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2016 Supreme(Mad) 3235

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
M.VENUGOPAL, J.
J.Palanivel - Appellant
Vs.
The State rep. by The Sub Inspector of Police - Respondent
Criminal Appeal No.499 of 2015
Decided on : 18-10-2016

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr. V.R.Annaganthi
For the Respondent: Ms. M.F.Shabana, Mr.P.Mani

Headnote:

Criminal Produce Code, 1973 - Section 248(1) – Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 294(b), 324 – Offence of sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place – Appeal against Acquittal - Learned Judicial Magistrate while passing impugned Judgment had, inter alia, observed that ... when no trust can be placed on Prosecution evidence and when Prosecution failed to prove guilt of Accused beyond all reasonable doubts, Court cannot fix criminal liability on Accused and resultantly, found Accused (R1 and R2/A1 and A2) not guilty in respect of offences - Challenging Judgment of acquittal in C.C. passed by trial Court, Petitioner/Appellant/ Defacto Complainant/P.W.1 has preferred present Appeal (as na aggrieved person) mainly contending that trial Court had failed to consider evidence of P.W.1 to P.W.7 which support case of prosecution to effect that Accused abused Defacto Complainant in obscene words, assaulted and caused injuries to him with stones - Held, In Criminal Law, onus is on prosecution to prove against Accused beyond all reasonable doubts-Even if there is a simmering doubt, then, story of prosecution cannot be believed by a Court of Law-Suffice it for this Court to point out that criminal liability could not be fastened on Accused either in a causal or cavalier fashion - In view of foregoings and in instant case evidence of prosecution witnesses are at variance with one another and as such, this Court, bearing in mind yet another fact that stones used at time of occurrence were not seized by 1st Respondent/Prosecution and looking at from any angle and on consideration of entire available materials on record both oral and documentary, this Court comes to an irresistible conclusion that trial Court had rightly found Accused/Respondents 2 and 3 not guilty in respect of an offences under Sections 294(b), 324 I.P.C. and acquitted them of all charges under Section 248(1) Cr.P.C. and same, in considered opinion of this Court, are free from any legal infirmities - Criminal Appeal is dismissed.(Paras 24 to 26)

JUDGMENT :

The Appellant/Defacto Complainant (P.W.1) has preferred the instant Criminal Appeal before this Court as against the Judgment dated 06.03.2015 in C.C.No.18 of 2014 passed by the Learned Judicial Magistrate No.1, Dharmapuri.

2. The Learned Judicial Magistrate No.1, Dharmapuri, while passing the impugned Judgment in C.C.No.18 of 2014 on 06.03.2015, at paragraph No.10, had, inter alia, observed that '... when no trust can be placed on the Prosecution evidence and when Prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the Accused beyond all reasonable doubts, the Court cannot fix criminal liability on the Accused' and resultantly, found the Accused (R1 and R2/A1 and A2) not guilty in respect of the offences under Section 294(b), 324 I.P.C. and acquitted them of all the charges under Section 248(1) Cr.P.C.

3. Challenging the Judgment of acquittal dated 06.03.2015 in C.C.No.18 of 2014 passed by the trial Court, the Petitioner/Appellant/ Defacto Complainant/P.W.1 has preferred the present Appeal (as na aggrieved person) mainly contending that the trial Court had failed to consider the evidence of P.W.1 to P.W.7 which support the case of prosecution to the effect that the Accused abused the Defacto Complainant in obscene words, assaulted and caused injuries to him with stones.

4. The Learned Counsel for the Appellant submits that the trial Court had not taken into account Ex.P.2-Wound Certificate which unerringly points out as regards the injury sustained by P.W.1.

5. It is represented on behalf of the Appellant that the trial Court had failed to consider the evidence of P.W.4 that he took the injured P.W.1 to the hospital but the evidence of P.W.4 was discarded stating that the persons at the scene of occurrence was a doubtful one.

6. Advancing his arguments, the Learned Counsel for the Appellant proceeds to project an argument that just because P.W.3 in his evidence had failed to depose about the presence of P.W.4 at the scene of occurrence, it could not be said that the happening of an occurrence was a doubtful one.

7. Per contra, it is the contention of the Learned Counsel for the Respondents 2 and 3/A1 and A2 that the trial Court in the main case in C.C.No.18 of 2014 had examined the witnesses on the side of prosecution viz., P.W.1 to P.W.9 and marked Exs.P.1 to P.6 and after considering the entire oral and documentary evidence available on record had ultimately found the Respondents 2 and 3 (A1 and A2) not guilty in respect of the offence under Section 294(b), 323 I.P.C. and the same is free from legal infirmities.

8. At this juncture, this Court relevantly points out that it is the case of the 1st Respondent/Prosecution (before the trial Court) that on 07.01.2014 at about 5.00 p.m. when the Defacto Complainant/ Appellant (P.W.1-Palanivel) was grazing his cattle in the land of P.W.4 (Madheswaran) and ploughing his field with a Tractor, the Accused viz., Respondents 2 and 3 scolded P.W.1 in inducing/vulgar language/ words and that the Respondents 2 and 3/A1 and A2 beat him with stone on his back and the 2nd Respondent/A1 beat him with stone in his hand. As a matter of fact, P.W.3 (Palani) and P.W.6 (Meenatchi) separated the fight/quarrel and P.W.4 (Madheswaran) took the P.W.1 (Appellant/ Defacto Complainant) to the hospital and Ex.P.1 Report was given to P.W.5 (S.I. of Police) who register the Ex.P.3 - F.I.R. under Sections 294(b), 324 I.P.C. It comes to be known that P.W.5 after visiting the scene of occurrence, prepared Ex.P.4 - Observation Mahazar, Ex.P.5 Rough Sketch in the presence of witnesses, P.W.7 Selvaraj and P.W.8 (Thorani Gounder) and obtained statements from them and other witnesses. Also, P.W.5 had arrested the Respondents 2 and 3/A1 and A2 and subsequently send them to Judicial custody. In fact, P.W.9 (Sub Inspector of Police) took up the case for investigation and he examined P.W.2 Dr.Kalanivani who treated P.W.1 (Appellant) and obtained Ex.P.2 Wound Certificate and after completion of his investigation filed a charge s




















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