B Summary with Prosecution: Judicial Control over Maliciously False Complaints in India

B Summary with Prosecution: Judicial Control over Maliciously False Complaints in India

1. Introduction

The expression “B Summary with prosecution” has long been part of Indian criminal procedure, denoting a police final report that not only declares the complaint maliciously false but also recommends action against the informant. Although the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (“CrPC”) does not employ the terminology, the practice—originating in colonial Police Manuals and endorsed by judicial precedent—operates through the mechanics of Sections 156, 169, 173 and 190 CrPC. This article critically examines the constitutional and statutory contours of B Summary with prosecution, synthesising Supreme Court and High Court authority, particularly the jurisprudence flowing from Abhinandan Jha v. Dinesh Mishra[1], H.S. Bains v. State (UT Chandigarh)[2], and recent Gujarat decisions that test the limits of magistrates’ discretion.

2. Background: Police “Summary” Reports

2.1 Taxonomy of A, B, and C Summaries

Bombay High Court in The State v. Shankar Bhaurao Khirode[3] distilled police usage as follows:

  • A Summary – offence true, accused unknown.
  • B Summary – complaint maliciously false; police may propose prosecution of the complainant.
  • C Summary – complaint neither true nor false, e.g., civil dispute.

2.2 Statutory Framework

Section 173(2) CrPC obliges the Investigating Officer to forward a “report” to the Magistrate upon completion of investigation. Nothing in the section prevents the officer from advising that no offence is made out and that the complainant be prosecuted for furnishing false information (cf. Sections 182, 211, 499 IPC). Acceptance, rejection or modification of that advice, however, falls within the exclusive province of the Magistrate under Sections 190 and 200–204 CrPC.

3. Magistrate’s Powers and Duties

3.1 Autonomy of the Police vis-à-vis Judicial Oversight

The Supreme Court in Abhinandan Jha held that a Magistrate cannot direct the police to file a charge-sheet if the police have advised a closure report; the investigative function is autonomous.[1] Nonetheless, the Magistrate may:

  1. Accept the report and close proceedings.
  2. Disagree and take cognizance under Section 190(1)(b).
  3. Order further investigation under Section 156(3).
  4. Proceed under Chapter XV on a protest petition treated as a complaint.

The same logic governs B Summary reports: the Magistrate may concur with the police recommendation to prosecute the complainant, or may reject it and direct further probe, but cannot compel alteration of the police opinion (Vasanti Dubey v. State of M.P.[4]).

3.2 Requirement of Hearing the Informant

In Bhagwant Singh v. Commissioner of Police, the Court mandated that before accepting a closure report the Magistrate must give notice to the informant.[5] This principle applies a fortiori to B Summary with prosecution, where the complainant’s liberty is at stake. Gujarat precedents (Hasmukhbhai Shah[6]; Suleman Ranger[7]) quash B-summary orders passed without such notice.

3.3 Standard of “Maliciously False”

Courts insist upon a prima facie foundation that the complainant acted with malice or without reasonable cause. Merely unsubstantiated allegations do not suffice (Manharlal Bachkaniwala 2012 & 2010).

4. Procedural Pathways after B Summary Filing

4.1 Protest Petition as Private Complaint

When the police seek B Summary, the informant may file a protest petition. If containing the requisites of a complaint (Patel Hathibhai Dwarkadas[8]), the Magistrate may examine the complainant and witnesses under Sections 200–203 CrPC and decide whether to issue process under Section 204. The Supreme Court in Smt Nagawwa v. Veeranna[9] emphasised judicial discretion at this stage, insulating the Magistrate from unwarranted appellate interference.

4.2 Revision and Inherent Powers

Orders accepting B Summary with prosecution are interlocutory when they merely direct inquiry; once process issues against the informant, revision lies under Section 397 CrPC and quashing under Section 482 (Ramjibhai Marwada 2022). High Courts frequently invoke Section 482 to prevent abuse where the malicious-false finding lacks evidentiary support (Coromandel International 2023).

5. Substantive Liability of the Informant

Acceptance of B Summary with prosecution empowers the State to prosecute the informant for offences such as:

  • Section 182 IPC – false information to a public servant.
  • Section 211 IPC – false charge of offence made with intent to harm.
  • Sections 499/500 IPC – defamation.

However, the principle of fair investigation obliges the police to collect evidence demonstrating scienter (knowledge of falsity) and ill-will. Absent such proof, prosecution fails the test of proportionality under Article 14 and the right to reputation under Article 21 (cf. Ramdeo Chauhan[10] on the importance of substantiated sentencing).

6. Interplay with Cognizance and Charge-Sheet Jurisprudence

The line of cases from Abhinandan Jha to Vasanti Dubey draws a firm boundary between investigative and judicial spheres. A Magistrate who rejects a B Summary may not order the police to file a charge-sheet; instead, the Magistrate may:

  • Proceed under Section 190(1)(c) CrPC (cognizance upon information other than police report); or
  • Direct further investigation (H.S. Bains).

This preserves the separation of powers and aligns with due-process guarantees under Article 21.

7. Policy Concerns and Recommendations

While B Summary with prosecution serves as a deterrent against frivolous litigation, indiscriminate use risks chilling bona fide complaints—particularly in gender-based violence and corruption cases. To balance interests the article proposes:

  1. Statutory codification of summary categories, with definitional clarity.
  2. Mandatory recording of reasons by the police and Magistrate.
  3. Compulsory notice and locus standi hearing for informants (Bhagwant Singh compliance).
  4. Judicial training on distinguishing “unproved” from “maliciously false”.

8. Conclusion

B Summary with prosecution occupies a delicate intersection of investigative autonomy, judicial oversight, and the citizen’s right of access to justice. Supreme Court authority reaffirms that the police may recommend, but the Magistrate must ultimately adjudge, whether a complaint is maliciously false and whether the complainant ought to face prosecution. Procedural safeguards—notice, reasoned orders, and the availability of revisional correction—are indispensable to prevent miscarriages of justice and to preserve public confidence in the criminal process.

Footnotes

  1. Abhinandan Jha & Ors. v. Dinesh Mishra, AIR 1968 SC 117.
  2. H.S. Bains v. State (U.T. Chandigarh), (1980) 4 SCC 631.
  3. The State v. Shankar Bhaurao Khirode, Bombay HC 1958.
  4. Vasanti Dubey v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2012) 2 SCC 731.
  5. Bhagwant Singh v. Commissioner of Police, (1985) 2 SCC 537.
  6. Hasmukhbhai Amrutlal Shah v. State of Gujarat, 2015 SCC OnLine Guj 5286.
  7. Suleman Haji Yusuf Ranger v. State of Gujarat, 2015 (3) GLH 294.
  8. Patel Hathibhai Dwarkadas v. Patel Khodabhai Hargovand, (1971) GLR —.
  9. Smt Nagawwa v. Veeranna Shivalingappa Konjalgi, (1976) 3 SCC 736.
  10. Ramdeo Chauhan v. State of Assam, (2001) 5 SCC 714.