{"id":12133,"date":"2025-11-22T10:13:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=12133"},"modified":"2025-11-22T10:16:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:16:09","slug":"civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil Trial In Criminal Prosecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2 id=\"criminal-trial-when-civil-rights-are-in-dispute\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criminal_Trial_When_Civil_Rights_Are_in_Dispute\"><\/span>Criminal Trial When Civil Rights Are in Dispute<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In this article, let us try to understand whether a criminal trial is warranted when civil rights are in dispute. With due respect to the judicial ratios laid by the Honourable High Courts and Supreme Court. There is unjust anomalous situation when there are competing rights.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Criminal_Trial_When_Civil_Rights_Are_in_Dispute\" >Criminal Trial When Civil Rights Are in Dispute<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Property_Rights_and_the_Use_of_Criminal_Law\" >Property Rights and the Use of Criminal Law<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Wrongful_Gain_Wrongful_Loss_and_Legal_Entitlement\" >Wrongful Gain, Wrongful Loss, and Legal Entitlement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Competing_Rights_in_the_Subject_Matter\" >Competing Rights in the Subject Matter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Civil_Court_Approach\" >Civil Court Approach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Criminal_Prosecution_as_an_Instrument\" >Criminal Prosecution as an Instrument<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Key_Legal_and_Constitutional_Questions\" >Key Legal and Constitutional Questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Conclusion_on_Criminal_vs_Civil_Remedies\" >Conclusion on Criminal vs Civil Remedies<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Appeal_to_Elite_Readers\" >Appeal to Elite Readers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/civil-trial-in-criminal-prosecution\/#Written_By_Sandeep_Kapatkar\" >Written By: Sandeep Kapatkar<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h3 id=\"property-rights-and-criminal-law\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Property_Rights_and_the_Use_of_Criminal_Law\"><\/span>Property Rights and the Use of Criminal Law<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually, most of the cases involving \u2018right\u2019 over the property or \u2018thing\u2019 are forcefully brought into the regimes of criminal law, primarily by use of Cheating or Breach of Trust. However, there are certain concepts which need to be understood so comprehend 1st to bring a complaint or a FIR\/charge into the criminal regime.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"wrongful-gain-wrongful-loss-and-legal-entitlement\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrongful_Gain_Wrongful_Loss_and_Legal_Entitlement\"><\/span>Wrongful Gain, Wrongful Loss, and Legal Entitlement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As per provisions of IPC and renamed BNS, the unchanged principle of \u2018wrongful gain\u2019 and \u2018wrongful loss\u2019, hinges upon the phrase \u201clegally entitled to..\u201d. This means that the person claiming to be cheated or his trust being breached, should be having \u2018legal rights\u2019 &amp; be entitled to the \u2018thing\u2019, which is subject, matter of cheating or breach of trust.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, the definition of \u201cvaluable security\u201d also refers to a document showing legal right or liability, for this discussion. The definition dishonestly fraudulently would captures those legal rights and entitlement.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"competing-rights-in-the-subject-matter\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Competing_Rights_in_the_Subject_Matter\"><\/span>Competing Rights in the Subject Matter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In the premise, the accused would not have a \u2018legal right\u2019 in the subject matter of the \u2018thing\u2019 of which offence is committed. Same is the effect if there is a dispute, and both complainant and accused claim to have right over the \u2018thing\u2019, or, which is reciprocal vesting of rights and liabilities between the complainant and accused as against a \u2018thing\u2019. Thus each promise by complaint to accused and vice vera, is also a right respectively.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"civil-court-approach\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Civil_Court_Approach\"><\/span>Civil Court Approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In case of such disputes, a Civil Court will either ask the present holder of \u2018thing\u2019 to hold as Receiver till determination of rights by a Decree.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"criminal-prosecution-as-an-instrument\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criminal_Prosecution_as_an_Instrument\"><\/span>Criminal Prosecution as an Instrument<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Coming to criminal prosecution, now, it has become an instrument or operation by system, where the unsettled and disputed \u2018rights\u2019 to a \u2018thing\u2019 form foundation of criminal proceedings via Complaint or FIR.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"key-legal-and-constitutional-questions\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Legal_and_Constitutional_Questions\"><\/span>Key Legal and Constitutional Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This raises following Legal and Constitutional questions as follows<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>S. No.<\/th>\n<th>Question<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>1- Can a Criminal Court jurisdictionally determine \u2018civil rights\u2019 and take to itself the duty of settling these \u2018civil rights\u2019?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>2- Can the Criminal Court have a \u2018Civil Trial\u2019 within a \u2018Criminal Trial\u2019?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>3- If conviction is imposed by criminal court on accused, does civil remedy of accused become infructuous?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>4- Would the order of Conviction passed by Criminal Court binding on the trial by Civil Court?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>5- Wouldn\u2019t taking away of property of the accused by the state instrumentality in its Criminal Jurisdiction, be Violation of 300A of Constitution of India?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"conclusion-on-criminal-vs-civil-remedies\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion_on_Criminal_vs_Civil_Remedies\"><\/span>Conclusion on Criminal vs Civil Remedies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Conclusively- Shouldn\u2019t the Criminal Courts summarily dismiss such type of contractual dispute brought into criminal regimes? And, shouldn\u2019t it relegate the parties to other non-criminal remedies?<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"appeal-to-elite-readers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Appeal_to_Elite_Readers\"><\/span>Appeal to Elite Readers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For consideration of the elite members.<br \/>Leave it to the Intelligent and Esteemed Elite Readers.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"author-details-sandeep-kapatkar\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Written_By_Sandeep_Kapatkar\"><\/span>Written By: Sandeep Kapatkar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\nAdvocate, Pune<\/article>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Criminal Trial When Civil Rights Are in Dispute In this article, let us try to understand whether a criminal trial is warranted when civil rights are in dispute. With due respect to the judicial ratios laid by the Honourable High Courts and Supreme Court. There is unjust anomalous situation when there are competing rights. Property<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":790,"featured_media":7944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[28],"class_list":{"0":"post-12133","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-criminal-law","8":"tag-top-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/u369-95549708-criminal-law-and-gavel-in-a-court.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/790"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}