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1998 Supreme(Guj) 593

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :A.L.DAVE, R.K.Abichandani
GOVINDBHAI GHELABHAI NAYAK - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondent
CRIMINAL APPEAL 695 of 1989
Decided On : 11/06/1998

Advocates Appeared: D.N.Patel, KEYUR GANDHI, S.G.UPPAL

Headnote:(a) Penal Code, 1860 - Sec. 302 - Murder - Injuries inflicted from axe - Evidence of 3 injured eye witnesses is trustworthy & corroborated from medical evidence - Held, Trial Court has rightly convicted the appellant under Sec. 302.

       It transpires thus from the evidence that the accused inflicatedÿfatal injuries to Dharmesh, which proved to be successful in causing his death. He also caused serious injuries to Ushaben, Laduben and Kusumben, who fortunately survived despite grave injuries on vital parts of the body. It also transpires that the accused has given these blows for no justifiable reason. It is not even his case. His case is that of total denial. A young boy of about 4 years of age and a lady as agaisnt a strongly built agricultural worker, as the accused is, definitely could not have caused any danger to the life of the accused nor have they given any provocation to the accused grave enough to provocate him to the extent that he would cause fatal injuries to a young boy of four years and grievous and serious injuries to Ushaben. The other two injured were the neighbours, who had come on hearing the shouts and, as such, there is no reason for the accused to hurt them with deadly weapon like axe. The learned Trial Judge has, therefore, rightly come to a conclusion that the prosecution has successfully proved the case against the accused.

       [Para 9]

       (b) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Secs. 55 & 433-A - Penal Code, 1860 - Sec. 302 - Accused convicted with life imprisonment till his last breath - Imprisonment for life lasts till the last breath unless the sentence is remitted by the Government - Trial Court made encroachment over the powers of the State or Executive - It affects the right to equality before law with other convicts - Extended direction deserves to be set aside.

       The actual effect of the observation made by the learned Sessions Judge that the sentence would continue to operate till the last breath of the accused will, therefore, come in the way of commutation of sentence and/or remission of sentence and render these provisions nugatory.

       [Para 11]

       The learned Sessions Judge that the sentence of life imprisonment will operate till the last breath of the accused encroaches upon the power of the State or the executive wing to consider the case of the accused for remission or for commuting the sentence. It can be said that it causes disparity among life convicts. The accused-appellants case will be put on a separate footing as compared to the other life convicts whose case would be open to be considered for remission or commutation of sentence. This would adversely affect his right to equality before the law and, therefore, the extended direction given by the learned Sessions Judge that the sentence of imprisonment for life imposed on the accused-appellant shall run till his last breath cannot be upheld and the same is, therefore, hereby set aside, while confirming the conviction of the appellant and imposition of sentence of imprisonment for life and fine.

       [Para 13]

A. L. DAVE, J.

( 1 ) THE present appeal arises out of a judgment and order passed by the learned Sessions Judge. Valsad, at Navsari, in Sessions Case No. 18 of 1987 before him on 12/10/1989. The appellant was charged tor murder of dharmeshbhai Rameshbhai and for attempt to commit murder of Ushaben rameshbhai, Laduben Bhanabhai and Kusumben Dhirubhai and came to he convicted for all the offences that he was charged with. He was sentenced to undergo life imprisonment for the offence of murder with a specific direction that he has to undergo the said imprisonment till his last breath. No separate sentence was awarded to the accused for the attempts on lives of Ushaben. Laduhen and Kusumben. although he was convicted for the same. The said judgment and order is challenged by the accused in this appeal.

( 2 ) THE brief facts of the case are that the accused was working for about four years with Rameshbhai Makanji of village Kaliara of Chikhli taluka of Valsad district. Ushaben is the wife of Rameshbhai Makanji. Their younger son was dharmesh. On 6/03/1984. Rameshbhai had gone to the fields. One servant had gone to the wadi (field ). The other servant had come from the field at about 8-30 a. m. . Ushaben was in the house. The elder son of Rameshbhai was studying and Ushahen was cooking. The accused was sitting in the courtyard andl was having breakfast. At that time minor Dharmesh, who was having breakfast, went to the accused and started having the breakfast together. After the breakfast was over. Dharmesh said something to the accused. The accused took an axe from the veranda and gave a blow on right cheek of Ushaben. He inflicted another blow with axe on head of Dharmesh. Because of the alarm raised by these two persons, the neighbours came and accused inflicted axe blows on Kusumben and Laduben. who had come to the rescue. People from neighbourhood rushed in. caught hold of the accused, tied him with a tree, shifted the injured persons to the hospital and Ramanlal lodged F. I. R. in this regard with the police. The police registered the offence and started investigation. On the other hand, Dharmesh died while he was in hospital. The police after investigation, filed charge-sheet against the accused in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate, First Class. Chikhli, who in turn committed the case to the Court of Session. At the trial before the Sessions Court the accused pleaded not guilty and expressed his desire to face the trial. He has pleaded innocence. Some mental derangement was noticed by the learned trial Judge and he had referred the accused to Civil Surgeon and in turn to Mental Hospital al Baroda. The trial proceeded after certificate of fitness was received from mental hospital. The learned trial Judge after considering the evidence on record, came to a conclusion that the prosecution had successfully proved the case against the accused and passed the impugned judgment and order. It is this judgment that is challenged in this appeal.

( 3 ) WE have heard Mr. S. G. Uppal learned Advocate for the appellant and Mr. D. N. Patel. learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent-State. We have been taken through the relevant and material pieces of evidence by both of them. We have taken into consideration the pieces of evidence recorded by the learned trial Judge and find that no error is committed by the learned trial Judge in coming to the conclusion that the prosecution has successfully proved guilt of the accused.

( 4 ) THE bone of contention on behalf of the appellant is that the learned trial judge has committed an error in evaluating the evidence. The accused had no motive for committing this offence. The story that is given by eye-witnesses is improbable and cannot inspire the confidence of a judicial conscience. The accused, therefore. ought to have been acquitted. It was further contended that the learned trial Judge has, after convicting the accused, directed that the accused should undergo life imprisonment



















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