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2009(4) Crimes 281 (Guj.)
GUJARAT HIGH COURT
A.L. Dave, and J.C. Upadhyaya, JJ.
Premjibhai Bachubhai Khasiya –Appellant
versus
State of Gujarat and
Anr. –Opponents
Criminal Appeal No. 36 of 2008
Decided on 16.1.2009.

Counsel for the Parties:
For the Appellants:Harshit S. Tolia with Uttpal R. Dave and Parth S. Tolia, Advocates.
For the Opponent: U.R. Bhatt, Additional Public Prosecutor.

IMPORTANT POINT
If the DNA result does not match then the identity of the person is not established.

Headnote:(i) Indian Penal Code, 1860—Sections 363, 366, 376 and 506(2)/114—Trial Court convicted the accused and sentenced him to various terms of imprisonment as well as fines.

       (ii) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973—Section 374—Appeal against conviction—Held:—Defence was total denial —Co-accused was acquitted—FIR was lodged after a long delay when doctor(s) had detected pregnancy—Prosecutrix testified that unknown persons had raped her and pregnancy was the outcome—No ocular evidence to the occurrence—DNA report without corroboration could not be the basis of conviction—Appeal allowed—Impugned judgment set aside—Appellant is acquitted of the charges. (Paras 1, 7 to 9 and 16 to 18)

JUDGMENT

A.L. Dave, J.—The appellant came to be tried by Sessions Court, Bhavnagar for offences punishable under Sections 363, 366 read with Section 114, Section 376 read with Section 114 and Section 506(2) read with Section 114 of the Indian Penal Code (‘I.P.C.’ for short) along with co-accused Arvindbhai Anandbhai Khasiya in Sessions Case No.123 of 2007. At the end of the trial, co-accused Arvindbhai Anandbhai Khasiya came to be acquitted by the Sessions Court, and the present appellant came to be convicted for offences punishable under Sections 363, 366, 376 and 506(2), all read with Section 114 of the I.P.C. and sentenced as under:

2. The facts of the case, in brief, are that the appellant/co-accused happen to be distant cousins inter se and they also happen to be distant cousins of the father of the prosecutrix i.e. Shri Kanabhai Bachubhai Khasiya. The prosecutrix is the daughter of Kanabhai Bachubhai Khasiya and his wife Labhuben Kanabhai Khasiya. According to the prosecution case, the father of the prosecutrix, who is also the first informant and the appellant stay in their respective house, located in vicinity of each other. On 31.1.2007, mother of the prosecutrix noticed that the prosecutrix had bouts of omitting. On being asked, the prosecutrix did not give any detail and was taken to a Gynaeclogist at Bhavnagar, who upon examination diagnosed that the prosecutrix was pregnant of four months. After returning home, on intensive questioning by the mother, the prosecutrix is said to have told the mother that the appellant as well as the co-accused Arvindbhai lured her by promising gold and silver ornaments etc and entered into coitus repeatedly for ten to fifteen times, as a result, she had become pregnant. On this disclosure by the prosecutrix, the father lodged an FIR on 31.1.2007 with Vartej police station, implicating both the accused persons. An offence was registered and investigation started. The prosecutrix as well as both the accused persons were subjected to medical examination and samples for deoxyribonucleic acid (‘D.N.A.’) for short) matching were also taken and sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (‘FSL for short’). The FSL found that the D.N.A. results did not match with the co-accused Arvindhbhai and submitted a report that the D.N.A. profiles of Arbindbhai Anandbhai excluded him as biological father of the foetus of the prosecutrix, whereas the test concluded the D.N.A. profiles of the present appellant was consistent as biological father of the foetus of the prosecutrix. The police having found sufficient material against the accused persons, filed charge-sheet in the Court of JMFC, Bhavnagar, who in turn committed the case to the Court of Sessions and Sessions case No. 123 of 2007 came to be registered.

2.1. The charge was framed against the accused persons as Ex. 5 and both the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried.

3. During the course of trial, the prosecution examined the first informant, his wife, the prosecutrix, the doctor who took samples, and who examined the accused persons, and FSL expert, besides the IO as major witnesses. The mother of the prosecutrix did not support the prosecution case and was declared hostile. The father of the prosecutrix and prosecutrix herself also did not support the prosectuion case against the accused persons. They were, however, not treated as witnesses hostile to the prosecution.

3.1. The trial Court upon considering the evidence led by the prosecution, particularly the FSL report, containing DNA profiles, came to a conclusion that the case against accused Arbindbhai was not proved and has recorded his acquittal, whereas, the trial Court found that the case against the present appellant Premjibhai was proved and recorded his conviction and sentenced him to imprisonment and fine as stated in the earlier part of this judgment and hence, this appeal.

4. Heard learned Advocate Mr. Tolia appearing for the appellant. He submitted that the FIR is lodged a

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