HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH, BILASPUR
T.P. Sharma and C.B. Bajpai, JJ
Janki Back - APPELLANT (In Jail)
Versus
State of Chhattisgarh - RESPONDENT
Criminal Appeal No.311 of 2010
Decided On: 29-1-2014
Indian Penal Code, 1860 –Sections 302, 377 and 201 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 –Section 161 – Indian Evidence Act, 1872 – Section 118 – FIR – Imprisonment of Life – Learned Additional Sessions Judge after holding the appellant guilty for committing unnatural offence with a 5 years aged child homicidal death amounting to murder of Neeraj and concealing evidence of criminal case, convicted appellant and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment of life & pay fine of in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for one year; imprisonment of fine of default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for one year; and RI for seven fine of default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for six months, respectively – Held, Cannot take shape of legal evidence duty was upon prosecution to prove case beyond shadow of doubt absence of any evidence relating to commission of offence by appellant, no injury over private part of appellant infirm evidence of child witness Yuvraj without further corroboration and in absence of any other material connecting appellant with crime in question, conviction of appellant regularly interrogating appellant along with other persons of village till factum of threat/fear is considered it would be difficult to hold that on witness was under fear and there was no specific occasion for removal of such fear thereafter – Even if the investigating agency came to know fact deceased was seen alive last time in the company of appellant then there was no occasion for interrogating other persons relating to commission of offence – Appeal deserves to be allowed.
T.P. Sharma, J:
1. Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment of conviction & order of sentence dated 23-3-2010 passed by the 3rd Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Ambikapur in Sessions Trial No.251/2009, whereby & whereunder learned Additional Sessions Judge after holding the appellant guilty for committing unnatural offence with a 5 years' aged child namely Neeraj, homicidal death amounting to murder of Neeraj and concealing the evidence of criminal case, convicted the appellant under Sections 302, 377 & 201 of the IPC and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment of life & pay fine of Rs.5,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for one year; imprisonment of life & pay fine of Rs.5,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for one year; and RI for seven years & pay fine of Rs.2,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for six months, respectively.
2. Conviction is impugned on the ground that without any iota of evidence, the trial Court has convicted and sentenced the appellant and thereby committed illegality.
3. As per case of the prosecution, on the fateful day of 11-3-2009 at about 6 p.m. unfortunate deceased Neeraj went out from his house along with his six years' aged elder brother Yuvraj (PW-1), they were keeping Rs.50/-each. The appellant met them, he threatened Yuvraj and took Neeraj with him, thereafter, he committed unnatural offence with Neeraj and committed his homicidal death, and threw the dead body in the well with a view to conceal the evidence of criminal case. Yuvraj (PW-1) came back to his house, he was under fear and on being asked, he did not inform his father about the incident. He along with Jeevanlal (PW-2), father of the deceased, made search of small child Neeraj at night but to no avail. On second day morning mother of Jeevanlal (PW-2) informed that the dead body of Neeraj is lying in the well. Jeevanlal (PW-2) went to Police Station Rajpur and lodged morgue Ex.P-1 on 12-3-2009.
4. The Investigating Officer left for the scene of occurrence. After summoning the witnesses vide Ex.P-2, inquest over the dead body of the deceased was prepared vide Ex.P-3. Spot map was prepared vide Ex.P-5. Old shawl, half pant, one currency note of Rs.50/-, two bloodstained stones and one article guthwa kanta present on the back of head of the deceased were seized from the spot vide Ex.P-9. Dead body was sent for autopsy to Community Health Centre, Rajpur vide Ex.P-10. Dr. Pritam Ram (PW-8) conducted autopsy vide Ex.P-21 and noticed that the body was stained with mud & dust, there was one abrasion of 2 c.m. x 1 c.m. over right frontal region, clotted blood was present on nose & mouth, tongue was protruded, abrasion with contusion was present over right side of neck bluish in colour, swelling was present over right clavicle region, multiple abrasions with swelling present on left cheek, multiple abrasions present on back, and multiple abrasions & swelling present on both sides of chest. Injuries are ante-mortem in nature. Anus swollen. Rectum congested. Reddish colour liquid present inside the rectum. Fracture of 5th, 6th & 7th ribs of left side, 5th & 6th ribs of right side and that of right clavicle bone was found. Clotted blood was present inside the neck. Both lungs were ruptured. Two slides from rectum and one cotton swab were prepared, sealed and handed over to the police. Cause of death was syncope and nature of death was homicidal. Finally, FIR was lodged on 14-3-2009 vide Ex.P-12. Copy of the FIR was sent to the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Ambikapur vide Ex.P-13. During the course of investigation, statements of the witnesses were recorded under Section 161 of the CrPC on 14-3-2009 and 21-3-2009. The appellant was taken into custody, he made disclosure statement of clothes which he was wearing vide Ex.P-8 and same were seized vide Ex.P-6 on the basis of disclosure statement of the appellant. Seized articles were sent for chemic
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