Shankar
Lal Vs. State of Haryana [1998] INSC 351 (22 July 1998)
G.T.
Nanavati, S.P. Kurdukar Nanavati.J.
ACT:
HEAD NOTE:
The
appellant was tried for the offences punishable under Sections 324 and 307 IPC,
Section 27 of the Arms Act and section 6 of the Terrorist and Disruptive
Activities (prevention) Act, 1985 in the Designated Court, Bhiwani at Hissar.
The Allegations against the appellant were that on 25.6.86 at about 8.30 p.m. he assaulted Devi Lal with a knife and gave repeated
stab blows to him, in view of the previous enmity between him and the
appellant. In order to prove its case the prosecution mainly had heard the
cries of Devi Lal himself and his father Hari Singh, who according to the
prosecution had heard the cries of Devi Lal and seen the assault on him. The Designated Court believed the evidence of both the
witnesses and convicted the appellant for the offences punishable under Section
307 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act read with Section 6(1) of the TADA Act.
Aggrieved
by the order of conviction and sentence imposed upon him, the appellant has
filed this appeal.
Learned
counsel for the appellant has taken us through the evidence of PW 7 Hari Singh
and PW 6 Devi Lal. From the cross examination of PW 6 Devi Lal, it appears that
the attempt of the defence was to point out that he was in an intoxicated
condition on the date of the incident and was beaten by the villagers as he was
found teasing women. This suggestion was denied by the witness and there is no
other material on the basis of which it can be said that this witness was under
influence of liquor and had misbehaved with anyone. He had categorically stated
that when he was returning after taking medicine for this mother and was near
Sri Ram Mandir, he was attacked by the appellant. Nothing was brought in the
cross examination on the basis of which it can be said that he was not telling
the truth. The defence was able to extract only 2 or 3 omissions which are on
minor points and do not affect the veracity of this witness. There is evidence
to show that there was enough light at the place of incidence. The accused was
a known person and, therefore, there was no difficulty in identifying him. As
soon as this witness and regained consciousness and was in a position to give a
statement, he had named appellant as the person who had given him the knife
blows. Even if evidence of his father Hari Singh in discarded on the ground
that possibly he could not have seen the actual assault on his son as he had
come out of his house after hearing his cries, as contended by the learned
counsel for the appellant, that will not have any effect on the conviction of
the appellant as the evidence of Devi Lal is quite sufficient to sustain it. As
we find no infirmity in the trial court's judgement even after reappreciating
the evidence, the appellant's conviction deserves to be maintained.
This
appeal is, therefore, dismissed. The bail of the appellant is cancelled. He is
directed to surrender to serve out the remaining sentence.
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