Exonerated in departmental proceedings : Criminal proceedings on identical charges cannot continue.

Allahabad High Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings Against Railway Official. Tej Karan Meena Cleared of Charges Due to Prior Exoneration in Departmental Inquiry

In a significant judgment, the Allahabad High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against Tej Karan Meena, a railway official, under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966. The court ruled that since Meena was exonerated in a departmental inquiry on identical charges, the criminal case could not continue. The judgment, delivered by Justice Sanjay Kumar Pachori, highlighted the principle that the standard of proof in criminal cases is higher than that in departmental proceedings.

The case originated from an incident on October 9, 2021, involving the theft of old transformers from the E.M.U. Car Shade in Ghaziabad. Although stolen property was recovered from co-accused individuals, Meena was implicated without any substantial pre-summoning evidence, apart from a confessional statement recorded by the Railway Police. The departmental inquiry had already concluded that Meena was not present at the scene, reinforcing his innocence.

The judgment underscored that criminal prosecutions cannot proceed when the accused has been cleared of identical charges in departmental proceedings. This decision aligns with the Supreme Court's guidelines in similar cases, emphasizing the higher burden of proof required in criminal trials compared to departmental inquiries.

The court's decision to quash the proceedings brings relief to Meena, who had been facing charges under Sections 3 and 4 of the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act. The ruling sets a precedent for similar cases where departmental exoneration precedes criminal charges.

Bottom Line:

Criminal proceedings based on identical charges for which the accused has already been exonerated in departmental proceedings cannot be allowed to continue.

Statutory provision(s): Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 Section 482, Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966 Sections 3/4

Tej Karan Meena v. Union of India, (Allahabad) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2762447