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2001 Supreme(Raj) 367

Rajasthan High Court
Honble SUNIL KUMAR GARG, J.
Angrej Singh - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan - Respondents
S.B. Criminal Appeal No. 652 of 1999
Decided On : April 10, 2001

Advocates Appeared:
M.L. Garg & M.K. Garg, for Appellant Ramesh Purohit, Public Prosecutor Sandeep Mehta, for Complainant

Headnote:Penal Code, Sec. 376 – Rape case – Prosecutrix was a student of Class VIII below 16 years of age – Contended on the ground that prosecution failed to produce witness to whom prosecutrix narrated her story after rape which is fatal – Trial Court convicted u/Sec.376 and sentenced 10 years simple imprisonment – Held – Failure of prosecution to produce witness to whom prosecutrix narrated her story after rape is not fatal – Modifying the order sentenced to 7 years Rigorous imprisonment – Confirmed conviction u/Sec.376(1). (Paras 32 & 36)

       In the present case, the prosecutrix PW 2 Sajjan Kanwar was found above 12 years and below 16 years of age on the date of occurrence. Hence, this case would be covered under the provisions of Sec. 376(1) IPC and for the offence u/Sec. 376(1), the minimum sentence, which is prescribed by law, is seven years. (Para 37)

       In my considered opinion, looking to the entire facts and circumstances of the case, if the accused appellant is sentenced to seven years RI for the offence under Section 376(1) IPC, instead of ten years SI, as awarded by the learned Addl. Sessions Judge No.2, Bikaner it would meet the ends of justice. Hence, impugned order of sentence passed by the learned Addl. Sessions Judge No.2, Bikaner is liable to be altered accordingly. (Para 38)

Honble GARG, J.–This appeal has been filed by the accused appellant Angrej Singh against the judgment dated 30.9.1999 and order of sentence dated 1.10.1999 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge No. 2, Bikaner in Sessions Case No. 36/98 by which he convicted the accused appellant for the offence u/Sec. 376 IPC and sentenced him to undergo ten years SI and to pay fine of Rs. 2000/-, in default of payment of fine, to further undergo two months SI.

(2). The prosecution story may be stated like this:-

Sajjan Kanwar, PW 2 (hereinafter referred to as the prosecutrix) lodged a written report Ex.P/1 on 20.3.1998 at about 11.30 AM before PW 9 Tara Chand, SHO, Police Station Lunkaransar District Bikaner and at that time, she was accompanied by the grand-father PW3 Sultan Singh stating inter-alia that prosecutrix resided in the agriculture Farm House Lunkaransar and used to study in Class VIIIth in Lunkaransar Senior Girls School. The prosecutrix has further stated that on 20.3.1998 at about 7.00 AM, her grand- father PW3 Sultan Singh went from her house for taking fodder for animals and after a long time when her grand-father PW 3 Sultan Singh did not return back, she proceeded towards agriculture farms water Diggi for taking Rs. 10/- from her grand-father PW 3 Sultan Singh, but she did not find her grand father PW 3 Sultan Singh there. The prosecutrix has further stated that when she was returning back to her house, accused appellant Angrej Singh and another accused Deepak met her and seeing her alone, both caughthold her and took her in khala. The prosecutrix has further stated that accused Deepak closed her mouth and both accused put her on the ground in khala and accused appellant Angrej Singh opened her salwar and underwear forcibly and then committed rape on her and thereafter, both ran away towards the Dhani. Thereafter, she wailing and crying came to her house and narrated the whole story to her Bhua Prema and at that time, her grand-father PW3 Sultan Singh also came there and thereafter, the report Ex.P/1 was lodged by her alongwith her grand-father PW3 Sultan Singh.

On this report, the police registered the case and chalked out FIR Ex.P/2 and started investigation.

During investigation, site plan Ex.P/3 was prepared and through Ex.P/4, salwar, jampher and underwear of the prosecutrix PW 2 Sajjan Kanwar were seized. The statement of the prosecutrix PW 2 Sajjan Kanwar u/Sec. 164 Cr.P.C. was recorded by the Magistrate on 26.3.1998 and same is Ex.P/5. The prosecutrix PW 2 Sajjan Kanwar was got medically examined for the purpose of ascertaining her age as well as for finding out whether rape was committed on her or not. Her medical examination report with regard to rape is Ex.P/9. The report about her age is Ex.P/10, where the doctors, on the basis of clinical findings and radiological report assessed that her age was above 15 years and below 17 years on the date of examination i.e. 21.3.1998. The Scholar Register of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Lunkaransar, where prosecutrix was studying, was also produced and as per that Scholar Register, her date of birth is 4.1.1984 and the copy of that Scholar Register is Ex.P/12A and the copy of the T.C. Form is Ex.P/13A, where the same date of birth is mentioned. The application form (Ex.P/22A) by which the prosecutrix sought admission in Adarsh Happy School, Lunkaransar also shows that her date of birth is 4.01.1984.

After usual investigation, the police submitted challan against the accused appellant Angrej Singh and another accused Deepak Kumar in the Court of Magistrate from where the case was committed to the Court of Session.

Note:- It may be stated here that the case of accused Deepak Kumar was sent to Juvenile Court as he was below 16 years of age.

On 16.7.1998, the learned Addl. Sessions Judge No. 2, Bikaner framed charge u/Sec. 376 IPC against the accused appellant. The charge was read over and explained to the accused appellant, who pleaded not guilty and claime































































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