SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1988 Supreme(J&K) 196

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT JAMMU
Mazhar Ali Shah,R.P. Sethi, JJ.
Dooni Chand - Appellant
Versus
State - Respondent
Cr. Ist Appeal No. 25/1984 And Cr. Reference No. 20/1984
Decided On : 23 December, 1988

Advocates Appeared:
Advocate For Appellant: S.P. Gupta
Advocate For Respondent: A.V. Gupta

The testimony of eye witnesses can be relied upon even if there are minor discrepancies and improbabilities, provided they are corroborated by other evidence.

Headnote:

CRIMINAL APPEAL - Murder - Conviction and sentence - Challenge - Grounds - Misconduct of trial court - Non-supply of chemical report copy - Violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C. - Material contradictions, discrepancies, and improbabilities in prosecution evidence - Sole reliance on testimony of eye witnesses - No corroboration - Miscarriage of justice - Held, trial court did not misconducted itself - Chemical report copy not mandatory to be supplied to accused - No violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C. - Discrepancies and improbabilities in prosecution evidence minor and insignificant - Testimony of eye witnesses reliable and corroborated by circumstantial evidence - Conviction and sentence upheld.

Fact of the Case:

Appellant was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and three years rigorous imprisonment for attempt to murder. He challenged the conviction and sentence on grounds of misconduct of the trial court, non-supply of chemical report copy, violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C., material contradictions and improbabilities in prosecution evidence, and sole reliance on the testimony of eye witnesses without corroboration.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the trial court did not misconducted itself. The chemical report copy is not mandatory to be supplied to the accused, and there was no violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C. The discrepancies and improbabilities in prosecution evidence were minor and insignificant. The testimony of eye witnesses was reliable and corroborated by circumstantial evidence.

Issues: 1. Whether the trial court misconducted itself? 2. Whether there was a violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C.? 3. Whether the discrepancies and improbabilities in prosecution evidence were material? 4. Whether the testimony of eye witnesses was reliable and corroborated?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The trial court did not misconducted itself as the chemical report copy is not mandatory to be supplied to the accused, and there was no violation of Section 342 Cr.P.C. 2. The discrepancies and improbabilities in prosecution evidence were minor and insignificant, and did not render the testimony of eye witnesses unreliable. 3. The testimony of eye witnesses was reliable and corroborated by circumstantial evidence, including the existence of motive, recovery of the weapon of offence, and extra-judicial confession.

Final Decision: The conviction and sentence of the appellant under Section 302 of the R.P.C. and his sentence for imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 500/- is up-held and his conviction under Section 307 R.P.C. and sentence of three years rigorous imprisonment along with fine of Rs. 350/- is set aside and instead the appellant is convicted under Section 324 R.P.C. and sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment. Both the sentences shall run concurrently.

Sethi, J: -

1. The appellant was charged and tried for the commission of offences punishable under Sections 302, 307, 113 R.P.C. along with other seven accused persons. Accused was convicted under Section 302 and 307 R.P.C. and sentenced to life imprisonment and fine of Rs. 50/- under Section 302 RPC and to under go three years R1 and pay a fine of Rs. 100/- for the commission of offence under Section. 307 R.P.C. The trial court acquitted the other accused persons by giving them the benefit of doubt. Aggrieved by the order of the trial court, the present appeal has been filed by the appellant mainly on the ground that judgment impugned was against the facts and was not sustainable in eyes of law. It is further submitted that the trial court has mis-conducted itself by relying on the chemical report under Section 510 Cr. P. C., as the copy of the report was not given to the appellants. It is further alleged that provisions of Section. 342 Cr. P. C. have been violated. The trial court is alleged to have mistaken itself by not taking into consideration the material contradictions, discrepancies and improbabilities in the prosecution evidence, which was interested, partisan, concocted and fabricated. It is submitted that the trial court committed a mistake of law by solely relying upon the testimony of Gopal Chand and Kehar Singh PWS who were claimed to be the eye witnesses, as according to the appellant there was no material on the file lending any corroboration to their testimony. It is further submitted tint the trial court his committed a mistake of law by relying on the circumstances of recovery of the weapon of offence is an much as the evidence led in that behalf is staged to be highly suspicious and worthy of no credence.

2. The occurrence in which Lal Chand son of Lana was killed is stated to be the out-come of group rivalries amongst the labourers employed by the Food Corporation of India. The F.I.R was lodged on 14.12.1978 at. 10.15 AM by one Gopal Chand son of Shanker Dass resident of Rathana Camp Tehsil R. S. Pura whose statement was recorded and has been admitted in evidence as EXWGP. It was stated by Gopal Chand that he was working as cooly at the Railway station Jammu for about 20/25 days at the time he lodged the report. On 15.12.1978 he alongwith Kehar Singh and Lal Chand deceased left for Jammu and boarded a Bus at Camp Rathana in which they got the rear seats. When the conductor of the Bus demanded the fare from him, his companion Lal Chand draw his attention towards the front seat where Dooni Chand appellant was sitting As there existed previous enemity between Dooni Chand and Lal Chand on account of group rivalry, it is alleged that the followers of Dooni Chand and Lal Chand belonged to two different Sections of the labour. The deceased, the complainant and his colleagues were from new labour group and Dooni Chand and his colleagues belonged to old labour group who were on strike during those days at the Railway Station. The new group of labourers was warned 5/days prior to the date of occurrence not to attend the loading and unloading work at the Railway Station failing which they may meet with dire consequences. Fearing trouble he along with the deceased descended from the Bus and when be was standing on the road side his other two companions also came out from the Bus. Lal Chand had gone only 2/4 steps when they saw Dooni Chand appellant also descending from the Bus who immediately the after drew out some bright cutting weapon and inflicted blows on the hand of Kehar Singh, accompanying the complainant, who immediately bled from the injuries. When Kehar Singh fled from the place of occurrence to save himself, Dooni Ghand appellant is alleged to have pounced upon the deceased. The prayers and requests of the deceased to have mercy upon him did not have any effect upon the appellant. The appellant instead inflicted blow on the head and back of Lal Chand with the weapon of offence he was holding, in his hands.













































Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

AI

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top