Buddhu Singh Vs.
State of Bihar (Now Jharkhand)
Ledwa Singh & ANR.
Vs. State of Bihar (Now Jharkhand)
JUDGMENT
SIRPURKAR, J.
1.
Criminal
Appeal No. 349 of 2007 has been filed by accused Buddhu Singh while Criminal
Appeal No. 1116 of 2007 has been filed by his father Ledwa Singh and brother Balchand
Singh. The trial court found them guilty under Section 302 IPC and sentenced each
one of them to imprisonment for life. The High Court also affirmed the conviction
and sentenced awarded by the trial court.
2.
The
prosecution case is that the deceased Sugendra Singh was suspected to be
practising witchcraft and he was aggrieved against the accused persons for not giving
to him the feast which he was professionally supposed to be paid on account of getting
cured of accused Balchand Singh from some serious illness. The incident seems to
have taken suddenly without there being any previous history to it.
3.
The
allegation is that on 30.7.1995 at about 4 p.m. deceased Surendra Singh was standing
in front of house of PW5 Nagru Kharia when accused Balchand Singh pushed him down
and accused Buddhu Singh is said to have then dealt an axe blow which landed on
the head of the deceased. Accused Ledwa Singh is, thereafter, said to have started
kicking the deceased. It is reported that on account of that blow, Sugendra Singh
was seriously injured and died in the hospital.
4.
The
prosecution pressed in service the evidence of three eye witnesses namely; PW 2
Feku Kharia, PW6 - Karia Singh and PW7 Tijo Devi. PWs 2 and 6 turned hostile
and refused to support the prosecution. PW7, being the mother of the deceased, however,
supported the prosecution case. According to her, she saw the accused Balchand Singh
and Ledwa Singh grappling with the deceased while accused Buddhu Singh giving an
axe blow on the head of the deceased.
5.
We
have gone through the evidence of the witnesses very carefully.
6.
Mr.
Ajit Pandey, learned counsel appearing for the accused persons contended that
firstly this was a case of single blow and the blow could not have been
intended to be given on the head though it did land on the head. Mr. Pandey further
argued that if the intention was to commit the murder, then the accused persons,
more particularly accused Buddhu Singh would have repeated the assault which he
actually and admittedly did not repeat.
7.
Mr.
Pandey further contended that once the injury was unintended, the offence could
be converted into Section 304 Part II IPC from Section 302 IPC because the accused
ought to have the knowledge that a single assault by an axe could result into
the death of the deceased.
8.
Mr.
Manish Mohan, learned counsel appearing for the State supported the judgment
and contended that the injury was serious enough and was on a very vital part i.e.
head and resulted in the fracture of frontal bone and the death was almost instantaneous,
though in the hospital.
9.
Considering
the overall material, we are of the view that there is hardly anything on record
which can be said against the accused Ledwa Singh and Balchand Singh though the
common intention on their part could be attributed since they had done the over
act of grappling with and pinning down the deceased. Now, seeing his father and
brother had been grappling with the deceased, the accused Buddhu Singh dealt an
axe blow which could not be said to be intended towards the head. It could have
landed anywhere. However, it landed on the head of the deceased. Therefore, the
element of intention is ruled out. Again the defence raised on behalf of the accused
that there could not have been the intention to commit the murder of the
deceased is justified by the fact that the accused Buddhu Singh did not repeat
the assault. Under the circumstances, we feel that the prosecution has been able
to establish the guilt of the accused persons under Section 304 Part II I.P.C.
10.
We,
accordingly, modify the finding of the High Court and convert the conviction of
the accused from Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part II IPC and sentence each of
them to the period already undergone. Accused Buddhu Singh is stated to be in jail
for the last five years whereas other accused persons namely; Ledwa Sngh and Balchand
Singh are stated to be in jail for the last ten years. They be released from
the jail forthwith unless they are required in any other case.
11.
The
appeals are partially allowed.
......................J.
[ V.S. SIRPURKAR ]
......................J.
[ T.S. THAKUR ]
NEW
DELHI
APRIL
28, 2011.
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