Gauhati High Court: Sanjay Kumar Medhi, J. dismissed an appeal filed against the judgment of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate whereby he had acquitted the accused-respondents of the charges under various sections of IPC including Section 447 (punishment for criminal trespass).
The complainant-appellant had alleged that the accused came in a group armed with sticks and spades, and they dispossessed the complainant from his plot of land. The accused were tried for various offences. The trial court, however, acquitted them of all the charges. Aggrieved thereby, the complainant filed the present appeal.
R. Goswami, Advocate, made contentions on behalf of the appellant. Per contra, A. Choudhary, Advocate, represented the accused-respondents.
The High Court noted that though the allegation of criminal trespass was made, the ingredients of criminal trespass did not appear to be made out. Also, a meeting was convened between the parties to decided the ownership of the subject land which was unsuccessful. Therefore, opined the Court: “In absence of a determination of ownership, the allegation of trespassing cannot be substantiated.” It was observed: “To bring home the charge of trespass, it has to be established that there has been unlawful entry upon a property which is in the possession of another and such unlawful entry should be with an intent to commit an offense or to intimidate, interested or annoyed possessor of the property.”
In the present case, there was no evidence to prove the aforesaid ingredients of trespass. It was also transpired that the parties were related to each other. In Court’s opinion, the impugned judgment being based on the reasons germane to the facts and circumstances of the case, the interference with the same was not warranted. The appeal was consequently dismissed.[Biswajit Paul v. State of Assam, 2019 SCC OnLine Gau 3011, decided on 25-07-2019]
