2026:CGHC:4899-DB Digitally signed by ANURADHA NAFR ANURADHA TIWARI TIWARI Date:

2026.01.29

17:53:43 +0530 HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRA No. 1816 of 2025 Ratiram Manjhi S/o Late Shri Amar Saya Manjhi Aged About 45 Years R/o Village Saskoba, Police Chowki - Rairumakhurd, Police Station -

Dharamjaigarh, District - Raigarh Chhattisgarh ... Appellant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through Station In-Charge, Police Chowki - Rairumakhurd, Police Station - Dharamjaigarh, District - Raigarh Chhattisgarh ... Respondent (Cause-title taken from Case Information System)

For Appellant : Mr. K. Rohan, Advocate For Respondent-State : Mr. Shaleen Singh Baghel, Government Advocate Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal , Judge Judgment on Board Per Ramesh Sinha , Chief Justice

29.01.2026

1. Heard Mr. K. Rohan, learned counsel for the appellant as well as Mr. Shaleen Singh Baghel, learned Government Advocate, appearing for the State/respondent.

2. Today, though the criminal appeal has been listed for hearing on I.A. No.01, application for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to the appellant, however, with the consent of learned counsel for the parties, the appeal is heard finally.

3. Accordingly, I.A. No.01, application for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to the appellant, stands disposed of.

4. This criminal appeal filed by the appellant/accused under Section

374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short, ‘Cr.P.C.’) is directed against the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 30.07.2025 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Gharghoda, District Raigarh (C.G.) in Sessions Trial No.54/2019, by which the appellant has been convicted for the offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short, “IPC”) and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and fine of Rs.1,000/-, in default of payment of fine amount, additional rigorous imprisonment for one month.

5. The prosecution case, in brief, is that on 20.07.2019 at about

10:30 a.m., the informant Smt. Gonda Bai Manjhi (PW-1), wife of the deceased Gopal Manjhi, reported at Police Station Pathalgaon, District Jashpur (C.G.) that a quarrel had taken place between her husband and his father-in-law, the accused Ratiram, on the previous night. It was alleged that during the quarrel, the accused taunted the deceased on issues relating to family and children, suggesting that he should “find another woman”. At about 01:00 a.m., both the accused and the deceased left the house. After some time, the accused returned and informed the family members that the deceased had run away after being beaten near Hudar Jharkha. Thereafter, the informant along with her uncle-in-law Anil Manjhi (PW-2) went in search of the deceased and found Gopal Manjhi lying unconscious near Hudar Jharkha, with burn marks on his face and multiple injuries from which blood was oozing. The injured was immediately shifted to the hospital by a 108 ambulance and taken to Community Health Centre, Pathalgaon, where he was declared dead.

6. On the basis of the information furnished by PW-1 Gonda Bai Manjhi, a case was initially registered at Police Station Pathalgaon. Inquest Intimation (Exhibit P-1) was recorded by Inspector Omprakash Dhruv (PW-9) and the information was forwarded to the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate. During the inquest proceedings, a spot map (Exhibit P-16) was prepared and Inquest Panchanama (Exhibit P-4) was drawn in the presence of witnesses and relatives of the deceased. An application for post- mortem (Exhibit P-18) was prepared, and the dead body was sent to the Community Health Centre, Pathalgaon through Constable Dinesh Kumar Pankra (PW-11), under Duty Certificate (Exhibit P- 19). Statements of PW-1 Gonda Bai Manjhi and PW-2 Anil Manjhi were recorded during the inquest. The postmortem examination was conducted by Dr. J. Minj (PW-10), who prepared the postmortem report (Exhibit P-20). The doct