Raju Bahadur vs State Of Chhattisgarh

Deepak Kumar Tiwari, J

The Appellants have preferred this Appeal challenging the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 11.9.2012 passed by the 2nd Additional Sessions Judge, Manendragarh, District Koriya in ST No.38/2011 whereby the learned 2nd Additional Sessions Judge has convicted the appellants under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and sentenced them to undergo RI for life and to pay a fine of Rs.1500/- each, in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for 4 months each. Apart from the above, appellants No.3 & 4 have also been convicted under Sections 323/34 of the IPC and sentenced to undergo SI for one year and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/- each, in default of payment of fine to further undergo SI for one month.

Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that deceased Hari Lal Singh is the father of Smt. Sangita Singh (PW-5). Smt. Sangita Singh is working as Shiksha Karmi in village Kelhari. On 15.1.2011, said Sangita Singh was going to her parental house from Podi to Amakherwa via her elder sister’s (Anita) house. Meanwhile, she met appellant No.1 namely, Raju. Appellant No.1 called her and offered some money, on which said Sangita Singh asked as to why he is offering money and kept the money in the pocket of appellant No.1. Thereafter appellant No.1 put his hand on the shoulder of said Sangita Singh, which was not liked by her. She left the place and went to her home and narrated the entire incident to her mother Shakuntala (PW-1). At that time the deceased was also present at home and he was in an inebriated condition. He also heard the conversation of Sangita Singh and her mother Shakuntala. The deceased scolded his daughter Sangita Singh as to why she visited there during night hours. Meanwhile, appellant No.1 Raju, who was going to his in-laws’ house, heard the noise coming from the house of the deceased. Appellant No.1 went there and enquired from the deceased as to why he is taking his name and started raising quarrel with the deceased. At that time, the other accused persons reached there and involved in the quarrel. Appellants No.3 & 4 namely, Asha and Meera caught hairs of Anita (elder sister of Sangita) and started beating her. Thereafter appellants No.1 & 2 namely, Raju and Ratan assaulted the deceased with hands, fists and kicks, as a result of which the deceased fell unconscious. In the said quarrel, Sangita Singh (PW-5), her elder sister Anita Singh (PW-2), & Shakuntala (PW-1) received injuries. The deceased was taken to the Government Hospital, Manendragarh for treatment from where he was referred to the Government Hospital, Baikunthpur. Again the deceased was referred back to Manendragarh and on 24.1.2011, the deceased was admitted in the Amakherwa Central Hospital. However, the deceased succumbed to the injuries on 25.1.2011.

Merg intimation was registered vide Ex.-P/19 and on the basis of which FIR (Ex.-P/18) was registered. Thereafter inquest was conducted vide Ex.-P/12. Spot map and Panchanama were prepared vide Ex.-P/14. The dead body of the deceased was sent for postmortem examination and in the postmortem report (Ex.P/1-A), Dr. SN Gupta (PW-3) opined that the cause of death is shock due to perforation peritonitis caused by blunt injuries to abdomen and the death is homicidal in nature. The appellants were arrested vide Ex.-P/ 22, P/22A, P/22B, & P/22C respectively. Thereafter statements of witnesses were recorded and after due investigation, the police filed the charge sheet in the Court of Judicial Magistrate first Class, Manendragarh and thereafter the case was committed to the Court of Sessions. The accused/appellants abjured their guilt and pleaded innocence.

The prosecution in order to prove the charge examined as many as 23 witnesses and exhibited 23 documents. The appellants have examined Dr. Suresh Kumar Tiwari (DW-1) in their defence.

The learned trial Court after appreciating the oral and documentary evidence available on record convicted and sentenced the appellants as mentioned above, against which this Appeal has been preferred by the appellants questioning the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence.

Learned counsel for the appellants would submit that the trial Court has committed illegality in holding that the appellants have committed the offence. She would further submit that there is no evidence that the death of the deceased occurred on account of the injuries inflicted by the appellants. It was further submitted that as per the prosecution case, appellants No.3 and 4 namely, Asha Mahajan and Meera Bahadur have neither caused injury to the deceased as per the evidence of eyewitnesses. She would lastly submit that no offence is made out against the appellants under Section 302 of the IPC, as no weapon has been used by the appellants. So alternatively, offence under Section 323 of the IPC is made out only.

Per contra, learned State Counsel would support the impugned judgment of conviction on submission that the the appellants have rightly been convicted for offence under Sections 302/34 and 323/34 of the IPC. He would further submit that after the incident, the deceased was admitted in the hospital for treatment and during treatment, he died. Therefore, from all the attending circumstances, no alteration of offence under Section 302 of the IPC is required and the Appeal deserves to be dismissed.

We have heard learned counsel for the parties, considered their rival submissions and have gone through the records with utmost circumspection.

The first and foremost question is as to whether the death of the deceased was homicidal in nature, which the learned trial Court has recorded in affirmative by taking into consideration the oral and documentary evidence available on record and particularly considering the postmortem report (Ex.-P/1A) of Dr. SN Gupta (PW-3), wherein it was opined that the death was homicidal in nature, and that on the date of the incident i.e. 15.1.2011, the deceased has been examined by Dr. Surendra Singh (PW-4) and he has found injuries on the stomach of the deceased vide Ex.-P/3 and this witness would also depose in the cross-examination that after the incident, the deceased had taken treatment in different hospitals; Dr. SP Gudiya (PW-14) has sent medico legal information (Ex.-P/16) to the Police Station Manendragarh about the death of the deceased at Central Hospital on 25.1.2011 at 8.30 am during treatment. Thereafter Dr. SN Gupta (PW-3), who conducted postmortem on the dead body of the deceased has clearly opined that the cause of death of the deceased is shock due to perforation peritonitis caused by blunt injuries to abdomen and homicidal in nature. So, we do not find any illegality in the said finding recorded by the trial Court, as the same is neither perverse nor contrary to record.

Now the next question would be whether the accused/appellants herein are the author of the crime in question?

In the present case, on the date of the incident i.e. 15.1.2011, Sangita Singh (PW-5), daughter of the deceased, was returning to her house from the house of her sister Anita at about 20.15 hours in the evening and at that time, appellant No.1 Raju Bahadur, who was standing in front of her house, called her and tried to give some money and thereafter put his hand on her shoulder. Thereafter she left the place and came to her house and narrated the incident to her mother Shakuntala (PW-1). Her father i.e. the deceased, who was also present at home and he was in an inebriated condition, heard the conversation of Sangita Singh (PW-5) and her mother Shakuntala (PW-1), and he started scolding his daughter Sangita as to why she visited there during night hours. Appellant No.1 Raju Bahadur while going to his in-laws’ house heard the noise and thought that her father was abusing him, so he started raising quarrel with the deceased and kicked him out of his house and thrown out on the earth. On hearing such commotion, Sangita Singh (PW-5), her mother Shakuntala (PW-1), sister Anita and Neelam (PW-8), daughter-in-law came to the rescue of the deceased. At the same time, other accused persons namely, Ratan Bahadur, Asha Mahajan and Meera Bahadur also came there. Sangita Singh (PW-5) has further stated that all the appellants have beaten her father by hands, fists and legs. She would depose that when she, her mother and sister were rescuing her father, the appellants have also beaten them. Anita (PW-2) would also depose in the similar manner. However, their mother Shakuntala has categorically stated that appellant No.3 Asha and appellant No.4 Meera only had beaten them (female injured victims). Injury reports of Sangita Singh (PW-5) Ex.-P/4, Ex.-P/5 of Anita and Ex.-P/9 of Shakuntala have been proved by Dr. Surendra Singh (PW-4) and according to him, they have received simple injuries. The trial Court, while appreciating the evidence, has found that the lady injured persons were caused injuries only by appellants No.3 & 4 namely, Asha and Meera and acquitted appellants No.1 & 2 namely Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur of the charge under Section 323/34 of the IPC.

Looking to the clear evidence given by wife of the deceased, we are of the view that the trial Court has wrongly held guilty the appellants No.3 & 4 namely, Asha and Meera for causing death of the deceased and they are liable to be acquitted of the said charge. However, they caused injuries to the female injured victims, therefore, their conviction under Section 323/34 of the IPC is established/justified by the evidence of injured witnesses, which was duly corroborated by the medical evidence. From the evidence of Sangita Singh (PW-5), her mother Shakuntala (PW-1), her sister Anita (PW-2), as also the evidence of Smt. Geeta (PW-6), Maan Singh (PW-7), son-in-law and Neelam (PW-8), daughter-in-law, it is explicit that appellants No.1 & 2 namely, Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur have caused injuries on the stomach of the deceased by hands, fists, legs and kicks, resulted in his death on 25.1.2011 during treatment. Accordingly, we affirm the finding recorded by the learned trial Court that appellants No.1 & 2 namely, Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur are the authors of the crime in question for causing death of the deceased.

Now the next question is whether the offence would fall under Exception 4 to Section 300 of the IPC?

The Supreme Court in the matter of Arjun v. State of Chhattisgarh {(2017) 3 SCC 247} has elaborately dealt with the issue and observed in paragraphs 20 and 21, which reads as under :-

“20. To invoke this Exception 4, the requirements that are to be fulfilled have been laid down by this Court in Surinder Kumar v. UT, Chandigarh [(1989) 2 SCC 217 : 1989 SCC (Cri) 348], it has been explained as under : (SCC p. 220, para 7)

“7. To invoke this exception four requirements must be satisfied, namely, (i) it was a sudden fight; (ii) there was no premeditation; (iii) the act was done in a heat of passion; and (iv) the assailant had not taken any undue advantage or acted in a cruel manner. The cause of the quarrel is not relevant nor its I relevant who offered the provocation or started the assault. The number of wounds caused during the occurrence is not a decisive factor but what is important is that the occurrence must have been sudden and unpremeditated and the offender must have acted in a fit of anger. Of course, the offender must not have taken any undue advantage or acted in a cruel manner. Where, on a sudden quarrel, a person in the heat of the moment picks up a weapon which is handy and causes injuries, one of which proves fatal, he would be entitled to the benefit of this exception provided he has not acted cruelly.”

Further in Arumugam v. State [(2008) 15 SCC 590 : (2009) 3 SCC (Cri) 1130], in support of the proposition of law that under what circumstances Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC can be invoked if death is caused, it has been explained as under : (SCC p. 596, para 9)

“9. .... '18. The help of exception 4 can be invoked if death is caused (a) without premeditation; (b) in a sudden fight; (c) without the offender's having taken undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual manner; and (d) the fight must have been with the person killed. To bring a case within Exception 4 all the ingredients mentioned in it must be found. It is to be noted that the “fight” occurring in Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC is not defined in the Penal Code, 1860. It takes two to make a fight. Heat of passion requires that there must be no time for the passions to cool down and in this case, the parties had worked themselves into a fury on account of the verbal altercation in the beginning. A fight is a combat between two or more persons whether with or without weapons. It is not possible to enunciate any general rule as to what shall be deemed to be a sudden quarrel. It is a question of fact and whether a quarrel is sudden or not must necessarily depend upon the proved facts of each case. For the application of Exception 4, it is not sufficient to show that there was a sudden quarrel and there was no premeditation. It must further be shown that the offender has not taken undue advantage or acted in cruel or unusual manner. The expression “undue advantage” as used in the provisions means “unfair advantage”.

In the matter of Arjun (supra), the Supreme Court has held that if there is intent and knowledge, the same would be case of Section 304 Part-I of IPC and if it is only a case of knowledge and not the intention to cause murder and bodily injury, then same would be a case of Section 304 Part-II IPC.

Further, the Supreme Court in the matter of Rambir vs. State (NCT of Delhi) {(2019) 6 SCC 122} has laid down four ingredients which should be tested for bring a case within the purview of Exception 4 to Section 300 of IPC, which reads as under:

“16. A plain reading of Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC shows that the following four ingredients are required:

(i) There must be a sudden fight;

(ii) There was no premeditation;

(iii) The act was committed in a heat of passion; and

(iv) The offender had not taken any undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual manner.”

Reverting to the facts of the present case in the light of parameters laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, it is quite vivid that on the date of the incident, appellant No.1 Raju Bahadur while going to his in-laws’ house thought that the deceased was abusing him, so he suddenly started quarrel with the deceased. Both appellants No.1 and 2 namely, Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur, without any premeditation and without any weapon, assaulted the deceased with hands, fists and legs, which caused rupture injury on his stomach and resultantly, the deceased died on 25.1.2011 during treatment. In view of the above, it can safely be inferred that there was no intention on the part of the appellants No.1 & 2 to cause death, but the appellants No.1 & 2 have had knowledge that the injury is likely to cause death of the deceased. In our opinion, the offence would fall under Exception-4 to Section 300 IPC and is punishable under Section 304 Part-II of the IPC and as such, appellants No.1 & 2 namely, Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur are held guilty of committing offence under Section 304 Part-II of the IPC.

In view of the foregoing discussion, conviction and sentence imposed on appellants No.3 & 4 namely, Asha Mahajan and Meera Bahadur under Section 302/34 of the IPC are set aside and they are acquitted of the said charge. Conviction imposed on appellants No.1 & 2 namely, Raju Bahadur and Ratan Bahadur is altered from Section 302 to Section 304 Part-II of the IPC. However, conviction imposed on appellants No.3 & 4 under Section 323/34 of the IPC is affirmed. Appellant No.3 remained in jail during trial from 26.1.2011 to 9.5.2011 i.e. for about 103 days. Appellant No.4 remained in jail during trial from 22.1.2011 to 9.5.2011 i.e. for about 107 days and both the appellants No.3 & 4 were granted bail post conviction on 6.2.2013. Considering the entire fact situation of the case, this Court is of the view that ends of justice would be served if appellants No.3 & 4 are sentenced to the period already undergone by them for offence under Section 323/34 of the IPC. Ordered accordingly.

Appellant No.1 Raju Bahadur remained in jail during trial from 26.1.2011 to 14.1.2016 i.e. for about 5 years and appellant No.2 Ratan Bahadur remained in jail from 26.1.2011 to 11th March, 2016 i.e. for more than 5 years. In the circumstances, this Court is of the opinion that ends of justice would be served if both the appellants are sentenced to the period already undergone by them under Section 304 Part-II of the IPC. Ordered accordingly.

It is made clear that the fine amount imposed on all the appellants shall remain intact. The appellants are on bail. They need not surrender. The bail bonds furnished by the appellants shall remain in operation for a period of 6 months from today in view of the provisions contained under Section 437-A of the CrPC.

Accordingly, the Criminal Appeal is partly allowed to the extent indicated above.