All India Prosecutors Association vs. Union Of India . Through Cabinet Secretary

WP© No. 923/2014 1

ITEM NO.32 COURT NO.16 SECTION X

S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 923/2014

ALL INDIA PROSECUTORS ASSOCIATION & ANR. Petitioner(s)

VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA THROUGH CABINET SECRETARY & ORS. Respondent(s)

(FOR ON IA 2/2016

IA No. 165581/2019 - INTERVENTION APPLICATION)

WITH

W.P.(C) No. 1363/2019 (X)

Date : 10-02-2020 These matters were called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK GUPTA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIRUDDHA BOSE

For Petitioner(s)

Mr. Wajeeh Shafiq, AOR

Mr. Suvidutt M.S., AOR Mr. J. Sai Deepak, Adv. Mr. Vibhor Ahlawat, Adv. Mr. Ankit Tripathy, Adv. Ms. Smita Pandey, Adv. Mr. Yogesh Kumar, Adv. Mr. Abhijeet Singh, Adv.

Mr. Manoj Goel, Adv. Mr. Wajeeh Shafiq, Adv. Ms. Osama Abbasi, Adv. Ms. Ramsha Shan, Adv.

For Respondent(s) Mr. Aman Lekhi, SG Mr. R. Balasubramanian, Sr. Adv. Ms. Shraddha Deshmukh, Adv. Mr. Ankur Talwar, Adv. Mr. Rahul Jajoo, Adv. Mr. B.V. Balaram Das, AOR Mr. B.K. Prasad, Adv. Reason: Signature Not Verified

Mr. Jaideep Gupta, Sr. Adv. Ms. Anu, Adv.

Mr. A. Anwar, Adv. Mr. N.R. Shanker, Adv. M/S. Corporate Law Group, AOR Mr. Nishe Rajen Shonker, AOR Mr. G. N. Reddy, AOR Mr. T. Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, Adv. Mr. Digvijay Harichandan, Adv. Mr. Shuvodeep Roy, AOR Mr. Gopal Singh, AOR Mr. Srikaanth S, Adv. Mr. Jaideep Khanna, Adv. Mr. Aniruddha P. Mayee, AOR Mr. Mojahid Karim Khan, Adv. Mr. M. Shoeb Alam, AOR Mr. Ranjan Mukherjee, AOR Mr. Avijitmani Tripathi, Adv. Mr. Upendra Mishra, Adv. Mr. K.V. Kherlyngdoh, Adv. Ms. Astha Sharma, AOR Mr. Amit Kumar Singh Adv. Ms. K. Enatoli Sema, AOR Mr. Vishal Meghwal, Adv. Mr. Milind Kumar, AOR Mr. Raghvendra Kumar, Adv. Mr. Anand Kr. Dubey, Adv. Mr. Narendra Kumar, AOR Mr. M. Yogesh Kanna, AOR Mr. Rajarajeshwarans, Adv. Ms. Uma Prasuna Bachu, Adv. Mr. S. Udaya Kumar Sagar, AOR Ms. Swati Bhardwaj, Adv. Mr. Pradeep Misra, AOR Mr. Abhishek, AOR

Dr. Rajiv Nanda, AOR Mr. Manish Kr. Vikkey, Adv. Ms. Rachna Gandhi, Adv.

Mr. Suhaan Mukerji, Adv. Mr. Vishal Prasad, Adv. Mr. Amit Verma, Adv. Mr. Abhishek Manchanda, Adv. Ms. Kajal Dalal, Adv. M/S. PLR Chambers And Co., AOR Mr. K.V. Jagdishvaran, Adv. Ms. G. Indira, AOR Mr. V. G. Pragasam, AOR Mr. S. Prabu Ramasubramanian, Adv. Mr. S. Manuraj, Adv. Mr. P.S. Datta, Sr. Adv. Ms. A. Saha, Adv. Mr. Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, AOR Mr. R. Basant, Sr. Adv. Mr. Jaimon Andrews, Adv. Mr. P. Jaimon, Adv. Mr. Manu Krishnan, Adv. Mr. Sandeep Thakur, Adv. Mr. Naresh Kumar, AOR Mr. Avijit Mani Tripathi, Adv. Mr. Shaurya Sahay, Adv. Mr. T.K. Nayak, Adv. Mr. Karan Bharihoke, Adv. Mr. Siddhant Sharma, Adv. Mr. Sumeer Sodhi, Adv. Mr. Ashish Tiwari, Adv. Mr. P. Ramesh Kumar, Adv. Mr. Karun Sharma, Adv. Mr. Siddhesh Kotwal, Adv. Ms. Bansuri Swaraj, Adv. Ms. Arshiya Ghose, Adv. Mr. Divyansh Tiwari, Adv. Ms. Ana Upadhyay, Adv. Ms. Astha Sharma, Adv. Ms. Rachna Shrivastava, Adv. Mr. S. Saini, Adv. Dr. Monika Gusain, Adv. Ms. Madhvi Kumar Sawant, Adv.

Mr. Hitesh Kumar Sharma, Adv. Mr. S.K. Rajora, Adv. Mr. Akhileshwar Jha, Adv. Ms. Sakshi Khanna, Adv.

UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following

O R D E R

After hearing the parties following questions are heard for adjudication in this case :-

1. Whether the word 'may' in sub-section 1 of Section 25A of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 should be read as 'shall' and if so, is it mandatory for each State to establish a directorate of prosecution in terms of Section 25A?

2. Whether Section 24(6) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 envisages that there should be a regular cadre of Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors/Assistant Public Prosecutors? If so what should be the mode of recruitment for such officers?

3. If question No. 2 is answered in the negative, whether there is a need to have, as far as possible, a uniform system for appointment of Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors/ Assistant Public Prosecutors all over the country?

4. Whether the posts of Public Prosecutors/ Additional Public Prosecutors/Assistant Public Prosecutors should be completely independent and not be answerable to the Police in their functioning?

5. Whether the amendments by the States to Section 24(6) and Section 25(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 are ultra vires of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and the Constitution of India?

6. What are the minimum facilities that need to be provided to Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors/Assistant Public Prosecutors to enable them to perform their duties effectively?

We shall hear the case issue-wise.

List the first two issues on 26th February, 2020.

(SONIA BHASIN) (PRADEEP KUMAR) SENIOR PERSONAL ASSISTANT BRANCH OFFICER