Allahabad HC’s Lucknow bench junks bishop’s plea seeking quashing of FIR

Lucknow Police had lodged the FIR against Peter Baldev, Bishop of Diocese of Lucknow Church of North India, under the Gangsters Act in April this year

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has dismissed a petition of Peter Baldev, Bishop of Diocese of Lucknow Church of North India, seeking quashing of a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him at Hazratganj police station under the Gangsters Act.

Opposing the petition, additional government advocate SP Singh said from perusal of the FIR, it cannot be said that no cognizable offence is made out against the petitioner. (For Representation)

Lucknow Police had lodged the FIR against the bishop on April 9, 2022. Peter Baldev is also ex-officio chairman of Christ Church McConaghy School Society, Lucknow. A division bench of Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ajai Kumar Srivastava on Thursday dismissed Peter Baldev’s petition in which he had sought directives to the authorities concerned to quash the FIR lodged against him.

“After having examined the submissions advanced by learned counsel for the parties and perused the impugned FIR, we are of the opinion that the impugned FIR discloses cognizable offence against the petitioner,” said the court.

“Hence, no interference is called for by this court in its extraordinary power under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for quashing of the FIR or for grant of any interim relief to the petitioner. The petition lacks merit and is, accordingly, dismissed,” added the court.

Opposing the petition, additional government advocate SP Singh said from perusal of the FIR, it cannot be said that no cognizable offence is made out against the petitioner. Therefore, it cannot be quashed. He further submitted that the Gangsters Act can be invoked even on the basis of a single case.