Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:54220 Court No. - 74 Case :- APPLICATION U/S 528 BNSS No. - 12188 of 2025 Applicant :- Ram Ashish Yadav Alias Ashish Yadav Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another Counsel for Applicant :- Aditya Yadav,Akhilesh Singh,Shivam Yadav Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Saurabh Srivastava,J. 1. Heard Sri Shivam Yadav, learned counsel for applicant and learned AGA. 2. The instant application has been preferred with the prayer to quash the impugned charge sheet dated 22.02.2025 over which cognizance was taken on 12.02.2025 as well as entire proceedings of Sessions Case No.374 of 2025 (State Vs. B.K. Yadav and others), arising out of Case Crime no. 85 of 2024, under Section 3(1) U.P. Gangster and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act, Police Station Kotwali, District Basti, pending in the court of learned Additional Sessions Judge, Court No.VI/Special Judge, Gangster Act, Basti. 3. Learned counsel for applicant took precise grounds for challenging the entire proceedings that there is hardly any compliance of Rule 5 of Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Rules, 2021 which clearly demonstrate that the gang chart will not be approved summarily but after due discussion in a joint meeting of the Commissioner of Police/District Magistrate/Senior Superintendent of Police/Superintendent of Police which has already been prepared by concerned In-charge of Police Station/Station House Officer/Inspector who present it before Additional Superintendent of Police and after seeking his due recommendation the same has to present before the District Head of Police and thereafter the same was to be approved in joint meeting with the authorities who are mentioned under Rule 5 who recommended the same and thereafter at the time of approval, the same has to be jointly finally approved. The approval which is appended along with application is available at page no. 52 wherein the different dates have been mentioned by the different authorities which is strictly in terms of provision available under Rule 5 but there is hardly any compliance in respect of Rule 5(3)(a) of Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Rules, 2021. 4. Learned counsel for the applicant specifically submitted that there must be a joint meeting as mentioned in the Rule 5(3)(a) and the same has never been disclosed or mentioned at the time of approving the gang chart by concerned District Magistrate. Learned counsel for applicant further submitted that the chargesheet was submitted by the concerned Investigating Officer on dated 22.02.2025 but learned court concerned has taken cognizance on dated 12.02.2025 that is prior to the filing of chargesheet. 5. Per contra, learned AGA vehemently opposed the prayer as made in the application and rebutted the stand taken up by learned counsel for the applicant by way of taking reliance of Rule 16(2) of Rules of 2021 wherein there is hardly any mention of joint meeting which shall be conducted at the time of approving gang chart by concerned Commissioner of Police/District Magistrate. 6. After hearing rival submissions extended by learned counsel for the parties, this Court finds that the rules are crystal clear at the initial stage which is mentioned under Rule 5(3)(a) of the Rules of 2021 for holding joint meeting of the authorities concerned which includes the presenting officer, forwarding officer and thereafter the discussion shall be made with the approving authority. The rules mentioned below to Rule 5 of the Rules of 2021 although clarified the wording and the orders which ought to be passed by the approving authority but the missing of joint meeting/discussion is not necessarily to be reproduced time and again since the legislature and law makers are conscious not to repeat the procedure in each and every rules/sections in the concerned Act/Rules since the study of the sections available in the rules framed under the Act has to be read in a procedural manner where it is written in sub-sequential order and as such the provision contained under the Rule 5(3)(a) of Rules of 2021 has to be given preference while reading other rules which are mentioned below to Rule 5 of the Rules of 2021 and as such the specific provision for holding joint meeting is mandatory on the part of all the officers who are involved in forwarding the gang chart and finally it is incumbent upon the approving authority to hold meeting under Section 5(3)(a) of the Rules of 2021. The said procedure which is mandated on the part of the approving authority is missing in the instant matter and as such entire proceedings arising out of approval of the gang chart which culminated into preferring the charge sheet on dated 22.02.2025 over which cognizance was taken on dated 12.02.2025 i.e. prior to the submission of chargesheet, is hereby quashed and set aside. 7. However, the above mentioned order will not preclude the concerned authorities for re-initiation of the proceedings against applicant herein, if required in future, in accordance with law. 8. The application stands allowed accordingly. Order Date :- 11.4.2025 Vivek Kr. Digitally signed by :- VIVEK KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad