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2007 Supreme(Del) 38

High Court Of Delhi
R. S. SODHI,P. K. BHASIN
SHABNAM - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondents
CRIMINAL APPEAL 291 Of 2003
Decided On : 01/10/2007

Advocates Appeared:
JAGDISH PRASAD, Ravinder Chadha, S.K.Duggal

The requirement of presenting incriminating circumstances to the accused during examination under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the inadmissibility of such circumstances for convicting the accused if not presented during the examination.

Headnote:

kidnapping - Criminal Law - IPC Sections 363, 364-A, 34 - The court discussed the provisions of IPC Sections 363, 364-A, and 34, focusing on the evidence of recovery of the kidnapped child and the incriminating circumstance against the appellant. The court highlighted the requirement of putting incriminating circumstances to the accused during examination under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and emphasized that such circumstances cannot be used for convicting the accused if not presented during the examination.

Fact of the Case:

The appellant was convicted under Sections 363/364-A/34 IPC for the kidnapping of a child and demanding ransom. The prosecution's case relied on the evidence of the complainant and police witnesses regarding the events leading to the kidnapping and recovery of the child.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the evidence of recovery of the kidnapped child from the appellant's custody was not reliable, and the incriminating circumstance was not presented to the appellant during examination under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Issues: The key issues revolved around the reliability of the evidence of recovery of the kidnapped child and the failure to present incriminating circumstances to the appellant during examination.

Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the requirement of presenting incriminating circumstances to the accused during examination under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and held that such circumstances cannot be used for convicting the accused if not presented during the examination.

Final Decision: The appellant was acquitted of all charges and ordered to be released from jail.


P. K. BHASIN, J.

( 1 ) THE appellant Shabnam has challenged her conviction under Sections 363/364-A/34 ipc by the learned Additional Sessions judge, Delhi vide his judgment dated 24. 3. 2003 and also the sentence imposed on her vide order dated 26. 3. 2003 in sessions Case No. 78/02 pertaining to FIR no. 234/98 registered at Bara Hindu Rao police station on 5. 10. 1998.

( 2 ) THE prosecution case is that the appellant and her husband used to visit the complainant's house and during those visits they used to take his five years old son faizul Rehman (the kidnapped child) for outing. On 4. 10. 1998, the appellant and her husband went to the house of the complainant and the husband of the appellant told the complainant that he needed Rs. 1,000/- because his pocket had been picked. Since at that time the complainant did not have that much money with him he told them that he would try to arrange the money after some time and then he left his house for some work. The complainant's wife also left the house leaving faizul Rehman in the company of Nafisa, the complainant's sister-in-law. When after some time the complainant came back to his house he did not find his son Faizul rehman. The complainant's sister-in-law informed him that the appellant and her husband had taken away Faizul Rehman for outing but had not come back. After waiting for some more time the police was informed by the complainant and he expressed his suspicion that the appellant and her husband had kidnapped his son. On the basis of that report the police registered an FIR under section 363 IPC. On 5. 10. 1998, the appellant's husband is alleged to have made a telephone call which was heard by one iqbal (PW-4) demanding ransom of rs. 35,000/- for the release of the kidnapped child Faizul Rehman. On 7. 10. 1998, the other son of the complainant also received a telephone call from the appellant's husband, Anwar when again demand of rs. 35,000/- was made as ransom for the release of the kidnapped child. The appellant's husband allegedly informed on phone that he would be available at ghariwala Park near ISBT, Delhi and that the complainant should reach there with the money. That information was passed over to the police which, in turn, formed a raiding party to apprehend the culprit. As per the further prosecution case, when the raiding party reached the fixed place along with the complainant the appellant's husband was noticed there by the complainant and as per the prior instructions given to him he gave a signal to the raiding party. Appellant's husband Anwar was apprehended and it is the prosecution case that he informed the police during his interrogation that the kidnapped child was with his wife, the present appellant, and that they were available at a nearby place at Chandagi Ram Akhara. On the basis of that information given by the appellant's husband the raiding team reached Chandagi Ram Akhara and there the present appellant was apprehended. At that time the kidnapped child was also with her who was then handed over to the complainant. The appellant and her husband were arrested. In due course the police filed a charge sheet in court against the present appellant and her husband but since by that time she had jumped bail granted to her the case could not proceed against her and so she was declared a proclaimed offender by the learned magistrate. Thereafter the case was committed to Sessions Court for the trial of appellant's husband only. After the trial he was convicted under Sections 363/364-A/34 ipc vide judgment dated 25. 01. 2001 in sessions Case No. 19/2000 by an Additional sessions Judge, Delhi. It appears that the present appellant was later on apprehended on 19. 1. 2002 and in due course she was also tried by Sessions Court and, as noticed already, she was also convicted under sections 363/364-A/34 IPC. She was sentenced to life imprisonment under section 364-A/34 IPC and also to pay fine of Rs. 1,000/- and for her conviction under section 363/34






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