The tribunals of criminal jurisdiction act, 1952

@. West Bengal Act XIV of 1952' TEE TRIBUNALS OF CRIMINAL JURISDICTION ACT, 1952. . . AMENDED Wcs~B en. Act XVZI of 1956. At1 Acr 10 provide for ilte speedy ~nuoif cerraill ofiettces. WHERUSil is expcdienr in the in~ercsrso f the security of thc Slate, Ihc mainlcnance of public pcace and tranquillily and hed ue safcguarding of indushy and business, LO provide for he speedy vial of thc offences speciiicd in heS chedule; I! is hereby cnacted as follows:- 1. (1) This ACLm ay be called [he Tribunals of Criminal Jurisdic lion shon ,irle, Acl 1952. (2) It cxtends ro the wholc of Wesr Bcngal. . Wcs t Ben. (3) Ir shall come inlo iorce immedialely on the Tribunals of Criminal Ord. I or Jurisdicdon Ordinance, 1952, ceasing lo operalc. 1951. 2. In !his Act unless there is any thing repugnant in !hc subject or mfiniiiom. conlex 1,- v ~ c rof (a) "the Code" mcans the Code OF Criminal Procedure, 1898; 1898. (b) "dislurbcd area" mcans an area in which in the opinion oithe State Govcrnment- (i) there was, or (ii) lhcre is any exrensivedisturbnnce of lhc public peaccmd ~ranquiHriy and in respect of which area heS ~atcG overnmc~lht as issued a nohfication declaring such area lo be a disturbed area. In cases Calling underclausc(i) the notification stla11 have effect during such period as may bc specified therein, and in cases Mingu nder cfausc (ii) the noti Fication shall have effcct from such dare as may be specified in [he nolification until the nolification is revoked; (c) "the High Coun" rncans [he High Courr in Calculra; (d) "schedultkl offencc'' means any offencc specified in the Schedule; (e) "Tribunal" means a Tribunal of Criminal Jurisdicrion consdtuted under sub-scclion (1) of seclion 3. 'For Sutcrncnt oTOhjrch md Rmonr. see the Calc~rrtaG a:cr!e, hrrnordir~nrjd: aied the 181h June, 1952. Pi. IVA, page 1274; or -dings or the Wcst Bcngd Legislarive Aacrnbly. JC~~ hPcr oceedings of hc mcelings of ~hWc est Bend Legislaivc Assembly held on he Isr, 7rh, gth, 9h md I01hJ uly, 1952, and Tor Proceedings of rhc We51 Bcngal hgislnrive Council, fee the piwetdings of 1he meeting of the Wcsr Bcngal Lcgislalivc Council held on hc2 61h July. 1952. 77le Tribrrtrals of Crirrri~~Jarlr risdiction Act, 1952. [West Bcn. Act Consli~u~ion' 3. (1) The Srarc Government shall horn time to ~imca,s it deems ' nCTribhals ofcriminal necessary, conslitutc by 'notilicalion in [hc Oficial Gaze/~eo ne or morc jufidicljon. Tribunals ofcriminaljurisdic~iona nd may by likc notilicalion, abolish any such Tribunal iril deems such Tribunal to bc no longer necessary. (2) Thc Slate Government shall appoint as a Judge lo presidc over a Tribunal, any person wh- (a) is or has been, or is qualified undcr clause (2) of micle 21 7 of thc Consti~utiono f India for appointmcn~a s, a Judge of a High Cour~o, r (b) has, Tor n period of no[ less lhan onc year, been a Sessions Judge or an Additional Sessions Judge. (3) Every Tribunal shall have jurisdic~iont hroughout [he wholc of Wcsl Bengal and shall sit at such place or places as thc Srale Governmcnl may, by Ino~ficadonin thc Oficinl Gazerre. specify in this behalf. 4. (I) Scheduled ofrcnces shall bc uiable by Tribunals only: Providcd that when hying any cuc, a Tribunal may also hy any offencc other than a schcduled offcncc, with which the accuscd may under the Code be charged at the samc vial. (2) Thedistribulion amongst ~hcTribunalsoicaseisn volvingscheduled ofrcnces ro be tried by them shall be madc by h eS tarc Government. Pmcedurc in 5. ?[(1)] A Tribunal may take cognizance of scheduled oFfenccs 1rials kT0l-e ~ r i b ~ ~ ~ w l it ~ ho . u ~th e accuscd bcing commi~cdto it for kid and, in hying accuscd persons, shall rollow the procedurc prescribed by IheCodc for he trial of warranl cases by Magismares ?[insrilu~edo thcnvise than on a policc rcpon]: Providcd lhaa~ T ribunal shall no1 be bound to adjourn any [rial for any purpose unless such adjournment is, in its opinion, necessary in the inrcrcsrs of jus~ice: Provided further ha[ for the purpose of sub-section (1) of section 356 of the Code. English shall bc dccmed to bc the language ofa Tribunal and where undcr he provisions of that sub-sccuon thc cvidence or witnesses is laken down in [he prescncc and hearing and under the personal direction and superinlendcnce of ~hJcud ge presiding overa Tribunal and not by such Judge himsclf, the provisionsof subsection (3) ofsection 356shall nolapply. 'Forno~iiica~ioni~ucdundersubsccuons(l)(m3d) ofsection3oflhc Aclconsliluting- (a) ihrec Tnbunds or Criminal Juri5diclion and spciry ing heir places olsining, re Notificalion No. 4633J., datcd 22.8.52. published in thc Calcrrrru Gd:tllc. F-lrrurtrdilrfln.o i 1952. Pan I, page 1536. (b> n Tribunal of Crinilnd Jurisdic~iont o be referred to as the Founh Tribunal and fixing Alipore as the place of sitting. $re Notiliurioii No. 21631.. drued 19.4.55. published in !he Calorrta Gozerrc of 1955. Pan I. page 1713. :Secrion 5 was rc-numbered ns sub-scction ( I)o f hs~ca ion and in said sub-sccriw 3s so re-numbcrrrlrhe words within squmbnckers wen: inscdcd by s. ?(Io)i rheTnbunds olCritiiinal Jurisdic~ion( Alncndmcnl) Act, 1956 (Wcst Bcn. Act XYII or 1956). Tlte Trihrrrrals of Crirei~~Jarit risdicrior~A ct, 1952. XIV of 1952.1 '(2) A Tribunal uying a case under this ACLm ay. with a view 10 ' obtaining the evidencc of any person supposed 10 have been direcrly or indireclly concerned in, or privy to, a scheduled offencc, ~endcar pardon 10 such person on condition of his making a full and lrue disclosure of the whole of rhc circums~ancesw ithin his knowledge relativc to thc offence and lo every otIicr pcrson concerned, whelhcr as principal or abeuor, in thc commission thereot and any pardon so tendered shall, For the purposes of scctions 339 and 339AoFlhcCodc, bc deemed to have bccn tcndered under sccrion 338 of thc Code. 6. (1) If for any rezon the serviccs or rhc person appoinrcd as a Provisio~~ Judge toprcsidcovcraTribuna1 ceases lo beavailable, the S!a[e Govcrnmcnt where scwims of shall as ofien as may bc nccessary, appoint anorhcr person having the Judge qualifications referred LO in clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (2) OF presiding over scction 3, as a Judge to prcsidc over such Tribunal. Tribunal ?(2) A person appointed undcr sub-section (1) as a Judgc to preside ccascs ro be avilablc. over a Tribunal may act on thc cvidcnce recorded by his prcdcccssnr or predecessors or partly recorded by his prcdcccssor or predcccssors and parlly recorded by himself: Provided that iirhc pcrson appoinled undcr sub-section (I ) as a Judgc 10 prcsidc over a Tribunal is olo pinion thal furlher cxnminadon of any of thc wirhncsscs whose evjdencc has already been recorded is necessary in the interests orjustice, Ile may rcsurnrnon any such wirness and after such hnher examination, cross-examina~iona nd rc-cxaminalion, if any, as hc may pcrmil, the witness shall bc discharged. 7. ATribunal may pass upon any pcrson convicted by it any scnrcnce powcror . . authorised by law for hep unishment of ihc ofrcncc of which such person Tribundslo P== is convicled and wherc thc Tribunal passes a senlcncc of death the SenLcnccs. provisions of Chapter XXVII of he Code shall apply. 8. (1) Any person convicted on a &id hcld by aTribuna1 may appeal ~ p p dasd to rhe High Court. rtvision. (2) The Stale Govcmnienl may direcl a Public Pruseculor Lo prescnt an nppcal to the kghC ourl from an orderofacquit~npl assed by a Tribunal. (3) An appeal undcr this section shall lie either on a marlcr of fact or on a matter OF law or on borh. (4) The period of limitation for an appal undcr sub-seclion (1) shdl be lhiny days from [he darc or [he sentence and for an appcal under sub- seclion (2) shall be lhiny days from the dale of the ordcr of acquittal. - - 'Ancr section 5, rc-numkrtd ,as sub-scction (1) of that section, this sub-sccuon (2)w as added with rcshmspcc~ivee kci by s. 2(2) or he Ttibunals or Criminal Jurisdicrion (Amcndmcn[) Acl. 1956 (\Vw Bcn. Act XVII of 1956). 'This sub-secrion was subsiiiuird for he ori~ndsu b-scc~ionb y s. 3, ibid. [West Ilcn. Aci (5) The High Court may call for [he record of ~hpcro ceedings of any case tried by a Tribunal and may in respecl of such casc exercise any of [he powers canfcrrcd on a Courl of Appeal undcr scclion 423, section 326, section 427 and section 428 of the Codc. Enclusion of 9. No Coun excepring thc High Coun shall have jurisdiclion lo inrtrCc~nvc lransfer any case from a Tribunal or save as othcrwisc provided in this Act, olclthcr couns havc jurisdicrion oi nny kind in respect of any ~~rocccdingbse fore a cnccpl High Coun, Tribunal: Providcd hat no case pending bcforc aTribunal shall be bansfcrrud lo any Court except another Tribunal. Exlcnr to 10. The provisions of h cC odc or of any other law lor rhc timc being which thc Code and in force, in so Tar ns [hey may be applicahlc and in so far as they are no1 oridinvy inconsislcn~w ilh the provisions or this AcI, shall apply to all matlers law ?hall apply. conncc~cdw ith, arising from, or censcqucnt upon, a trial by a Tribunal consriluled under this Act as iT the Tribunal were a Court of Session exercising original criminal jurisdicuon. 11. No suir, proscculion or legal proceedings wharever shall lie againsl any person in rcspecl of anything which is, in good failh, done or intended to bc donc undcr his Act. 12. Thc Wcsl Bengal Special Couns Acl, 1950, is hereby repealcd. West Bcn. . Acr X of 1950. Act lo 13. The provisions of his Act shall have effect notwihs~anding orrrridz orhcr law. anyrhing in this Act which may bc inconsistent wilh ~hcIn dian Penal ACI XLV or . . Code, [he Code, or any ohcr law. 1860. The Schedule. [See secrion 2(d).] 1. An offencc punishable under secrion 12 L. sccdon 12 1A , sec~ion 122, seclion 123, sccuon 124, section 125, scclion 126, section 127, section 128, section 129 or secdon 130 oC thc Indian Penal Code. 2. An oficncc punishable under scction 302, section 304, scction 307, secuon 326, secrjon 363, scclion 364, section 365, scclion 366, scclion 376, section 395, scction 396, section 397 or scclion 436 of rhe Indian Penal Codc, ifcommi~~icnd a disrurbed ma. ' * * * " 'Tlw words "rvhilc rhc nolificdion declnring such xu ro be a disludxd ima has effec~" were o~niiiedw ith rclrospcclive erftcr by s. 4 of rhc Tribunals or Cnminal Jurisdiction (ArnendmcnL) Acr, 1956 (Wcsl Ben. Act XVlI or 1956). Tfic Triburrals of Crinrirral JririFdicriot~A c;, 1952. XIV of 1952.1 3. An offence punishable under section 302, section 304, section 326, sccdon 307, seclion 395, secuon 396, section 397 or section 436 of thc Indian Pcnal Code. if conimirted in cnurse of a raid on or a rim in a fac~oryo r a mill or a workshop or a bank or in relation to lranspor~aliono f propcny to or from a factory, mill, workshop or bank. 4. Any conspiracy to commit or any altcmpt to cornmil or any abetmen1 of any of [he offences specified in items 1 !o 3.