The Calcutta High Court (Appellete Side) in Mukul Roy v. State of West Bengal on 20 July, 2018 directs that Learned Registrar General shall take immediate steps for issuance of suitable guidelines to all the Chief Judicial Magistrates, Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Judicial Magistrates through the District Sessions Judges and Metropolitan Magistrates, Calcutta of all the Districts of the State of West Bengal, which guidelines are laid down for application of judicial mind by the Learned Judicial Magistrate while invoking power under Section 156(3) of the Code, as under:-
1. The learned Magistrate would be well advised to verify the truth and the veracity of the allegations, regard being had to the nature of allegations of the case.
2. There has to be prior applications under Section 154(1) and 154(3) while filing a petition under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
3. Both the aspects should be clearly spelt out in the application and necessary documents to that effect shall be filed which are the sine qua non for application under Section 156(3) of the Code.
4. An application under Section 156(3) of the Code should be supported by an affidavit so that the person making the application should be conscious and also endeavour to see that no false affidavit is made.
5. A number of cases pertaining to fiscal sphere, matrimonial dispute/family disputes, commercial offences, medical negligence cases, corruption cases and the cases where there is abnormal delay/laches in initiating criminal prosecution, as are illustrated in Lalita Kumari are being filed.
6. Learned Magistrate would also be aware of the abnormal delay in lodging of the FIR in initiating criminal prosecution.