Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:145231 Court No. - 71 Case :- APPLICATION U/S 528 BNSS No. - 29872 of 2025 Applicant :- Pankaj Rao Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another Counsel for Applicant :- Devendra Kumar Mishra Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Raj Beer Singh,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned AGA for the State. 2. This application under Section 528 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (hereinafter referred to as 'BNSS') has been preferred for quashing of the entire proceedings, including charge-sheet dated 16.01.2019 as well as cognizance / summoning order dated 11.07.2019, of Case No. 2686 of 2019 (State Vs. Pankaj Gupta)), arising out of Case Crime No. 161 of 2018, under Sections 420, 406 I.P.C., Police Station- Bhrampuri, District- Meerut, pending before the Court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, Meerut. 3. It has been argued by learned counsel for the applicant that first information report of impugned case has been lodged by making false and baseless allegations. Learned counsel has referred the contents of first information report and statements of witnesses and submitted that no prima facie case is made out against the applicant. It has further been submitted that impugned cognizance/ summoning order has been passed on a printed proforma by merely filling the details of case like case number, section, crime number and police station etc. in the proforma, which clearly shows that this order has been passed in a mechanical manner without application of judicial mind and thus, the impugned cognizance/ summoning order is not sustainable. It is further submitted that by impugned summoning order applicant has been summoned for offence under Sections 420, 406 I.P.C. and as per law laid down in case of Delhi Race Club (1940) Ltd. and Others Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and Another 2024 SCC Online SC 2248, the offence of cheating viz-a-viz criminal breach of trust are independent and distinct and both cannot exist simultaneously and on this account also the impugned summoning order is liable to be set aside. 4. Learned A.G.A. submits that a prima-facie case is made out against the applicant but it could not be disputed that impugned summoning order has been passed on a printed proforma by filling details of the case. 5. I have considered the rival submissions and perused the record. 6. Perusal of record shows that the impugned cognizance/ summoning order dated 11.07.2019 has been passed on a printed proforma and merely details of case like name of accused, Sections, Police Station, Crime Number and Next Date of Listing were filled in the said proforma. It is well settled that summoning order has to be passed after considering relevant material and applying judicial mind. In the instant case, it is apparent that the impugned order has been passed in a mechanical way without applying judicial mind. 7. It may be stated that there are hundreds of decisions of this Court to the effect that the summoning order cannot be passed on a printed proforma by merely filling in the details of the case, rather the summoning order must be passed by applying judicial mind. To mention a few cases, reference may be made to the case of Ankit Vs. State of U.P., J.I.C. 2010 (1) 432, Basasudin and others Vs. State of U.P., 2011 (1) JIC 335 All, Abdul Rashid and others Vs. State of U.P., 2010 (3) JIC 7661 All, Surender Kumar & others Vs. State of U.P., 2021 (7) ADJ 61, Virendra Kumar Bajpai Vs. State of U.P. (Application u/s 482 Cr.P.C. No.7972/2022) and Ram Kewal Vs. State of U.P., 2024:AHC- LKO:5736. 8. It is a matter of concern that despite repeated directions of this Court, summoning orders are being passed by some courts on printed proforma in flagrant violation of law. Summoning of a person as accused is a serious matter and thus, it must reflect the application of judicial mind. 9. Further, by impugned order applicant has been summoned for offence under Sections 420, 406 I.P.C. and as per law laid down in case of Delhi Race Club (1940) Ltd. and Others Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and Another 2024 SCC Online SC 2248, the offence of cheating viz-a-viz criminal breach of trust are independent and distinct and both cannot exist simultaneously in same set of facts and on this account also the impugned summoning order is liable to be set aside. 10. In view of the aforesaid, the impugned summoning order dated 11.07.2019, passed by the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, Meerut, is hereby set aside and the matter is remitted back to the court concerned to pass an order on cognizance/ summoning afresh expeditiously in accordance with law. 11. The application u/s 528 BNSS is finally disposed of in above terms. Order Date :- 22.8.2025 'SP'/- Digitally signed by :- SANDEEP PAL High Court of Judicature at Allahabad