JUDGMENT

A.K. SIKRI, J.

In December, 1980, a very brazen, bizarre and outlandish incident took place, commonly known as ‘hooch tragedy’. The deleterious consequence was that 36 persons who had purchased liquor from a licensed vend in Village Kalanwali, District Sirsa, Haryana lost their lives after consuming the same. Another 44 persons who too had purchased the liquor from the same shop and consumed that liquor lost their eye-sight permanently. Numbers of FIRs were registered in which the investigation was carried out by the police. All these cases were clubbed together for the purpose of trial. Orders of consolidation of trials of these FIRs were passed by the Session Judge resulting into a joint trial in which 48 persons were arrayed as accused. This joint trial culminated into passing of judgment by the Session Judge dated August 18, 2000. It resulted into conviction of only two accused persons, namely, Krishan and Som Nath, for the offences under Section 302 IPC read with Section 120B IPC who were directed to undergo imprisonment for life and also to pay fine of Rs.10,000/-each. They were also convicted for offence under Section 328 IPC read with Section 120B IPC for which the