# RATILAL BHANJI MITHANI v. ASSTT. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, BOMBAY & ANR

- **Citation:** [1967] 3 S.C.R. 926
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1967-05-04
- **Case number:** Criminal Application No. 24 of 1967
- **Bench:** K. N. Wanchoo, Bachawat, J. M. Shblat, V. Bharoava, G. K. Mitter
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/ratilal-bhanji-mithani-v-asstt-collector-of-customs-bombay-anr-4040
- **Pages:** 6

## Headnote

Constitution ·of India, Arts. 21 and 225-Hlgh Court cance/Ung ball
in exercise of inherent powers-Wheth1r such powers violative of Art.
21-0r whether 'law' within the meaning of A.rt. 21.
The appellant along with others was being tried for an offence under
s. 120B of the Indian Penal Cede read with s. 167 (81) of the Sea Customs Act, 1878, and s. S of the Imports and Exports Control Act, 1947.
Although he was at first released on bail by the Presidency Magistrate,
the High Court, by an order dated March 6, 1967 in the exercise of its
inherent powers cancelled the previous bail orders, as it found that the
appellant was interfering and tampering with certain foreigners
whom
the prosecution intended to examine as witnesses.
The High
Court,
however, reserved liberty to the appellant to move the court on or after
June 26, 1967 for a fresh order of bail as it was contemplated that within
the time so fixed, the prosecution would examine the foreign witnesses.
In the appeal to this Court, the appellant challenged the order of the
High Court on the ground that the inherent powers of the High Court
were not conferred by any legislation or statute, and !he deprivation of
the personal liberty of the appellant by an order of the High Court in
the exercise of its inherent powers was violative of Art. 21 of the Constitution.
HELD : The High Court has the inherent power
to
cancel' bail
granted to a person 3ccused of a bailable offence.
This
jurisdiction
should be invoked in exceptional cases only when the High Court is
satisfied that the ends of justice will be defeated unless the accused is
committed to custodY.
f928A-B]
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The order of the High Court cancelling the bail and depriving the
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appellant of his personal liberty was according to procedure established
by law and was not violative of Art. 21.
[931C]
The existing powers and jurisdiction of the High Court, including
its inherent powers, had been confirmed and continued by s. 223 of the
Government of India Act, 1935, and Art. 225 of the Constitution. When
the Constitution or any enacted law has embraced and confirmed the
inherent power and the jurisdiction of the High Court which previously
G
existed, that power and jurisdiction has the sanction of an enacted 'law'
within the meaning of Art. 21. f929H; .931A-B]
Case law discussed.
[On the facts the court noted that there had been unnecessary delay
iu the examination of the foreign witnesses and directed that the appellant
should be released on bail on June 26, 1967.]
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CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISD)CTION :
Crimi.nal Appeal No.
64 of 1967.
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RATILAL v. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS (Bachawat, J.)
927
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and order dated
March 3, 1967 of the Bombay High Court in Criminal Application No. 24 of 1967.
A. K, Sen; S. G. Sheth and/, N. Shroff, for the appellant.
N. S. Bindra and S. P. Nayyar, for the respondents.

## Text

RATILAL BHANJI MITHANI
v.
ASSTT. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, BOMBAY & ANR.
May 4, 1967
[K. N. WANCHOO, C.J., R. S, BACHAWAT, J. M. SHBLAT,
V. BHAROAVA AND G. K. MITTER, JJ.)
Constitution ·of India, Arts. 21 and 225-Hlgh Court cance/Ung ball
in exercise of inherent powers-Wheth1r such powers violative of Art.
21-0r whether 'law' within the meaning of A.rt. 21.
The appellant along with others was being tried for an offence under
s. 120B of the Indian Penal Cede read with s. 167 (81) of the Sea Customs Act, 1878, and s. S of the Imports and Exports Control Act, 1947.
Although he was at first released on bail by the Presidency Magistrate,
the High Court, by an order dated March 6, 1967 in the exercise of its
inherent powers cancelled the previous bail orders, as it found that the
appellant was interfering and tampering with certain foreigners
whom
the prosecution intended to examine as witnesses.
The High
Court,
however, reserved liberty to the appellant to move the court on or after
June 26, 1967 for a fresh order of bail as it was contemplated that within
the time so fixed, the prosecution would examine the foreign witnesses.
In the appeal to this Court, the appellant challenged the order of the
High Court on the ground that the inherent powers of the High Court
were not conferred by any legislation or statute, and !he deprivation of
the personal liberty of the appellant by an order of the High Court in
the exercise of its inherent powers was violative of Art. 21 of the Constitution.
HELD : The High Court has the inherent power
to
cancel' bail
granted to a person 3ccused of a bailable offence.
This
jurisdiction
should be invoked in exceptional cases only when the High Court is
satisfied that the ends of justice will be defeated unless the accused is
committed to custodY.
f928A-B]
·A
B
c
D
E
The order of the High Court cancelling the bail and depriving the
F
appellant of his personal liberty was according to procedure established
by law and was not violative of Art. 21.
[931C]
The existing powers and jurisdiction of the High Court, including
its inherent powers, had been confirmed and continued by s. 223 of the
Government of India Act, 1935, and Art. 225 of the Constitution. When
the Constitution or any enacted law has embraced and confirmed the
inherent power and the jurisdiction of the High Court which previously
G
existed, that power and jurisdiction has the sanction of an enacted 'law'
within the meaning of Art. 21. f929H; .931A-B]
Case law discussed.
[On the facts the court noted that there had been unnecessary delay
iu the examination of the foreign witnesses and directed that the appellant
should be released on bail on June 26, 1967.]
H
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISD)CTION :
Crimi.nal Appeal No.
64 of 1967.
A
B
c
D
E
F
G
H
RATILAL v. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS (Bachawat, J.)
927
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and order dated
March 3, 1967 of the Bombay High Court in Criminal Application No. 24 of 1967.
A. K, Sen; S. G. Sheth and/, N. Shroff, for the appellant.
N. S. Bindra and S. P. Nayyar, for the respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Bachawat, J,
The appellant along with other persons is being
tried for an offence under Sec. 120B of the Indian Penal Code
read with Sec. 167(81) of the Sea Customs Act, 1878, and Sec.
5 of the Imports and Exports Control Act, 194 7.
The offence
is bailable.
The appellant was released on bail under orders of
Magistrates dated May 11, 1960 and. April 1, 1961,.
A large
number of 'Witnesses have been examined but the tnal has not
yet been concluded.
By an order dated March 3 I 6, 1967, the
High, Court of Maharashtra, Bombay, in the exercise of its inherent jurisdiction cancelled the bail orders and directed him to surrender to his bail. From this order, the present appeal has been
filed by special leave.
In Talab Haji Hussain v.
Madhukar Purshottam Mondkar
and another('), this Court held that a High Court has the inherent power to cancel a bail granted to a person accused of a bailable offence where such an order is necessary to secure the ends
of justice or to prevent the abuse of process of any Court, and
this power is preserved by Sec. 561-A of the Code of Criminal
Procedure.
On behalf of the appellant it was strenuously argued that this
case was wrongly decided.
Having heard full arguments, we find
no r.eason for departing from our earlier decision.
In the matter of admission to bail, the Code of Criminal Procedure makes a distinction between bailable
and non-bailable
offences.
The grant of bail to a person accused of a non-bailable
offence is discretionary under Sec. 497 of the Code and the person
released on bail may again be arrested and committed to custody
by an order of the High Court, the Court of Session and the Court
granting the bail.
Under Sec. 498 of the Code the Hh!h Court
and the Court of Session may release any person on bail and by
a subsequent order cause any person so admitted to bail to be
arrested and committed to custody.
A person accused of a baila.ble o~ence is treated differently; at any time while under detention without a warra,nt and .at any stage of the proceedings before
the Court before which he 1s brought, he has the right under Sec.
496 of the ~?de to be . released on bail.
The Code makes no
express prov1s10n for the cancellation of a bail granted under
~- ~9~. Nevertheless, if at any subsequent stage of the proceedings, 1t is found that any person accused of a bailable offence is
(I) [19581 S.C.R. 1226.
928
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1967] 3 s.c.R.
intimidating, bribing or tampering with the prosecution witnesses
or is attempting to abscond, the High Court has the power to cause
him to be arrested and to commit him to custody for such period
as it thinks fit.
This jurisdiction springs from the over-riding
inherent powers of the High Court and can be invoked in exceptional cases only when the High Court is satisfied that the ends
of justice will be defeate'd unless the accused is committed to custody.
For the reasons given in Ta/ab Haji Hussain's case( 1),
we hold that this inherent power of the High Court exists and iS
preserved by Sec. 561-A of the Code.
The person committed to
custody under the orders of the High Court cannot ask for his
release on bail under sec. 496, but the High Court may by a sub·
sequent order admit him to bail again.
Counsel for the appellant argued that the inherent power of
the High Court is not conferred by any legislation or statute, and
the deprivation of the personal liberty of the appellant by an
order of the High Court in the exercise of its inherent powers is
violative of the constitutional protection under Art. 21 of the
Constitutfon.
Art. 21 is in these terms :
''No person shall be deprived of his life or personal
liberty except according to procedure established by law."
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The tenn 'law' in Art. 21 was the subject .of an elaborate
discussion in A. K. Gopala11 v. The. State of Madras( 2). Kania
C.J. at pp. 111-113 said that the ti:rm 'law' in that Article must
B
mean the law of the State or enacted law, and not rules of natural
justice.
Faz! Ali J. who was In the minority, said at page 169
that 'law' must include certain principles of natural justice.
Patanjali Sastri J. at p. 199 said that 'lnw' in Art. 21
meana
'positive or State-made law'. .Mahajan J. at page 226 expressed
no opinion on the point.
Mukherjea J. at p. 278 said that "ill
f
article 21 the word 'law' has been used in the sense of State-made
law and not as an equivalent of law in the abstract or general sense
embodying the principles of natural justice." Das J. said at page
309 that "there is no scope for introducing the principles of
natural justice in Article 21 and 'procedure established by Jaw' must
mean procedure established by law made by the State which, as
defined, includes Parliament and the Leqislatures of the States."
As explained by four of the learned Judges in A. K. Gopalan's
case("), the expression 'Jew' in Art. 21 m~ans enacted or Statemade law, and not the general principles of natural justice.
In Pandit M. S. M. Sharma v. Shri S·i Krishna Sinha and
others( 8 ), this Court held that a deprivation of personal liberty
of any person by a Legislative Assembly of a State in exercise
(1)[1958] S.C.R. 1226.
(2) [1950] S.C.R. 88.
(31 [1959] Supp. I .S.C.R.8 6.
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RATILAL v. COI.LECTOR OF CUSTOMS (Bachawat, !.)
92&
of its power to punish for its contempt is according to a procedure established by law and does not contravene Art. 21. Art.
194 ( 3) of the Constitution provides that "the powers, privileges
and immunities of a House of the Legislature of a State, and of
the members and the committees of a House of such Legislature,
shall be such as may from time to time be defined by the Legislature by law, and, until so defined, shall .be tho_se of the House .of
Commons of the Parliament of the Umted Kingdom, and of its
members and committees, at the commencement of this Constitution." Article 194(3) thus confers. on the Legislative Assem~ly
of a State the existing inherent powers enjoyed by the British
House of Commons including the power to punish for its contempt.
Art. 208 ( 1) empowers the Legislative Assembly to make
rules regulating its procedure.
As explained in Pandit Sharma's
case('), these powers and the procedure prescribed by the rules
has the sanction of enacted law and an order of committal for
contempt of the Assembly is according to procedure established
by law.
Das C.J., speaking for four learned Judges said at page
861 : "Art. 194(3) confers on the Legislative Assembly those
powers, privileges and immunities and Art. 208 confers power
on it to frame rules.
The Bihar Legislative Assembly has framed
rules in exercise of its powers
under that Article.
It follows,
therefore, that Art. 194(3) read with the rules so framed has laid
down the procedure for enforcing its powers, privileges and immunities. If, therefore, the Legislative Assembly has the powers,
privileges and immunities of the House of Commons and if the·
petitioner is eventually deprived of his personal liberty as a result
of the proceedings before the Committee of Privileges,
such
deprivation will be in accordance with procedure established by
law and the petitioner cannot complain of the breach, actual or
threatened, of his fundamental right under Art. 21." Subba Rao
J. in his minority judgment in that case and the Court in Special
Refer;nce .No. l of 1964(2), did not say anything to the contrary
on this pomt.
Now the question is whether the inherent power of the High
Court is conferred by or has the sanction of enacted law. Front
!ts very inceptio~ the ~Iigh Court has possessed and enjoyed its
mherent powers mcludmg the power to prevent the abuse of the
process of any Court within its jurisdiction and to secure the ends
~f jus~ice. These powers inherent in the High Court and spring
t~o~ Its very nature and constitution as a court of superior jurisdictton.
All the existing powers of the High Courts were preserved and continued by legislation from time to time
~
.. 561-.A of the Criminal Procedure Code declared that unoth~·
mg m this Co~e shall be deemed to limit or affect the inherent'
power of the High ~o~r~ to make such orders as may be necessary
(I) [1959] Supp.I S.C.R. g,;6.
(2) [1965] 1 $.C.R. 413.
930
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1967] 3 s·c.R.
to give effect to any order passed under this Code, or to prevent
.the abuse of process of any Court or otherwise to secure the ends
·Of justice." The sedon was inserted in the Code by Act XVIII
of 1923 to obviate any doubt that these inherent powers have
been taken away by the Code.
In terms, this section did not
confer any power, it only declared that nothing in the Code ~all
be deemed to limit or affect the existing inherent powers of the
High Court, see King Emperor v. Khwaja Nazir Ahmad('). Then
came other enactments which were framed differently.
Sec. 223
.of the Government of India Act, 1935, provided :
"Subject to the provisions of .this Part of this Act,
to the provisions of any Order in Council made under
this or any other Act and to the provisions of any Act
of the .appropriate Legislature enacted by virtue of
powers conferred on that Legislature by this Act, the
jurisdiction of and the Jaw administered in, any existing High Court, and the respective powers of the judges
thereof in relation to the administration of justice in the
court, including any power to make rules of Court and
to regulate the sittings of the Court and of members
thereof sitting alone or in division courts, shall be the
same as immediately before the commencement of
Part III of this Act."
The Section enacted that the jurisdiction of the existing High
Courts and the powers of the judges thereof in relation to the
administration of justice "shall be" the same as immediately before
the commencement of Part III of the Act. The statute confirm.
ed. a.nd re-veste~ in .the High Court all its existing powers and jurisdiction including its inherent powers. Then came the Constitution.
Art. 225 of the Constitution provides :
"225. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution
and to the provisions of any law of the appropriate
legislature made by virtue of powers conferred on that
Legislature by this Constitution, the jurisdiction of, and
the law administered in, any existing High Court, and
the respective powers of the Judges thereof in relation
to the admi~stration of justice in the Court, Including
any power to make rules of Court and to regulate the
sittings of the Court and of members thereof sitting
alone or in Division Courts, shall be the same as immediately before the commencement of this Constitution."
The proviso to the article is not material and need not be read.
The article enacts that the jurisdiction of the existing High Courts
and the powers of the judges thereof in relation to administration
of justice "shall be" the same as ;mmediaiely before the com-
·mencement of the Constitution. The Constitution confirmed and
------
(!) LR. 61 I.A. 203, 213.
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RATILAL v. COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS (Bachawat, J.)
931
re-vested in the High Court all its existing powers and jurisdiction
including its inherent powers, and its power to make rules. When
the Constitution or. any enacted law has embraced and confirmed
the inherent powers and jurisdiction of the High Court which
previously existed, that power and jurisdiction has
the sanction of an enacted "law" within the meaning of Art. 21 as explained in A. K. Gopalan's(') case.
The inherent powers of
the High Court preserved by Sec. 561-A of the Code of Criminal
Procedure are thus vested in it by "law" within the meaning of
Art. 21. The procedure for invoking the inherent powers is regulated by rules framed by the High Court. The power to make
such rules is conferred on the High Court by the Constitution.
The rules previously in force were continued in force by Article
372 of the Constitution. The order of the High Court cancelling
the bail and depriving the appellant of his personal liberty is
according to procedure established by law and is not violative of
Art. 21.
The High Court cancelled the previous bail orders, as it found
that the appellant was intimidating and tampering with certain
Gennan citizens whom the prosecution intended to examine as
witnesses.
This finding is challenged by the appellant. Normally,
it is not the practice of this Cou t to re-examine findings of fact
in an appeal under Art. 136 of the- Constitution.
Having heard
full arguments, we are not inclined to interfere with the findings
of the High Court. The High Court reserved liberty to the appellant to move the High Court on or after June 26, 1967, for a
fresh order of bail.
It was contemplated that within the time
so fixed, the prosecution will examine the German witnesses. On
March 13, 1967, the appellarrt surrendered to his bail and
since then he is in jail custody.
The prosecution has been given
ample opportunity to examine the witnesses before June 26, 1967.
without any interference from the appellant.
From the correspondence placed before us, it appears that dnring the pendency
of this appeal the prosecution has refrained from taking steps
for the examination of the German witness.
This Court did not
pass any order staying the proceedings or admitting the appellant
to bail.
The delay in the examination of the witnesses is caused
entirely by the faches of the prosecution.
Even if the prosecution
cannot now examine the witnesses by June 26, 1967, we see no
reason why the appellant should remain in custody after that
date.
We direct that the appellant be released on bail on June
26, 1967. whether or not the prosecution witnesses are examined
by that date.
The bail will be given to the satisfaction of the
Presidency Magistrate, 23rd Court, Esplanade, Bombay before
whom the case is pending.
Subject to this modificati;n
the
appeal is dismissed.
'
R.K.P.S.
(!) [l95i'] S.C.R. 88.
Order modified and Appeal dismissed.