Mahendra Singh Vs.
State of Uttaranchal
O R D E R
1.
This
appeal arises out of the following facts:
1.1.
Janardhan
Pathak, the deceased, was a Gate Keeper with the Peepal Parao Forest Range
which fell within the jurisdiction of Police Station Lal Kuan. As the deceased was
coming out from his hut and proceeding towards the tea shop, the appellant,
Mahendra Singh, who was a Police Constable, fired a shot at him with his service
rifle killing him instantaneously. The murder was apparently committed because
the deceased had complained to the Head Constable at Police Station Lal Kuan
about the nefarious activities of the appellant. The appellant then ran away from
the spot and got a case registered at Police Station Rudrapur against the deceased
for offences punishable under Sections 342, 353, 332 of the Indian Penal Code and
also deposited his rifle in Police Station Rudrapur vide Exhibit Ka 5 instead of
P.S. Lal Kuan where the incident had happened. The post mortem revealed the presence
of two gun shot injuries on the person of the deceased - one of entry and the
other of exit, with the wound of entry having tattooing marks around it.
1.2.
The
trial court relying on the prosecution evidence convicted the appellant on a
charge of murder and under the Arms Act and sentenced him accordingly. The
matter was then taken in appeal to the High Court and the High Court has
confirmed the judgment of the trial court and dismissed the appeal.
2.
Before
us, Mr. P.S. Narasimha, the learned Senior Counsel for the appellant, has not seriously
challenged the conviction of the appellant and has pointed out that in the light
of the prosecution evidence itself it was apparent that the appellant had first
been attacked and had also suffered several injuries and that during the course
of a scuffle which followed the rifle had accidentally gone off and that the
appellant was at the most guilty of having exceeded the right of private defence
and was, therefore, liable to be punished for an offence of culpable homicide not
amounting to murder. The learned counsel has focused on the fact that the gun shot
injury had been caused to the deceased from a very close range and not from a
distance of 12 or 15 feet as was the case of the eye witnesses and the
prosecution.
3.
Mr.
S.S. Shamshery, the learned counsel for the State of Uttaranchal has, however,
supported the judgment of the trial court as well as the High Court and has pointed
out that the appellant, being a police official, was conscious of the fact that
in order to get away from a case of murder he had to create a defence and for
that reason had self-suffered some injuries and lodged a report in Police Station,
Rudrapur instead of Police Station Lal Kuan.
4.
We
have considered the arguments advanced by the learned counsel for the parties.
5.
It
has to be borne in mind that the obligation to prove an exception lies on an accused
but at the same time the onus of proof which the accused has to discharge is
not as strict as in the case of the prosecution which had to prove its case
beyond doubt. It has also to be borne in the mind that it is very difficult, and
often suicidal, for an accused to raise a plea whereby he admits his presence but
if the prosecution evidence itself shows that the defence taken by him is
probable, the accused is entitled to claim the benefit of that evidence as
well. It will be seen that the case of the appellant, as projected by Mr. Narasimha,
during the course of the arguments, is that the appellants had first been
attacked and some injuries had first been caused to him and in the scuffle that
followed one shot had been fired. He has also pointed out that the presence of tattooing
around the wound was clearly indicative that the prosecution story that the gun
shots had been fired from a distance of 12 to 14 feet was obviously wrong and it
was, therefore, plausible to suggest that shot had been fired from a much
closer range. We notice from the evidence of P.Ws. 2,5 and 8, as also from the
site plan, that the shot had been fired from 15 to 18 feet. The injuries found on
the dead body are produced herein below:
a. "Lacerated wound
1cm X .5cm X .5cm on dorsum of right thumb bleeding. Margins irregular.
b. Contusion 4cm X 2cm over
bed of right shoulder. Colour was reddish.
c. Complaint of pain on back
of neck but no external mark of injury and no tenderness was there.
d. Complaint of pain on right
leg below knee joint. No external mark of injury. Shows tenderness."
6.
Dr.
Modi in his book, "A Text Book of Medical Jurisprudence and
Toxicology" (24th Edition, page 543) has referred to the fact that signs
of tattooing in the case of a rifle shot would NORMALLY be upto 75 cms. Obviously,
in this situation the rifle could not have Crl.A. No. 889 of 2006 REPORTABLE 5 been
fired from 15 to 18 feet. It is also clear that the appellant has sustained some
injuries though simple in nature and they too are reproduced below: "
i.
Abraded
contusion just below the right eye (maxillary prominence) size 2cm X 2cm. Fresh
oozing present.
ii.
Transverse
incised wound lower part of right deltoid muscle 4cm X < cm X skin deep. Oozing
present.
iii.
Vertical
lacerated wound left chest between right nipple and sternum 7cm X < cm skin
deep. Oozing present.
iv.
Lacerated
wound left deltoid muscle (transversely oblique) 4 cm X 1/3 cm X skin deep. Oozing
present."
7.
It
is, therefore, possible in the light of the aforesaid evidence, that the appellant
had indeed been attacked and that he had caused one injury in self-defence from
a short distance. We are, therefore, of the opinion that the appellant's involvement
in a case of murder is not spelt out but as he has used a rifle from a very close
range, his obvious intention was to cause death. He is, accordingly, convicted for
an offence punishable under Section 304 Part I of the IPC.
8.
We,
accordingly, allow the appeal in the above limited terms acquit him of the
offence under Section 302 of the IPC and award him a sentence of ten years
rigorous imprisonment under Section 304(I) of the IPC.
..................J.
[HARJIT SINGH BEDI]
..................J.
[GYAN SUDHA MISRA]
NEW
DELHI
AUGUST
09, 2011.
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