Allahabad High Court Upholds Life Sentence For Father And Son In Honour Killing Case

The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad has affirmed the conviction and life imprisonment of a father and son for the brutal murder of two minor daughters. In a significant judgment delivered by the bench of Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Vinai Kumar Dwivedi, the court ruled that the accused, Ram Prasad and Chandra Bhan, were responsible for the deaths of 13-year-old Dayawati and 11-year-old Dharmwati. The ruling underscores the weight of circumstantial evidence and the relevance of an accused’s conduct following a crime.

A Deceptive Narrative Unraveled The prosecution's case was rooted in a series of suspicious events that followed the deaths of the two minor girls in October 2016. Initially, it was claimed that the girls had committed suicide by hanging themselves in a mango orchard. However, the appellants failed to report the incident to the authorities, instead opting to bury the bodies in the khadar of the Ganga River.

The investigation, prompted by a report filed by a local village official, resulted in the exhumation of the bodies. Forensic analysis performed by Dr. Aadesh Kumar Singh revealed a starkly different reality: both victims died of asphyxia due to manual throttling, showing no evidence of hanging.

Legal Analysis of Conduct and Circumstance The appellants argued that the prosecution's case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence and that key witnesses had turned hostile. They contended that in the absence of direct eyewitnesses, their conviction was legally unsustainable.

However, the High Court rejected this defense, relying on Section 8 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The court emphasized that the conduct of the accused—specifically their failure to report the deaths and their haste in burying the bodies—was "highly relevant" to establishing their guilt. Drawing on precedents such as Vivek Kalra v. State of Rajasthan and Mandhari v. State of Chhattisgarh , the bench noted that when an accused provides a demonstrably false explanation for unnatural deaths, it serves as a powerful indicator of their involvement.

Key Observations from the Bench The court offered scathing observations regarding the nature of the crime:

  • "It is established beyond any reasonable doubt that the deceased girls, Dayawati and Dharmwati, were murdered by throttling, and their deaths were homicidal that occurred under abnormal circumstances."
  • "The conduct and behaviour of the appellants surely and certainly, without any doubt, indicate their guilty minds ."
  • "The complete chain of incriminating circumstantial evidence points exclusively toward the guilt of the appellants. Consequently, it is conclusively proved beyond reasonable doubt that no one other than the appellants committed the offence."

Conclusion and Judicial Finality Ultimately, the Allahabad High Court found that the trial court had correctly appreciated the evidence. The court concluded that the murders were committed to preserve the family’s honor, with the father and brother acting in concert to eliminate the girls and destroy evidence. By dismissing the criminal appeal, the court ensured that the appellants remain incarcerated to serve their life sentences, reinforcing the principle that suspicious post-crime conduct can bridge the gaps in circumstantial evidence when the chain of events points decisively toward the accused.