Case Law Details
Manpreet Singh Vs State of Punjab (Punjab and Haryana High Court)
Introduction: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Manpreet Singh under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. The petitioner sought the transfer of a trial court case record to the Special Judge, CBI-cum-PMLA Court in Punjab, SAS Nagar, Mohali. The case involved contravention of provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Analysis: The petitioner, who had been convicted in a related FIR case, requested the trial court record to exhibit and prove the documents in the complaint case against him. However, the officials responsible for producing the record expressed their inability to compare the photocopies with the documents on file or provide certified copies. The court order of October 4, 2022, stated the same.
The petitioner then applied for certified copies but was not provided with them. Instead, the petitioner submitted uncertified copies obtained from the copying agency of the court. The petitioner filed the present petition seeking direction for the transfer of the trial court file.
The court observed that subsequent events had rendered the request for certified copies infructuous. The record had been sent back to the District and Sessions Judge, SAS Nagar (Mohali) for scanning and digitization. The original record had already been returned to the District and Sessions Judge, making the current request moot. The petitioner was advised to file an appropriate application for clarification if any difficulties persisted.
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