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Madras High Court· 21 July 2026

Can a charge sheet be quashed on the ground that the material relied on is technically impossible?

Crl.OP.No.4781 of 2024
Crl.OP.No.4781 of 2024 · Crl.OP.No.4781 of 2024
Coram: Justice R.Vijayakumar
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Answer

No. Whether a recovered button phone can support the internet calls alleged depends on the model and on whether it supports a 4G network — the Court took judicial notice that such an application can be installed on a button phone — and whether the call records establish a meeting of minds is likewise a subject matter of evidence. A charge sheet cannot be quashed on contested grounds of that kind.

Headnote

Indian Penal Code, 1860 — s.120B — s.109 — s.307 — Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s.173(5) — s.173(8) — Quashing of charge sheet — Confession of a co-accused — Additional documents — Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s.173(5) — Additional documents after the charge sheet — Held: The word "shall" in s.173(5) is directory and not mandatory; documents omitted when the report was filed may be produced later with the permission of the Court, and further investigation is in any event not precluded. (¶19, ¶20) Confession to a police officer — Inadmissible unless it leads to recovery — Held further: A confession made to a police officer is inadmissible in law unless it leads to recovery, and no recovery was made from the petitioners. (¶13, ¶14) Quashing of charge sheet — Contested questions are matters of evidence — Held further: Whether a recovered handset supports the calls alleged, and whether the call records bear out a meeting of minds, are subjects of evidence at trial and no ground to quash the charge sheet. Petitions dismissed. (¶18, ¶21, ¶22)

In the Court's own words
Paragraph 18The Court can take a judicial notice of the fact that even if it is a button phone, whatsapp can be installed and calls can be made, provided the instrument supports 4G network. Therefore, merely because recovered mobile phones are button phones, the possibility of whatsapp call cannot be ruled out. It depends upon the model of the phone and it is a subject matter of evidence.
Paragraph 21In such view of the matter, it is clear that whether there was any whatsapp call between A3 on one side and A4 and A5 on the other side, whether mobile phones recovered from A1 to A3 support whatsapp calls or not are all subject matter of evidence. (D).Conclusion:
Acts & Sections
s.120B Indian Penal Code, 1860s.109 Indian Penal Code, 1860s.307 Indian Penal Code, 1860s.173(5) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s.173(8) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s.161 Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

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Also decided in this judgment
Is the requirement in s.173(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to forward all relevant documents with the charge sheet mandatory?Is a confession made to a police officer admissible where it has led to no recovery?
Plain-language answer prepared by the LexStreak Editorial Desk — verify against the judgment. Source: Madras High Court. Corrections