Irigala Ram Pulla Reddy vs The State of A.P.

L. Narasimha Reddy, J.—A-1 to A-17 in S.C. No. 161 of 2000 were put to trial before the Court of IV Additional Sessions Judge, Kurnool. On account of non-availability of A-13, the case against him was split and was numbered as S.C. No. 267 of 2000. However, before the trial in S.C. No. 161 of 2000 commenced, A-13 was apprehended and both the sessions cases were heard together.

The case of the prosecution was that in the month of June, 1997, the Mandal Revenue Officer, Gospadu issued notification proposing to conduct elections to the Agricultural Water Users Association in respect of various sources of irrigation in the Mandal and that on 05-06-1997, P.Ws. 1 to 6, one Mr. Thirupem Reddy (D1), father of PW-1, and one Mr. Thimma Reddy (D2), resident of Yalluru Village have gone to Gospadu in a jeep for the purpose of filing nominations. A-1 to A-5 are said to be the residents of S. Lingamdinne Village of the same Mandal, and they too have gone to Gospadu for filing nominations in respect of the same Association. PW-5 is said to have filed nomination for the office of President of one source of irrigation and P.Ws. 3 and 4 filed nominations for the Territorial Constituency Members. In respect of another source of irrigation, B. Ramalakshmi Reddy, Nageswara Rao and two others are said to have filed nominations. One Mr. Mangali Pedda Narsimhulu, who was from the group of A-1, was said to have filed nomination against the territorial constituency, as regards which, Nageswara Rao filed nomination. Mangali Pedda Narsimhulu is said to have withdrawn the nomination, resulting in a person from the group of Prosecution Witnesses being elected, unopposed.

After filing the nominations, P.Ws. 1 to 6, Thirupem Reddy and Thimma Reddy are said to have proceeded in a jeep to the Village and that on the way, two jeeps in which A-1 to A-6 and other accused were travelling, have come in the opposite direction. A-1 is said to have hurled a bomb on the jeep in which P.Ws. 1 to 6 and two others were travelling, and the bomb fell at a distance. Thereafter, A-1 to A-6 are said to have got down from the jeep and on seeing them, P.Ws. 1 to 6 have got down and went aside. A-1 is said to have pulled Thirupem Reddy from the jeep and questioned as to why he made Mangali Pedda Narsimhulu to withdraw the nomination. He is also said to have instigated A-2, A-3, and A-4 who were holding different weapons to attack him, and as a result, deadly blows were dealt upon Thirupem Reddy. A-5 is said to have hurled another bomb. On seeing all these, Thimma Reddy is said to have made at attempt to get down from the jeep and at that time, A-6 to A-9 and others attacked him. In the process, Thimma Reddy, D-1 and Thirupem, D-2 are said to have died. The assailants are said to have burnt the jeep, in which P.Ws. 1 to 6 were travelling. The complaint about the incident was submitted by PW-1 to the Station House Officer, Gospadu.

The Station House Officer visited the scene of offence, recorded the statements of the persons, acquainted with the incident, and prepared the scene of offence panchanama. The inquest on the bodies of the deceased was conducted and they were sent for post-mortem examination. After completion of the investigation, a detailed charge-sheet was filed. The trial Court framed as many as 10 charges, alleging offences punishable under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302 and 427 of I.P.C., in different combinations against all the accused. A-1 and A-5 were separately charged for the offence punishable u/s 3 of the Explosive Substances Act. All the accused pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution examined P.Ws. 1 to 12 and filed Exs. P-1 to P-12. MOs 1 to 14 were taken on record. On behalf of the defence, the portions of statements recorded u/s 162 of Cr.P.C., from P.Ws. 3, 4 and 5 were marked as Exs. D-1 to D-6.

Through its judgment dated 10-09-2001, the trial Court convicted A-1 to A-9, A-12 and A-13 for the offences punishable u/s 148 I.P.C., and sentenced them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years. They were also held guilty of offence punishable u/s 427 read with Section 149 I.P.C., and the trial Court sentenced them to suffer rigorous imprisonment for three months. Those very accused were found guilty of offence punishable u/s 302 I.P.C., and were sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life. A-1 and A-5 were separately sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year, each, for the offence punishable under Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.

A-1 to A-8 and A-12 and A-13 filed Criminal Appeal No. 1494 of 2001 and A-9 filed Criminal appeal No. 1691 of 2001. Through a common judgment dated 24-02-2003 a Division Bench of this Court allowed Criminal Appeal No. 1691 of 2001 and acquitted A-9. Criminal Appeal No. 1494 of 2001 was partly allowed, setting aside the conviction and sentence against A-1, A-5, A-6, A-8, A-12 and A-13 and confirmed the conviction and sentence against A-2, A-3, A-4 and A-7.

PW-1 filed Criminal Appeal No. 301 of 2005 before the Hon''ble Supreme Court, challenging the judgment of this Court in Criminal Appeal No. 1494 of 2001. Through its order dated 28-01-2011, the Supreme Court took the view that this Court did not discuss the evidence in the manner in which it should have been done, more so, being a final Court of fact, and accordingly has set aside the judgment in Criminal Appeal No. 1494 of 2001. The matter was remanded to this Court for fresh consideration and disposal. Since no appeal was preferred against the acquittal of A-9 in Criminal Appeal No. 1691 of 2001, it became final.

Sri D. Prakash Reddy, learned Senior Counsel for A-1 to A-8, A-12 and A-13 submits that the record clearly discloses that factions of a very high degree were operating in the concerned Villages, and the case against the accused is the result thereof. He submits that though many witnesses stated that A-1 and A-5 were armed with bombs, and they hurled the bombs at the jeep and the deceased, PW-10, the Police Officer, who received the complaint, and prepared the scene of offence panchanama, clearly stated in the cross-examination that he did not note any marks of the explosion of bombs at the scene of offence. He further submits that it was elicited from PW-1 that both the deceased figured as accused in a double murder case in their Village, involving the death of Mr. Eshwar Reddy and Chandrasekar Reddy, and that the deceased D-1 and D-2 were also accused of setting on fire, the houses of malas, resulting the death of a mala girl. Learned counsel further submits that though in Ex. P-1, the names of A-1 to A-6 were specifically mentioned, the names of the other accused were not clearly indicated, and all the accused were implicated only on account of the factional disputes. He contends that the prosecution failed to prove the so called attack on D-2, and so far as D-1 is concerned, there is not even a semblance of mention of specific overt acts against any accused. Other contentions are also urged.

Learned Additional Public Prosecutor, on the other hand, submits that this is a double murder case in which as many as six eye-witnesses have spoken consistently, and that the judgment rendered by the trial Court does not warrant interference. He contends that though PW-10 stated that he did not make any mention about the explosions in the scene of offence panchanama, the Medical Officers examined as P.Ws. 8 and 9 have clearly indicated the existence of burn injuries caused due to explosion on the bodies of D-1 and D-2. It is further pleaded that in a mob attack in which explosives are used, it is difficult to expect the specific overt acts to be mentioned even by the eye-witnesses.

But for the fact that the occasion to apply the principle of res judicata does not arise in criminal cases, the finality that stood attached to the acquittal of A-9, through a common judgment rendered by a Division Bench of this Court in Criminal Appeal Nos. 1494 and 1691 of 2001, due to failure of PW-1 to file an appeal, against the judgment in Criminal Appeal No. 1691 of 2001; a typical situation would have arisen.

The Police received the information about the murder of D-1 and D-2, with the submission of complaint, Ex. P-1, by PW-1, the son of D-1. A detailed account of the state of affairs, that existed in the Villages, the factions between the two groups, the filing of nominations, and the manner in which the incident took place; has been furnished. P.Ws. 1 to 6 and D-1 and D-2 are said to have travelled in the same jeep and were attacked by the accused when they were returning, after filing nominations. The root cause for such a ghastly attack is said to be the withdrawal of nomination by one Mr. Mangali Pedda Narsimhulu, resulting in the absence of any contest to one Mr. Nageswara Rao from the group of P.Ws. 1 to 6 and D-1 and D-2. Though the cause may appear to be trivial, if not silly, any one who knows the anatomy of faction in the Rayalaseema area of State of Andhra Pradesh, would not feel surprised. Even the smallest of the events or things can constitute the basis for a dastardly attack: reason being that factions are maintained with all time preparedness, and they wait for an opportunity to attack each other. The keenness on the part of the factions is some times more meticulous, than the one, which the armed forces maintain at the borders.

The case deserves to be viewed from three angles: The first is about the allegation against A-1 and A-5, that they were armed with bombs and they hurled them at the jeep, in which PWs-1 to 6 and D-1 and D-2 were travelling, after it was way laid. The second is about the attack on D-1, and the third is the attack on D-2. The evidence of P.Ws. 1 to 6 is almost on the same lines. However, since PW-1 is the complainant and the son of D-1, he was subjected to extensive cross-examination.

In the chief-examination, PW-1 virtually repeated the contents of Ex. P-1. Broadly stated, his evidence is that after the nominations were filed, himself and P.Ws. 2 to 6 and D-1 and D-2 were returning in the jeep, and when they reached the house of one Mr. Shivashankar Reddy, two jeeps in which the accused were travelling came in opposite direction, and it was way laid. He stated that A-1 and A-5 were holding bombs, A-2 and A-3 were armed with hunting sickles, A-4 with a dagger, and A-1 is said to have hurled a bomb, which did not hit the jeep, and on hearing the sound, PWs-1 to 6 were got down from the jeep, D-1 and D-2 remained in the jeep. At that stage, A-5 is said to have hurled the bomb and A-1 accosted him as to why he made Mangali Pedda Narsimhulu to withdraw the nomination and simultaneously instigated A-2 to A-4, who attacked D-2. Those accused are stated to have caused injuries to D-2 indiscriminately. After D-2 fell down, due to injuries, D-1 was stated to have made an effort to alight the jeep, and at that time, the other accused attacked him. Thus, we find that while specific overt acts were attributed in respect of the attack on D-2, general and omnibus allegation are made as regards the attack on D-1.

In the elaborate cross-examination of PW-1, it was elicited that D-1 and D-2 figured as accused in the double murder of Mr. Eshwar Reddy and Chandrasekar Reddy of that Village and that they were also facing charges in relation to burning of houses of harijans, leading to the death of a girl. The attention of PW-1 was also drawn to the existence of faction disputes in the Village; the names of various political leaders, which included, an Ex-Minister and the then sitting Member of Parliament. The enmity between those leaders, on the one hand, and A-1 and the other accused, on the other hand, was also suggested. The evidence of P.Ws. 2 to 6 is on the same lines.

It is no doubt true that PW-8, who conducted the postmortem on D-1, noticed injury No. 8, which is said to be the result of a direct hit by a country made bomb, and PW-9, the Medical Officer, who conducted post-mortem on D-2 found an injury with the following description:

"Extensive burnt area noted over the front and back of lower limbs, genitalia, front and back of upper part of chest and front and back of the upper limbs and front of abdomen."

The whole controversy is as to how those and other injuries, noticed on the bodies of the deceased, came to be inflicted. The role attributed to A-1 and A-5 is that they carried and hurled bombs. If in fact they did so, the conviction and sentence ordered by the trial Court against them can certainly be sustained.

It has already been mentioned that two deadly factions are operating in the Villages, and it is but natural that they would not only try to physically attack each other, but also would not miss any opportunity to implicate their opponents in the criminal cases. Therefore, the evidence in such cases needs to be analyzed meticulously.

PW-10 is the Inspector of Police, who functioned at Nandyal at the relevant point of time. On receipt of complaint from PW-1, he registered the case and proceeded to the scene of occurrence. In the cross-examination, the following was elicited from him:

"...It is not true to say that I got all part-II C.D. prepared in my police station and that I have not examined any witnesses in this case. Except the rough sketch I have not prepared any observation panchanama at the scene of offence. I did not specifically note the places where bombs fell and exploded. I seized the thread pieces namely the remnants of bombs near the dead bodies (surrounding).

None of the witnesses examined by me at Gospadu and Yalluru stated before me the information which is set out in para. XI (a) of Ex. P-2. I incorporated the said information out my own knowledge. I did not place the material objects I seized in any box to seal them to obtain the signatures of panchayatdars..."

The failure to take note of the place where the bombs are said to have exploded and failure to preserve the seized and recovered incriminating material in a sealed box, would certainly weaken the case of the prosecution. The record also discloses that A-10, and A-11 are the owners of the jeeps. The vehicles were driven by the respective drivers; A-16 and A-17. The deceased were provided with gunmen by the Government for protection. Neither the drivers nor the gunmen were examined as witnesses. Further, there are conflicting versions among Prosecution Witnesses as to the alleged throwing of bombs, be it by A-1 or A-5. Therefore, the benefit of doubt in this regard needs to be extended to A-1 and A-5.

P.Ws. 1 to 5 have spoken consistently about the attack on D-2. They stated that on being instigated by A-1, A-2 and A-3, who were armed with hunting sickles, and A-4, armed with a dagger; have attacked D-2 indiscriminately and killed him. Though the witnesses were extensively cross-examined, the defence was not able to shake their evidence, relating to the attack by A-2, A-3 and A-4. The injuries that were noticed by PW-9, on the dead body of D-2 support the case of the prosecution. The trial Court has also assigned cogent reasons in support of its conclusion about the involvement of A-2, A-3 and A-4. We do not intend to interfere with the conviction and sentence, handed out to them.

The attack on D-1 is said to have taken place after D-2 was put to death. We have carefully gone through the evidence of P.Ws. 1 to 6, in this behalf. We do find some substance in the contention of the learned counsel for the accused that the witnesses did not allege any specific overt acts in relation to attack on D-1. However, we find that almost all the eye-witnesses have uniformly stated that A-7 beat D-2 with a hunting sickle on the head. Having said that, they mentioned that the remaining assailants as "other persons". It is difficult to believe him. PW-5 stated that A-6 to A-13 and others surrounded D-2. This is at variance with the evidence of other witnesses. PW-3 stated that A-6 and A-7 attacked D-1 with hunting sickles. PW-1 was not specific about the attack by A-7, but he gave the descriptive particulars as well as the cause, for A-7, to be inimical towards them. PW-5, no doubt, made an omnibus allegation against A-5 to A-13, but this included A-7, who was specifically referred to by other witnesses.

PW-6 specifically attributed certain acts to A-7, though he made similar allegations against A-8, A-14, and A-15 also. Since we find A-7 figuring common in the evidence of those witnesses, the finding of the trial Court, in relation to him, does not warrant any interference. Since the allegations against other accused are not specific, we find it difficult to sustain the conviction and sentence against them.

For the foregoing reasons, we allow the appeal in part, directing that,

a) the conviction and sentence ordered in S.C. Nos. 161 and 267 of 2000, on the file of the IV Additional Sessions Judge, Kurnool, through judgment dated 10-09-2001, in relation to D-1; against A-1 and A-5 are set aside, and they are acquitted of all the charges. However, the conviction and sentence ordered against A-2, A-3, and A-4 shall stand confirmed; and

b) the conviction and sentence ordered by the trial Court in relation to D-2 against A-6, A-8, A-9, A-12 and A-13 are set aside. However, the conviction and sentence ordered against A-7 for the said offence shall stand confirmed.

Since A-1, A-5, A-6, A-8, A-9, A-12 and A-13 were already released, on being acquitted by this Court, through judgment dated 24-02-2003, no fresh orders are needed in this behalf.