Hemant Kumar Meena S/O Shri Kirodi Lal … vs State Of Rajasthan (2025:Rj-Jp:28006) on 25 July, 2025

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Rajasthan High Court – Jaipur

Hemant Kumar Meena S/O Shri Kirodi Lal … vs State Of Rajasthan (2025:Rj-Jp:28006) on 25 July, 2025

Author: Sameer Jain

Bench: Sameer Jain

[2025:RJ-JP:28006]

        HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN
                    BENCH AT JAIPUR

        S.B. Criminal Miscellaneous (Petition) No. 1764/2023
1.       Ram Singh S/o Shri Leela Ram, Aged Adult, Presently
         Working As The Asst. General Manager, State Bank Of
         India, Regional Office Zonal Office-2, Near Sahani
         Hospital, 255, N.e.b. , Subhash Nagar, Alwar (Raj).
2.       Anil Kumar Tak S/o Late Shri Babu Lal Tak, Aged Adult,
         Deputy General Mangaer, State Bank Of India, 4Th Floor,
         Nehru Place, Jaipur (Raj).
                                                                   ----Petitioners
                                    Versus
1.       State Of Rajasthan, Through Public Prosecutor.

2. Babu Lal Meena S/o Shri Panchu Ram Meena, R/o House
No. 175/64, Sector 17, Pratap Nagar, Kumbha Marg,
Jaipur City (East), Rajasthan And At Dhani Kaythawali
Amai, Kotputli, Jaipur Rural, Rajasthan.

—-Respondents
Connected With
S.B. Criminal Miscellaneous (Petition) No. 1765/2023

1. Hemant Kumar Meena S/o Shri Kirodi Lal Meena, State
Bank Of India, Regional Office, Zonal Office-2, Near
Sahani Hospital, 255, N.e.b., Subhash Nagar, Alwar (Raj).

2. Satish Kumar, S/o Shri Banwari Lal Sharma, State Bank
Of India, Regional Office, Zonal Office-2, Near Sahani
Hospital, 255, N.e.b., Subhash Nagar, Alwar (Raj).

—-Petitioners
Versus

1. State Of Rajasthan, Through Public Prosecutor.

2. Babu Lal Meena S/o Shri Panchu Ram Meena, R/o House
No. 175/64, Sector 17, Pratap Nagar, Kumbha Marg,
Jaipur City (East), Rajasthan And At Dhani Kaythawali
Amai, Kotputli, Jaipur Rural, Rajasthan.

—-Respondents

For Petitioner(s) : Mr. A. K. Sharma, Senior Advocate
with
Mr. Suruchi Kasliwal Multani
Mr. Vikram Singh
For Respondent(s) : Mr. M. S. Shekhawat, PP
Mr. Babu Lal Meena, present in person

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HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SAMEER JAIN
Judgment

25/07/2025

1. The present petitions are filed under Section 482 of

Cr.P.C. seeking directions for quashing of FIR No. 13/2023 dated

05.01.2023 lodged in the Police Station NEB Alwar for the offence

under Section 166A, 188 and 120B of IPC and Section 3(2)(va) of

the SC/ST Act.

2. Learned Senior counsel- Mr. A. K. Sharma, representing

the petitioners has submitted that present FIR is lodged by

respondent No. 2/complainant against the erstwhile officers of the

State Bank of India (SBI). It is further submitted that complainant

is indulged in a long-standing pattern of filing frivolous, vexatious,

and malicious litigation (both civil and criminal) against various

officers of SBI and the lodging of impugned FIR is another

instance of abuse of criminal process by the respondent No. 2.

3. Further, it is submitted that present matter is purely

civil in nature and related to service dispute which is subjudice

before the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court. Furthermore, it is

submitted that dispute pertains to the non-release of annual

increments qua the respondent No. 2 pending from the time his

tenure of service with the Bank.

4. Additionally, it is submitted that present FIR is a classic

example of forum shopping and misuse of legal process. It is

further submitted that respondent No. 2 is a compulsive litigant

and approximately 20 criminal complaints/FIRs are lodged against

approx. 50 different officers of the Bank (Annexure-5).

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5. Further, it is submitted that under the provisions of

Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, 2015, concerned

Bank has filed a petition titled State Bank of India & Anr. Vs.

Babu Lal Meena ; DBCWP No. 7169/2016, before the Division

Bench of this Court, wherein an interim order was passed vide

order dated 26.09.2016, which was confirmed or made absolute

vide order dated 07.11.2016 (Annexure-7).

6. It is next submitted that despite being apprised of the

stay orders, in a flagrant disregard of judicial discipline, impugned

FIR No. 13/2023 registered at P.S. NEB Alwar and 19/2023

registered at P.S. Ashok Nagar Jaipur, was lodged by the

respondent No.2, which is clear contravention of the binding stay

orders. However, concerned Court has passed an order staying the

proceedings in furtherance to the said FIRs vide order dated

28.03.2023 (Annexure- A).

7. Lastly, it is submitted that respondent No.2 has already

filed three petitions before the High Court, for restoration of pay,

release of annual increments, payment of full pension and

reinstatement in service, therefore, parallel criminal proceedings

cannot be initiated.

8. Per contra, respondent No. 2, present in person, has

submitted that present petitions are not maintainable for the

reason that he belongs to SC/ST Community and petitioners are

harassing him. It is further submitted that despite the categorical

orders passed by a quasi judicial authority way back in the year

2010, the same were not complied with by the petitioners in letter

and spirit. Further, the said orders have attained finality, thus

criminal proceedings can be initiated parallel to each other.

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9. It is further submitted that when concerned Bank has

introduced an Amnesty Scheme by way of Circular, he has

approached the competent authorities with intention to withdraw

the petitions so that in light of the said Scheme, settlement can be

made, however, on account of vindictive attitude of the officers,

same was not considered, prompting lodging of present FIR for

non-compliance of the order passed by quasi -judicial authorities.

10. Further, it is submitted that criminal and civil

proceedings can run simultaneously. In support of the said

contention reliance is placed upon the dictum enunciated in

Kathyayini Vs. Sri Sidharth P.S. Reddy reported in 2025 INSC

818.

11. Furthermore, it is submitted that petitioners have not

approached this Court with clean hands as they have taken

recourse to the Division Bench and have not disclosed the

petitioner qua filing of present quashing petition. In support of the

said contention reliance is placed upon the dictum enunciated in

Ambalal Parihar Vs. State of Raj. & Ors.: Criminal Appeal

No. 3233/2023 and Pradeep Nirankarnath Sharma Vs. State

of Gujarat & Ors.: SLP No. 3154/2024.

12. Additionally, it is submitted that while exercising

powers under Section 482 of Cr.P.C., Courts should not interfere in

the matter when the same requires investigation and involves

disputed question of facts and same are to be dealt and

considered by the learned trial Court.

13. Having heard and considered the arguments advanced

by respective parties, scanned the material available on record

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and considered the judgments cited at the Bar, this Court has

made the following observations:-

13.1 That contents of the FIR reflects that the petitioners are

the employees of the SBI Bank, who were carrying out their

official duties.

13.2 That the respondent No. 2/complainant was an

erstwhile employee of the Bank who was given compulsory

retirement on account of his misconduct.

13.3 That the respondent No. 2 is observed to be a

compulsive litigant as he has lodged approximately 20 FIRs

against the petitioners which are pending before the concerned

Court.

13.4 That allegations leveled in the FIR, are already subject

matter of dispute before this Court as petitions qua restoration of

pay, release of annual increments, payment of full pension and

reinstatement in service along with consequential benefits are

pending. Details of petitions in summary form, are reproduced as

under:-

List of Civil Cases
S. No. Title & Case No. Prayer

1. SBCWP No. Implement the order dated 28.07.2010
6566/2015 titled an extent the benefit of restoration as
Babu Lal Meena well as due annual grade increments to
Vs State Bank of the Petitioners @ 18% p.a. from the
India date of realization
To set aside the order dated
27.02.2013 passed by the disciplinary
authority whereby the Petitioner has
been imposed the penalty of reduction
of basic pay by two stages with
cumulative effect
To quash and set aside the order dated
10.06.2013 passed by the appellate
authority whereby the appeal dated
04.05.2013 preferred by the Petitioner

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against the order dated 27.02.2013 has
been dismissed

To quash and set aside the order dated
06.12.2014 and order dated
08.04.2015 whereby Petitioner has
been denied the arrears due to him and
have been wrongly implicated of the
misconduct of willful absence from duly
for 898 days and for incorrect
computation of the service benefits due
to the Petitioner
To direct the respondents bank to make
the payment of the Petitioners of all the
arrears of restoration of basic pay as
well as annual grade increments with
interest of 18% per annum from the
date of realization
Any other order which this Hon’ble
court deems just and proper in the
facts and circumstances of the case
Cost of the petition be awarded in
favour of the Petitioner

2. SBCWP No. Direct the Respondents to pay the
2022/2016 titled 100% amount of pension, computation
Babu Lal Meena of pension, gratuity and other services
Vs State Bank of and retiral benefits to the Petitioner
India which is due from the date of his
superannuation along with the interest
of 18% p.a. with all consequential
benefits treating the petitioner retired
on completion of 33 years of
continuous service.

3. SBCWP No. Order of compulsory retirement dated
14491/2016 31.03.2015 (Annx-11, Pg 309-319) and
titled Babu Lal the Order dated 30.09.2015 (Annx-17,
Meena Vs State Pg
547) passed by the Appellate
Bank of India Authority may kindly be quashed & set-

aside and Respondents may kindly be
directed to reinstate Petitioner in
service with all consequential benefits
treating him to continue in service.

Cost of litigation awarded to the
Petitioner.

13.5 That contents of the FIR reflects that dispute is purely

civil in nature, thus relying upon the judgment passed in Rikhab

Birani & Anr. Vs. State of UP & Anr.: SLP (Criminal) No.

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8592/2024, Naresh Kumar and Anr. Vs. State of Karnataka

and Anr., reported in 2024 INSC 196, Randheer Singh vs.

State of U.P. nad Ors., reported in (2021) 14 SCC 626, Usha

Chakraborty and Anr. vs. State of West Bengal and Anr.;

2023 SCC OnLine SC 90 and Kapil Agarwal & Ors. v. Sanjay

Sharma & Ors., reported in (2021) 5 SCC 524, this Court is

inclined to quash the present FIR.

14. Taking note of the aforementioned, FIR No. 13/2023

registered at Police Station NEB, Alwar with all consequential

proceedings, is hereby quashed and set aside.

15. Accordingly, the instant petitions are allowed. Pending

application(s), if any, stand disposed of.

(SAMEER JAIN),J

Pooja /203-204

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