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2001 Supreme(Raj) 310

Rajasthan High Court
Honble SUNIL KUMAR GARG, J.
State of Rajasthan - Appellant
Versus
Gaharoo - Respondents
S.B. Criminal Appeal No. 291 of 1990
Decided On : March 23, 2001

Advocates Appeared:
D.D. Kalla, Public Prosecutor for the Appellant Sandeep Mehta, for the accused Respondent

Headnote:Penal Code, Sec. 376, Cr.P.C., Sec. 428 – Rape case – Discrepancy between the version given in first information report and the Statement recorded in Court – Sessions Judge acquitted the accused giving benefit of doubt – Held – The statements of the prosecutrix were trustworthy and corroborated by medical evidence – Inspires confidence – First Information Report is not a substantive piece of evidence – It was lodged by her father – Prosecutrix was under serious threat – When FIR is not made by an eye-witness, minor discrepancies are immaterial and of no consequence.

       

Honble GARG, J.–This appeal has been filed by the State of Rajasthan against the judgment and order dated 11.5.1990 passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Bhilwara in Sessions Case No. 42/1989 by which he acquitted the accused respondent of the charge for the offence under Section 376 IPC.

(2). It arises in the following circumstances:

On 6.2.1989 at about 8.45 PM, PW4 Kela lodged a written report Ex.P/7 before the SHO, Police Station Bagour District Bhilwara stating inter-alia that on 6.2.1989 at about 10.30 AM, his daughter PW1 Ku. Manju (hereinafter referred to as the prosecutrix) aged about 11 years went towards the jungle of Moti Dungari after taking goats with her for the purpose of grazing. It is further stated in the report that in the evening at about 6.00 PM, accused respondent Gaharoo brought his daughter prosecutrix on his shouldiers and at that time, he found that her gagra and lungi were stained with blood and even blood was coming out from her private part. Thereafter, PW4 Kela, father of the prosecutrix, asked her daughter PW1 Manju and upon this, prosecutrix told that when she was grazing goats, two persons on cycle from the side of Gundani came and stopped cycle and out of them, one person took her towards the pit and committed rape on her and, thereafter, they ran away and since she became unconscious, the accused respondent brought her to her house and she further told that she did not know the names of those two persons.

On this report, police registered the case and chalked out FIR Ex.P/8 and started investigation.

During investigation, medical examination of the prosecutrix PW1 Manju was got conducted and her medical examination report is Ex.P./8,. where there is a clear cut finding that there was evidence of fresh intercourse and this medical examination report was admitted by the learned counsel for the accused respondent during trial.

Similarly, PW1 Manju was also got medically examined for the purpose of ascertaining her age and on the basis of physical examination and radiological report, the doctor opined that age of PW1 Manju was 12 to 14 years as on 7.2.1989 and her report with regard to age is Ex.P/4. This report was also admitted by the learned counsel for the accused respondent during trial.

Since during investigation it was revealed by the prosecutrix PW1 Manju that rape was committed on her by none except accused respondent and in the beginning as per the threat of accused respondent, she did not reveal his name and thus, the police found the case against the accused respondent and arrested the accused respondent.

During investigation, the accused respondent gave information under Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act for the purpose of showing the place where the rape was committed on prosecutrix and in pursuance of that information, the place was pointed out by the accused respondent to the police and from the spot, blood stained soil was taken and sent for chemical examination. The accused respondent was also got medically examined about potency and his report is Ex.P/10 and his age was assigned between 19 to 21 years. Though in the charge sheet, it is also mentioned that underwear and dhoti of accused respondent, which were stained with human blood were also seized, but it appears that they have not been got exhibited in evidence.

After usual investigation, the police submitted challan against the accused respondent in the Court of Magistrate, from where the case was committed to the Court of Session.

On 15.4.1989, the learned Sessions Judge, Bhilwara framed charge under Section 376 IPC against the accused respondent. The charge was read over and explained to the accused respondent, who pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

During trial, the prosecution in support of its case examined as many as six witnesses and got exhibited some documents. Thereafter, statement of the accused under Section 313 Cr.P.C. was recorded. One witness was produced by the accused in defence.

After conclusion of the trial,



















































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