Madhya Pradesh High Court
Raghvendra Singh @ Choteraja vs The State Of Madhya Pradesh on 8 May, 2015
Criminal Appeal N o. 1698 / 20 13 08. 05. 2 01 5 P er Ra je n d r a M a h a ja n , J.
S hr i S . C. D a tt, l e ar n e d S e n i o r C ou n s e l wi th Sh r i S i d d h a r th D a tt, l e ar n e d co u n s e l f or th e a p p e l l a n t.
S hr i Br a m h D a tta Singh, learned G o v er n m en t A d v o ca te f or th e r e s p o n d e n t/ S ta te .
H e ar d on I.A. No . 1225 8/ 2 01 4, wh i ch is fi r s t a p p l i ca ti o n fi l e d u n d e r S e cti o n 389( 1) of th e Cr . P. C . o n b e h a l f o f a p p e l l a n t Ra g h v e n dr a Si n g h @ C h h o te Ra ja fo r s us p e n s i o n of se n te n ce an d g r a n t o f b a i l d u r i n g th e p e n d e n cy of th i s a p p e a l .
Vi d e th e impugned ju d g m e n t d a te d 21. 05. 2 01 3 p a s s e d b y th e a d d i ti o n a l S es s i o n s J u d g e , P aw a i , D i s tr i ct P a n n a i n Se s s i o ns Tr i a l N o . 36/ 20 12 S ta te o f M . P . Vs . Ra g h v e n d r a S i n g h @ C h h o te Ra ja , th e a p p e l l a n t s ta n ds co n v i cte d un d e r S e cti o n s 302/ 3 4 a n d 307 r /w 34 o f th e I . P . C. a n d s e n te n ce d th e r e u n d e r to s uf f e r R. I . f or l if e w i th a f in e o f Rs . 10, 000/ - a n d R. I . f o r 10 y e ar s wi th a f i n e of Rs . 10, 000/ - re s p e cti v e l y un d e r th e a f or es a i d co u n ts wi th d e f a u l t s ti p u l a ti o n s . T h e ja i l s e n te n ce s a r e d i r e cte d to ru n co n cu rr e n tl y .
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19. 01. 2 00 9 Ya s h p a l Si n g h @ B a b i Ra ja ( s i n ce d e ce a s ed) a n d G u l a b a Ra ja k ( P W- 4) we r e p r o ce e d i n g to v i l l a ge Pawai fr o m village Ku m h ar i on a m o to r cy cl e . The d e ce a s e d wa s d r i v in g th e m o to r cy cl e an d Gu a b Ra ja k w as s i tti n g o n th e p i l l i o n s e a t. A t a b o u t 11: 30 a . m . w h e n th e ir m o to r cy cl e w as n e g o ti a ti n g a N a l a ( wa ter ch a n n e l ) a n a n o th e r m o to r cy cl e ca m e f r o m b e h i n d , u po n w h i ch tw o pe rs o n s w e r e s i tti n g . T h e p i l l i o n ri d e r of th e m o to r cy cl e fi r e d a t G u l a b Ra ja k . He su s ta i n e d f ir e in ju r y i n th e l e f t s i d e o f h is ch e s t. Th e r e af te r , th e as s a i l an t f ir e d 3 to 4 sh o ts a t th e d e ce a s e d . As a re s u l t, th e d e ce a s e d d i e d o n th e s p o t. On th e sa m e d a y G u l a b Ra ja k l o d g e d th e F I R Ex. P - 4 a t a b o u t 1: 30 p . m . a t P o l i ce S ta ti o n P a v a i , d e s cr i b i n g th e p hy s i ca l a p p e a r a n ce s o f b o th th e a ss a i l a n ts , ty p e s o f cl o th e s a n d th e i r co l o u r th e y w or e an d th e i r a p p a r e n t a g e gr o u p . Th e p o l i ce Pavai r e g i s te r e d th e cr i m e against tw o u n kn o w n o f f en d e r s u n d e r S e cti o n 307/ 34 a n d 302 r /w 34 o f th e I . P . C. a t Cr i m e N o . 9/ 2009.
I n th e co u r s e o f i n v e s ti g a ti o n , i t wa s f o un d th a t th e a p p e l l a n t h a d d e e p r o o te d o l d e n m i ty w i th th e d e ce a s ed o n a cco u n t o f wh i ch h e a n d a b s co n d i n g co - a ccu s ed D h a r m e n dr a S i n g h co m m i tte d th e cr i m e .
L e a rn e d co u ns e l f o r th e a p p e l l a n t su b m i ts th a t th e a p p e l l a n t h as b e e n i n p r i s o n s i n ce 27. 10. 2 01 1 a n d th er e i s n o l ik e l i h o o d of th i s a p p e a l b e i n g h e ar d o n m e r i ts i n r e ce n t f u tur e , as th i s a p p e a l i s o f th e y e ar 2013. T h e appeal would ta k e co n s i d e r a b l e ti m e to d is p o s e of f i n a l ly . It is al s o su b m i tte d by hi m th a t no tes t i d e n ti f i ca ti o n p ar a d e o f th e a p p e l l a n t w as h e l d f or h is i d e n ti f i ca ti o n b y G u l a b Ra ja k af te r h is ar r es t. I t i s a l s o s u b m i tte d by him th a t he ha s not i d e n ti f i e d th e a p p e l l a n t a s th e p e r p e tr a to r o f th e cr i m e i n th e tr i a l C o u r t w h i l e g i v i n g th e e v i d e n ce . H e ha s o n l y s ta ted i n e v i d e n ce th a t tw o u nk n o w n o ff e n d e r s co m m i tte d th e cr i m e . Is is fu r th e r su b m i tte d b y h i m th a t th e co n v i cti o n o f th e a p p e l l a n t i s e n ti r e l y b as e d u p o n th e e v i d e n ce o f S ur e n d r a S i n g h ( P W- 1) , wh o is M a m a ( m a te r n a l u n cl e) o f th e d e ce a s e d . Th e I . O. S h o b h ar a m ( P W- 14) re co r ded h i s ca s e d i ar y s ta te m e n t o n 25. 07. 20 09, w h er e a s , th e d a te o f in ci d e n t i s 19. 01. 20 09. T h us , th e r e is a d e l a y of near about 6 m o n th s in r e co r d i n g h is ca s e di a r y s ta te m e n t. T h e I . O. fa i l e d to e xp l a i n s a ti s f a cto r i l y i n p a r a 5 o f h i s cr o ss - e xa m i n a ti o n a s to w h y th e r e i s a d e l a y of n e ar a b o u t 6 m o n th s i n r e co r d i n g h i s ca s e di ar y s ta te m e n t. I t is a l s o su b m i tte d b y h i m th a t S ur e n dr a S i n g h i n p ar a s 7 to 11 o f h i s cr o s s - e xa m i n a ti o n ha d n o t r e p l i e d sa ti s f a cto r i l y wh e n he sa w th e a p p e l l a n t a n d a b s co n d i n g a ccu s e d D h ar m e n d r a Singh fi r i n g at th e d e ce a s e d a n d Gu l a b Ra ja k, w hy h e h a d n o t l o d g e d th e FIR of th e i n ci d e n t, i n f or m e d th e p a r e n ts of th e d e ce a s e d a n d ta k e n th e d e ce a s e d a n d Gu l a b Ra ja k f r o m th e p l a ce o f o ccu r r e n ce to th e h os p i ta l . I t i s f ur th er s u b m i tte d b y h i m th a t Su r e n d ra S i n g h h as s ta te d i n pa ra 10 of hi s cr o s s - e xa m i n a ti o n th a t th e p o l i ce r e co r d e d hi s ca s e d i ar y s ta te m e n t 2 o r 3 d a ys af te r th e i n ci d e n t a n d h e to ta l l y d e n i e d th e fa ct th a t hi s ca s e d i a ry s ta te m en t w as re co r d e d 6 to 7 m o n th s af te r th e i n ci d e n t, w h er ea s , th e I . O. in p ar a 5 of h is cr os s - e xa m i n a ti o n h as a d m i tted th a t th e ca s e d i ar y s ta te m e n t o f S ur e n d r a S i n g h w a s r e co r d e d o n 25. 07. 2 00 9. As s u ch , S u r en d r a S i n g h l i ed o n th e p o i n t. I t i s a l s o su b m i tte d b y hi m th a t th e p o l i ce h a d n o t r e co v e r e d th e w e a p o n o f th e cr i m e i. e . fi r e a r m a t th e in s ta n ce of th e a p p e l l a n t. I n v i ew o f th e a b o v e , th e i m p u g n e d ju d g m e n t of th e tr i a l Co u r t w as to ta l l y b a s ed upon th e m is s - a p p r e ci a ti o n and m i s s - re a d i n g of th e e v i d e n ce o f S ur e n d r a S i n g h , w h er e a s , h e i s a p p a r e n tl y a co n co c te d e y e w i tn e ss . H e n ce , h e p r ay s to a l l o w th e I . A. L e a rn e d p a n e l o p p o s e s th e p r ay e r . I t i s su b m i tted b y h i m th a t th e tr i a l C o u r t ha s r i g h tl y re l i e d u p o n th e e v i d e n ce of S ur e n d r a S in g h .
H a v in g ta k e n in to co n s i d e r a ti o n th e su b m i s s i o n s r a is e d o n b e h a l f of th e p a r ti e s b y th e i r co u ns e l and h a v i n g p e ru s e d e a ch an d e v e r y ev i d e n ce o f pr o s e cu ti o n w i tn e s s car e f u l l y al o n g wi th w ri tte n o b je cti o n s s u b m i tte d b y th e r es p o n d e n t, w e a r e o f th e v i e w th a t i t i s a fi t ca s e fo r su s p e n s i o n of ja i l s e n te n ce an d gr a n t of b a i l to th e a p p e l l a n t, th e r ef o r e , th e I .A . i s a l l ow e d . T h e e xe cu ti o n o f r e m a in i n g ja i l se n te n ce o f th e a p p e l l a n t is h e r e b y su s p e n d e d an d i t i s o r d e r e d th a t h e sh a l l be r e l e a s e d o n b a i l s u b je ct to d e p o s i ti n g th e fi n e a m o un t, i f a n y , a n d f ur n i s h in g a p e r s o n a l b o n d i n th e s u m o f R s . 7 5 , 0 0 0 / - ( Ru pe e s s e ve n t y f i ve t h ou sa n d o nl y ) w i th o n e s o l v en t s ur e ty o f th e s a m e a m o u n t to th e s a ti s f a cti o n o f th e tr i a l co u r t. On b e i n g re l e a s e d o n ba i l , th e a p p e l l a n t s h a l l a p p e a r b e f o r e th e Re g i s tr y o f th i s C o u r t f ir s t ti m e o n 13. 07. 201 5 a n d th e r e a f te r o n al l s u ch d a te s a s m a y b e f i xe d b y i t i n th i s re g a r d , u n ti l f ur th er o r d e rs .
L i s t th e ca s e f o r fi n a l h e ar i n g i n d u e C o ur s e . C e r ti f i e d co p y a s p e r Ru l e s.
(S h a n ta n u Ke m k a r ) ( Ra je n d r a M ah a ja n )
Judge Judge
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