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1989 Supreme(All) 477
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
H. C. MITTAL, M. M. LAL
NARAIN - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondents
Criminal Appeal 1432 Of 1978
Decided On : 10/19/1989
A.D.Prabhakar, P.N.MISHRA
A judicial confession is not reliable if it is not recorded in accordance with the requirements of Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Headnote:
CRIMINAL LAW - INSANITY - BURDEN OF PROOF - SECTION 84 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE - JUDICIAL CONFESSION - SECTION 164 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - SECTION 335 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - SECTION 105 OF THE EVIDENCE ACT - SECTION 104 OF THE EVIDENCE ACT - SECTION 334 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - SECTION 302 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE - SECTION 201 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE - SECTION 295A OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE - SECTION 147 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE - SECTION 149 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE.
Fact of the Case:
The appellant, Narain, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mohd. Hussain, the Imam of Jama Masjid, and for burning pages of the Quran Sharif. The prosecution's case was based on the following three circumstances: (i) apprehension of the accused in suspicious circumstances from the spot, (ii) extra judicial confession, and (iii) judicial confession.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty of the charges against him. The court held that the judicial confession was not reliable as it was not recorded in accordance with the requirements of Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court also found that the accused was not in a state of sound mind at the time of the offence and was therefore entitled to the protection of Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code.
Issues: 1. Whether the judicial confession was reliable. 2. Whether the accused was in a state of sound mind at the time of the offence.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the judicial confession was not reliable as it was not recorded in accordance with the requirements of Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court noted that the Magistrate did not ascertain the duration of the accused's custody in jail or from whose custody he had been produced. The Magistrate also did not ascertain the treatment meted out to the accused in jail or the accused's mental state prior to recording his confession. Further, the Magistrate did not give the accused sufficient time for reflection before his statement was recorded and did not put a question to the accused as to why he wanted to make a confession. 2. The court held that the accused was not in a state of sound mind at the time of the offence and was therefore entitled to the protection of Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code. The court noted that the accused had a history of mental illness and that he had been behaving abnormally in the days leading up to the offence. The court also noted that the accused had not shown any remorse for his actions and that he had not tried to escape after committing the offence.
Final Decision: The court allowed the appeal and acquitted the accused of all charges. The court also ordered that the accused be examined by a competent doctor to determine his fitness to live in society.
( 1 ) NARAIN has preferred this appeal against his conviction and sentence u/ss. 302, 201 and 295a, IPC to life imprisonment, seven years R. I and three years R. I. respectively passed by Sri N. N. Sharma, the then District and Sessions Judge, Moradabad on 13/03/1978.
( 2 ) THE facts of the case according to the first information report (Ex. Ka-l) submitted at police station Sambhal District Moradabad at 7 a. m. are that at 5-30 a. m. the informant, Akbar Ali (P. W. 1) had gone to offer prayer at the Jama Masjid as usual he had to remain standing outside the main door as the door was closed. There he met Ashfaq Hussain (P. W. 4), Ismail and other residents of the Mohalla who had also gone to offer prayers and when the door did not open they tried to get it opened and called the Mulla. When no response came from inside then one of them went up the roof and jumped inside and opened the door and then they all went inside. They saw about seven persons, five or six of them managed to escape. Inside the Masjid they found a dead body burning, and a person was trying to drag it. They caught hold of him and brought him to the police station; that the dead body was of Imam Saheb of Jama Masjid; that near the dead body they found burnt pages of Quran Sharif. On the basis of the report a case was registered and the appellant was taken into custody. The investigation followed. After inquest report of the dead body its post-mortem took place in the mosque itself as the crowd did not permit the dead body to be taken to the mortuary. Dr. Man Mohan Sahai Mathur (P. W. 3) conducted the autopsy and prepared the post mortem report (Ex. Ka-2) and following ante mortem injuries were detected :1. Lacerated wound 4 cm. x 3 cm on right side of scalp bone deep. 2. Lacerated wound 21/2cm. x 2 cm x bone deep on front of scalp 4 cm above right eye brow. 3. Lacerated wound 8 cm x 3 cm x abdomen deep intestines were protruding out on left iliac fossa and were charred. 4. Lacerated wound 6cm x 4 cm x abdomen deep with intestines protruding out and charred. 5. Fracture of upper end of left femur with charred muscles around it and leg was attached with body with tags of muscles and skins. 6. Lacerated wound 4 cm x 3 cm x bone deep on left side of chin, and bone of left side of lower jaw fractured under it. The aforesaid injuries could have been caused by a blunt weapon like rod and were sufficient to cause instantaneous death : following post mortem burns were detected : "skin of head, face, neck front of chest, front of abdomen, right upper limb, right lower limb were charred, skin, muscles upto bone were charred and shrunken upto bone on left forearm left leg from thigh to ankle, right leg below knee. There was no charring or blackening on back from shoulder to hips.
( 3 ) ON internal examination doctor found skin of scalp charred and back. There was depressed fracture of frontal bone and right temporal bones under injuries 1 and 2; membrane were congested and lacerated; ceribrum on right-side was lacerated in front. Blood was present in frontal and right-middle fossa; Parts of small intestines were protruding out of abdomen and charred; part of peritoneum was charred stomach was empty and pale. Intestines contained gases and fecal matter. Bladder was half full. Death was due to shock and haemorrhage caused by ante mortem injuries. The doctor also opined that victim could have met his death on the night of 28th and 29th Feb. 1976 and about 2-30 a. m.
( 4 ) THE accused also made a judicial confession which was recorded by Sri Teerath Raj (P. W. 6) Addl. Munsif Magistrate and thereafter on completion of the investigation charge-sheet was submitted and the appellant was committed to the court of Sessions, where he was charged u/ss. 147, 302/149, 201 and 295a, IPC and a charge u/ S. 302, IPC simpliciter was also framed against him. The appellant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
( 5 ) THE prosecution based its case on the following three cir
