Bhuyan Vs State of Assam. Supreme Court (India)
| Case Number | Crl. M.P. No. 18713/2012 in Crl. A. Nos. 889/2007, Crl. M.P. Nos. 18711, 18712/2012 in Crl. A. No. 1383/2007, R.P. (Crl.) No. 426/2011 in Crl.A. No. 889/2007 and R.P. (Crl.) No. 417/2011 in Crl.A. No. 1383/2007 |
| Judges | Dipak Misra and Abhay Manohar Sapre, JJ. |
| Issue | Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 - Sections 3, 3(1), 3(3), 3(5), 4, 5, 20, 21, 22, 124A; Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 - Section 10; Prize Competitions Act, 1955; Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002; Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Rules, 1987 - Rules 11, 12; Constitution of India - Articles... |
| Judgement Date | August 26, 2014 |
| Court | Supreme Court (India) |
Judgment:
1. Crl. M.P. Nos. 18711 and 18712/2012 have been filed in Criminal Appeal No. 1383/2007 and Crl. M.P. No. 18713/2012 has been filed in Criminal Appeal No. 889/2007. These applications have been filed by the Union of India. Review Petitions (Crl.) No. 426 and 417/2011 have been preferred in Crl.A. No. 889/2007 and Crl.A. No. 1383/2007 respectively by the State of Assam for review of the decision in the criminal appeals mentioned hereinabove. Initially the applications seeking permission to file an application for review by the Union of India were not registered on the ground that the Union of India was not a party to the criminal appeals. The said order was challenged in appeal i.e. Crl. M.P. No. 22124/2011 in Crl.A. No. 1383/2007 & Crl. M.P. No. 22122/2011 in Crl.A. No. 889/2007 wherein the learned Chamber Judge on 9/12/2011 had passed the following order.
"Mr. Mohan Parasaran, learned Additional Solicitor General, prays for withdrawal of Criminal Miscellaneous Petition Nos. 22124/2011 and 22122/2011 with liberty to the applicant Union of India to renew the applications, if necessary, later on. Criminal Miscellaneous Petition Nos. 22124 of 2011 and 22122 of 2011 are dismissed as withdrawn with liberty as aforesaid."
2. On the basis of the aforesaid observation, the present applications for clarification along with applications for impleadment have been filed by the Union of India. The applications for impleadment have already been allowed in both the appeals. When these applications were listed on 2/5/2014, the following order came to be passed:
"Crl. M.P. No. 18713/2012 in Crl.A. No. 889/07:
This is an application for clarification of the judgment passed in Criminal Appeal No. 889 of 2007 on 03.02.2011. It is submitted by Mr. Mohan Parasaran learned Solicitor General appearing for Union of India that the Division Bench has opined with regard to the constitutional validity of Section 3(5) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 by reading down the provisions. He has referred to the paragraph which reads as under:
"In our opinion, Section 3(5) cannot be read literally otherwise it will violate Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution. It has to be read in the light of our observations made above. Hence, mere membership of a banned organisation will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence."
The learned Counsel appearing for the Respondent, namely, Arup Bhuyan, very fairly stated that he has nothing to do with the clarification as long as the judgment of acquittal is not disturbed. Mr. Parasaran conceded that he does not intend to question the acquittal as the Union of India is only concerned with the interpretation placed by this Court to save the constitutional validity of the provisions by adopting the doctrine of reading down in the absence of the Union of India.
Ordinarily we would have proceeded to deal with the matter but Mr. Jaideep Gupta, learned senior Counsel appearing for the State of Assam, submitted that he has filed an application for review of the judgment on the ground that the interpretation of Section 3(5) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 has adversely affected the interpretation of Section- 10 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. In view of...
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