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2004 Supreme(All) 791

HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S.K.Agarwal, Imtiyaz Murtaza
PARAS RAM
Versus
STATE OF U P
Decided On : 22 April 2004
Criminal Appeal No. 3044 of 1981 and Criminal Appeal No. 65 of 1982

Advocates Appeared:
R.C.PANDEY, R.C.YADAV, R.K.SINGH, S.K.Yadav, U.C.MISHRA, Vinay Saran,

The duty of the Investigating Officer to proceed into the investigation with all sincerity and honesty, and the need for reliable and corroborative evidence to support the prosecution's case.

Headnote:

I. P. C. - Conviction under Section 302/34 - Summary of Acts and Sections: I. P. C. Section 302/34 - The court discussed the evidence of the eye witnesses, the reliability of their testimonies, and the lack of corroboration from medical evidence. The court also highlighted the duty of the Investigating Officer and the intent to cull out a story with the help of interested and inimical witnesses. The judgment resulted in the acquittal of the appellants.

Fact of the Case:

The deceased was allegedly assaulted by the appellants with an axe and a lathi, leading to his demise. The prosecution presented evidence from eye witnesses and medical reports to support their case.

Finding of the Court:

The court found serious doubt in the reliability of the eye witnesses' evidence and rejected their testimonies as untrustworthy. It also criticized the Investigating Officer for culling out a story with the help of interested and inimical witnesses.

Issues: The issues revolved around the reliability of the eye witnesses, the lack of corroboration from medical evidence, and the conduct of the Investigating Officer.

Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was influenced by the lack of trustworthiness in the testimonies of the eye witnesses and the failure to conduct a sincere and honest investigation by the Investigating Officer.

Final Decision: The appeals were allowed, and the appellants were acquitted of the charge for which they were tried, convicted, and sentenced.

The above appeals were preferred by the appellants one by Paras Ram and other by Sewak Ram. Both of them were convicted by the trial Court under Section 302/34 I. P. C. and the sentence awarded to them was imprisonment for life. Aggrieved by the said judgment and order these appeals came into being in this Court.

2. The brief facts, of the case, as contained in the F. I. R. are as under:

The deceased Nathhu Singh had been in his field to graze his cattle in the early hours of the morning on 24-10-1980. Ram Sajeevan P. W. 1 was also grazing his cattle in the near vicinity. In the meantime appellant Paras Ram and Ram Sajeevan also arrived at the scene of occurrence alongwith their cattle. The allegation further is that the cattle of Paras Ram ventured into the field of the deceased. It grazed

and damaged some paddy crop of the deceased. He had raised objection to the unwarranted act of the appellant Paras Ram. Since he nursed an impression that it was pushed deliberately there. Paras told the deceased that his cattle,will graze in the same manner. The deceased angrily told the appellant that he will not permit him to do so. At this the two appellants retreated back to their village and shortly thereafter reappeared at the scene of occurrence. Paras Ram held an Axe and Sewak Ram a Lathi. The deceased was returning to his paddy field after turning the intruding cattle out of his field. He was intercepted by Subedar who was sitting on the mendh of his paddy field and he engaged the deceased into some conversation in the interregnum between these appellants retreat and re-emergence. At about 12. 30 hours, the appellants reached this particular spot and started belabouring the deceased with Lathi and Axe. The alarm raised by the deceased attracted to the scene of occurrence Nathhu Singh and Ram Adhar. On their approach and challenge thrown by them the assailants ran away leaving the deceased in a precarious condition. The villagers who came to the place of occurrence brought the deceased on a cot to his house. The deceased as a result of injuries suffered by him breathed his last at about 3 p. m. In the intervening time presumably no medical aid could be managed for him.

The report, of the incident, came into being at the instance of the brother of deceased, Badam Singh, on his return to his house. He claimed to have learnt about the incident but it is not revealed in the F. I. R. as to who was the source of this information to him. Leaving the dead body at his home he prepared a written report and proceeded for its registration to the concerned police station i. e. Thathiya. It was at a distance of 22 kms. from the spot. The report was registered at the police station at 7 p. m. on 24-10- 1980. The police arrived at the scene of occurrence on the next morning. Inquest memo was prepared and the dead body was dispatched to the mortuary for post mortem examination. The post mortem on the body of the deceased Natthu Singh was conducted by P. W. 6 Dr. A. K. Dubey on 26-10-1980 at 3. 30 p. m. i. e. after two days and thirty minutes after his demise. The post mortem examination report is Ex. Ka-12. A perusal of the post mortem examination report reveals that the condition of the dead body was bad. Rigor mortis had passed off and decomposition in both limbs had started. Abdomen was distended. Blisters were also present. Skin peeled off at places. We have to bear in mind that this was the month of late October and coldness in the weather will already venture in by this time. The deceased had suffered contusions and three lacerations. All these injuries were on non-vital part of his body including the hand, the elbow, the palmer aspect and the legs, ankle joint etc. There was internal damage underneath most of the injuries. The bones underneath injury Nos. 1,2,3,4,6 and 8 bad fractures of left arm upper part, right arm upper and middle part, right wrist on dorsal aspect, dorsal part of left hand, left index finger proximal part and tibia and f















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