2013 Supreme(Pat) 1259
PATNA HIGH COURT
RAJENDRA KUMAR MISHRA, J.
Bishwanath Thakur
Amresh Kumar Pankaj
Vidyanand Sharma & Ors.
Kamal Sharma - Appellants
Versus
State of Bihar - Respondent (in all the cases)
Cr. Appeal (SJ) Nos. 544, 553, 578 and 602 of 2005
Decided on: December 6, 2013
Advocate Appeared
Kanhaiya Prasad Singh, Sr. Adv., Ashutosh Kumar, Udai Kumar, Ebrahim Kabir & Mrs. Shruti Singh, for the appellant.
Satya Narayan Prasad, APP, S.A. Ahmad, APP, Sujit Kumar Singh, APP and Binod Bihari Singh, APP, for the State.
Headnote:
Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 307, 324, 147 and 14 – Attempt to murder and grievous hurt – Conviction – Evidence of PWs not inspiring confidence – Injury report found to be doubtful – Injury reports have been prepared on police requisition after 18 days of occurrence and in injury report time of examination of injured has also not been detailed while time of injury is detailed within six hours from first examination – Such infirmity creates doubt about genuineness of injury report in surrounding circumstances – Prosecution has not been able to prove its case against appellants beyond reasonable doubt and appellants are entitled to get benefit of doubt – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed. (Paras 16 to 22)
Rajendra Kumar Mishra, J. - These four appeals are directed against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 21.10.2005 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track. Court No. II, Samastipur, in Sessions Trial No. 191 of 1999/47 of 2005, whereunder appellants, Vidyanand Sharma, Ramanand Sharma, Arun Kumar Sharma and Sachidanand Sharma, were found guilty for the offence under Sections 147, 323 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year for the offence under Section 147 of the Indian Penal Code, for six months for the offence wider Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code and five years for the offence under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, whereas appellants. Bishwanath Thakur, Kamal Sharma and Amresh Kumar Pankaj, were found guilty for the offence under Sections 148, 324 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years for the offence under Section 148 of the Indian Penal Code, for two years for the offence under Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code and for seven years for the offence under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code. However, all the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
2. According to the prosecution, case, on 17.9.1996 at about 7.30 a.m., the informant, Ramesh Prasad Sharma (PW 5) alongwith his brother, Kameshwar Sharma (PW 2) were preparing the challan to deposit the cash and cheque of the L.I.C. at chowki in front of the house. All of sudden, appellant, Bishwanath Thakur armed with spear, appellant, Sachidanand Sharma armed with pistol, appellant, Kamal Sharma armed with farsa, appellants, Vidyanand Sharma Ramanand Sharma and Arun Kumar Sharma, armed with lathi came there. Appellant, Bishwanath Thakur, ordered to kill on which appellant, Sachidanand Sharma, fired from his pistol but the same did not hit his brother. In the meantime, appellant, Kamal Sharma, gave a farsa blow at him causing injury on his back. Appellant, Amresh Kumar Pankaj, gave a farsa blow on his head with an intention to kill him but he bent his head towards left side, as such farsa hit on his right shoulder causing cut bleeding injury. Thereafter, appellants, Vidyanand Sharma and Ramanand Sharma, brutally assaulted his brother, Kameshwar Sharma (PW 2). Thereafter, appellants, Vishwanath Thakur and Arun Kumar Sharma, took away the bag, cash and L.I.C. paper from the chowki. The cause of occurrence, as stated by the informant, is to be the land dispute.
3. On the basis of the aforesaid fardbeyan of the informant, Ramesh Prasad Sharma (PW 5), as recorded on 17.9.1996 at 5.15 p.m. at Sadar Hospital, Muzaffarpur, by Chhottelal Manjhi, P.S.I. of Muzaffarpur (Town) Police Station, Tajpur (Pusa) P.S. Case No. 314 of 1996 was instituted on 20.9.1996 under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 324, 307, 447 and 379 of the Indian Penal Code.
4. The police on investigation of the case submitted the charge-sheet dated 30.11.1997 under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 324, 447 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code and, thereafter, the case was committed to the Court of Sessions for trial, where charges were explained to the accused-appellants, who pleaded innocence.
5. The defence of the appellant, as appears from the trend of the cross-examination of the witnesses, is that, in fact, no occurrence had taken place and the informant got the fabricated injury report with the help of his relative posted as dresser at Sadar Hospital, Muzaffarpur, and implicated the accused-appellants due to land dispute.
6. During trial, the prosecution has examined altogether 14 witnesses. They are Braj Kishore Prasad Singh (PW 1), Kameshwar Rai (PW 2), Sundeshwar Sharma (PW 3), Laxmi Sharma (PW 4), Ramesh Prasad Sharma (PW 5), the injured and the informant of the case, Gopal Singh (PW 6), Advocate's Clerk, Shashi Kumar Sharma (PW 7), Shyam Kumar Shanna (PW 8), Subhash Sharma (PW 9), Nilu Devi (Sharma) (PW 10), Dr. Nagendra Prasad Sinha (PW 11), Mahendra Choudhary (P