On January 2, the Supreme Court made an important decision about a person missing their court date after being told to show up. This case came from an appeal against a June 2023 ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The Supreme Court looked at whether someone who has been declared a “proclaimed offender” by the police can still be charged, even if they end up being found innocent of the crime later on. The justices decided that a specific law, Section 174A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), is its own separate legal offense.
Here’s how it works: Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) says that if someone is running away from the law, a public announcement can be made to find them. Meanwhile, Section 174A of the IPC deals with what happens if that person does not show up in court after the announcement.
The judges said that if the law says someone must be in court and they don’t come, then that person can still be charged with missing their court appearance, even if the earlier order to find them is canceled later. This means they can face penalties for not appearing, even if they are no longer under the original order.
So, even if the reason for the public announcement goes away, the charge for not showing up in court can stay active. This rules is meant to make sure everyone takes court orders seriously and shows up when they’re supposed to.
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