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2023 Supreme(P&H) 2262

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
SURESHWAR THAKUR, KULDEEP TIWARI, JJ.
Subhash @ Makkar & Ors. – Appellants
Versus
State of Haryana – Respondent
CRA-D-474-DB of 2013
Decided On : 18-01-2023

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. Salil Bali, Advocate.
For the Respondent: Mr. P.P.Chahar, DAG, Haryana.
For the Complainants in CRA-D-474-DB-2013 and Appellants in CRA-D-1529-DB-2013 :Mr. Sumeet Goyal, Sr. Advocate assisted by Mr. Rose Gupta, Advocate, Mr. Shivam Kaushik, Advocate and Mr. Paramvir Parmar, Advocate.

Headnote:(A) Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 120-B, 302, and 149 - Conviction and sentencing of several accused for a conspiracy leading to murder - Convicts sentenced to life imprisonment and fines imposed - Convicts appealed against conviction, claiming contradictions in eyewitness testimonies and lack of mens rea for murder. (Paras 2, 3, 21, 27)

(B) Criminal Law - The court found that minimal contradictions in eyewitness accounts do not undermine their credibility, especially when corroborated by other evidence. (Paras 21, 22)

(C) Finding of Acquittal - Acquittal of one accused upheld due to lack of evidence linking him to the crime scene. (Paras 25, 27)

Facts of the case:
The complaint arose after the death of Satyawan, who was allegedly run over by a Tata Sumo vehicle driven by one of the convicts during an altercation over land ownership, following threats made by the accused against the complainant's family. (Paras 5, 6)

Findings of Court:
Convicts’ actions were determined to be intentional, with corroboration from eyewitness accounts. Acquittal of the accused without sufficient evidence was upheld. (Paras 25, 27)

Issues: The court addressed the credibility of eyewitness testimony, contradictions in statements, and the intent behind the killing.

Ratio Decidendi: The court employed the principle that eyewitness testimony holds precedence over exculpatory medical assertions when no solid evidence undermines their integrity, allowing for conviction despite minor inconsistencies. (Paras 21, 22)

Result: Appeals dismissed; convictions and sentences affirmed, while acquittal of one accused was upheld.

Table of Content
1. convicts' appeals and sentences overview (Para 2 , 3 , 4 , 5)
2. investigation procedures and findings (Para 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14)
3. submissions and arguments from counsel (Para 19 , 20)
4. court's analysis and rulings on evidence (Para 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26)
5. final orders and case disposition (Para 27 , 28 , 29 , 30)

JUDGMENT

Sureshwar Thakur, J.

Since both the criminal appeals arise from a common judgment, therefore, both are amenable for a common verdict becoming recorded thereons.

2. CRA-D-474-DB-2013 is directed by the convicts-appellants, against the verdict of conviction, as made on 26.03.2013, by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Hisar, upon, Sessions Case No.65 of 2010, where through, in respect of charges drawn for offences punishable under Section 120-B IPC and under Section 302 of the IPC read with Section 149 IPC, he made a finding of conviction against the accused.

3. Moreover, through a separate sentencing order drawn on 01.04.2013, the learned trial Judge proceeded to impose upon the convict (supra) both sentence(s) of imprisonment as well as of fine, but in the hereinafter extracted manner :-

    Convicts Subhash @ Makkar, Ram Kumar, Baru Ram and Santro.

u/s 302 read with Section 149 IPC

All the convicts/accused are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000/- each. In default of payment of fine, the convicts/accused shall further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 15 days.

u/s 120-B IPC

All the convicts/accused are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 500/- each. In default of payment of fine, the convicts/accused shall further undergo imprisonment for a period of 2 days.

4. All the sentence(s) were ordered to run concurrently. The convicts become aggrieved from the verdict of conviction (supra), besides become aggrieved from the above imposed sentence(s), thus, they led to cast there against the instant appeal CRA-D-474-DB-2013 before this Court.

5. CRA-D-1529-DB-2013 is directed by the complainant- Dharampal, against the verdict of acquittal made on 26.03.2013, upon the accused-respondent No. 6-Vikas @ Vicky, by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Hisar, upon Sessions Case No. 65 of 2010.

Factual background

6. The genesis of the prosecution case becomes encapsulated in the appeal FIR to which Exhibit PH/1 is assigned. The present FIR is lodged at the instance of father of the deceased Satyawan. The informant-complainant Dharampal, has made narrations thereins that that he is resident of village Pabra. In the year 1999 he had purchased 6 acre of land from Subhash son of Datu Ram, resident of village Pabra and sale deed and mutation are in his name. After about three years. Santro wife of Subhash and his sons filed a civil case in civil Courts against him regarding this land on the ground that he had purchased the said land after administering liquor to Subhash and the said case has been decided in his favour. During the pendency of trial of that case, Subhash and his family members convened a panchayat, so that the said land be returned back to them by him. Upon this, he agreed that he would return back the said land on payment of sale amount of the land, but Subhash and his family members did not pay the said amount. It was further alleged that Subhash and his brother Ram Kumar, his wife Santro, his brother in law Baru and Rakesh used to theaten him and his family to return their land otherwise he and his family would be finished. About 8-10 days prior to the occurrence, Vicky @ Vikas came on leave from Jail and threatened him with dire consequences if the land is not returned. On 25.10.2009 at about 7 AM, he along with his nephew Ram Phal were going towards their fields situated towards Kinala. His son Satyawan was going at a distance of about half killa from them for answering the call of nature and when he reached near Dasuwala Johar,

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