IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 15 of 2007 For Approval and Signature:
HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE JAYANT PATEL HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE PARESH UPADHYAY ==================================================== 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ?
2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ?
3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ?
Whether this case involves a substantial question of 4 law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ?
5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ?
==================================================== AMITKUMARSINH RAJENDRAPRASAD SINH - Appellant(s) Versus THE STATE OF GUJARAT - Opponent(s) ==================================================== Appearance :
MR GAJENDRA P BAGHEL for Appellant Mr.Pandya APP for State ==================================================== CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE JAYANT PATEL and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE PARESH UPADHYAY Date : 28/03/2012 CAV JUDGMENT (Per : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE PARESH UPADHYAY)
1. This appeal is directed against the judgment and order passed by learned Sessions Judge, Surat in Sessions Case No.235 of 2005, dated 23rd November, 2006, whereby the appellant has been convicted for offence punishable under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code and is sentenced to undergo life imprisonment. The learned Sessions Judge has further imposed fine of Rs.15,000/- and in default of payment of fine, has ordered imprisonment for 2 years and 6 months. The appellant was charged for offences under Sections 376 and 188 of IPC, however, for the said offenses, the learned Sessions Judge has acquitted the appellant. It is against this judgment and order, the appellant is before this Court.
2. The case of the prosecution in brief is to the effect that the appellant, original accused and the uncle of the appellant had taken on rent Nirmala Medical Stores from complainant Akhileshkumar Devsharan Shah, with Rs.14,000/- rent per month, and had paid Rs.40,000/- as deposit to the complainant. Thereafter, the appellant, original accused and the uncle of the appellant had taken another shop on rental basis near the above Nirmala Medical Store and had started furniture work in the said shop which the complainant did not like and demanded the possession of his shop back from uncle of the appellant. Initially they refused to hand over the possession of the said shop however after the mediation of one Sunilbhai Shah, compromise took place and the appellant, original accused and the uncle of the appellant agreed and handed over the possession of the property in question to the complainant. This episode annoyed the the appellant and keeping the same in mind, on 10.7.2005, at about 8.00 p.m. when the wife of the complainant Smt.Chandnidevi, who was pregnant by about seven moths and was alone at home, the appellant entered the house of complainant and raped her and attacked her with knife and inflicted blows on the throat of Chandnidevi and killed her. The appellant thus committed offences punishable under Sections 376 and 302 of the I.P.C. The prosecution had also charged that in-spite of Police Commissioner's prohibitory orders for use of dangerous weapons, the appellant committed offence using dangerous weapon and thus the appellant had committed offence punishable under Section 188 of the I.P.C. FIR in this regard being C.R. No.I-122/2005 was lodged in Pandesara Police Station, Surat City, initially against unknown person. The case was investigated by the police, the accused was arrested and the charge-sheet was filed before the competent Court.
The case being triable by the Court of Sessions, the same was committed to the Sessions Court and the charge was framed against the present appellant vide Exh.6.
3. The prosecution, to prove the case against the appellant, had examined 14 witnesses, the details of which are recorded by the learned Sessions Judge in paragraph No.4 of the judgment. The prosecution had relied on 14 documentary evidences to prove the charge against the appellant, the details of which are mentioned in paragraph No.5 of the judgment. Thereafter learned Sessions Judge heard the parties, recorded the further statement of the appellant under Sec. 313 of the Cr.P.C., and came to the conclusion that the charge against the accused, the present appellant is proved to the extent of committing offense under Sec.302 of I.P.C., and therefore convicted the accused for the same. Learned Sessions Judge however found that the other part of the charge i.e. the appellant having committed offences punishable under Sec.376 and 188 of I.P.C. is not proved beyond reasonable doubt and therefore acquitted the accused to that extent. State has not challenged this part of the judgement. It is the original accused, who is before this court, challenging that part of the judgement by which he is convicted under Sec.302 of I.P.C.
4. We have heard Shri Baghel learned advocate for the appellant and Shri K.L.Pandya, learned APP for the State. We have gone through the entire record.
5. From the record, we find that, Dr.Swapnil Sudhirkumar Agrawal is examined as PW-1, Exh.10. He is the doctor who had performed postmortem of the victim. From his deposition, the following facts are proved.
The victim had sustained following external injuries:
(1) Bluish red contusion present over (L) side of face, 1 cm front of (L) ear, 8 X 4 cm size.
(2) Reddish brown abrasion present over ® side of chin, 3 X 1 cm size.
(3) Bluish red contusion present over (L) breast in upper half, size 4 X 1 am on inner quadarant and 1 X 0.5 cm size on outer quadarant (bite mark)
(4) Bluish red contusion present over (R) side of chest below midpoint of collar bone, 6 cm (R) to midline, 5 X 2 cm size.
(5) Multiple bluish red contusions present over back of (L) elbow & upper forearm, outer aspect, in an area of 12 X 5 cm, varying 1-5 cm in length, 1-2 cm in width. No palpable fracture. Above injuries are antemortem in nature & fresh (within 24 hrs. of death).
(6) Cutthrot wound (incised wound) present over front & sides of neck, transverse, starting 7 cm below (R) ear, passing 7 cm below chin, extending up to 9 cm below (L) ear, 12 X 3.5 cm X neck structures deep, margins clean cut.
(7) Stab wound present over (L) side of neck, horizental 10 cm below (L) ear 11 cm (L) to midline 1 X 0.3 cm X muscle deep both angles acute directed downwards inwards and backwards margins clean cut.
(8) Stab wound present (L) side of neck 8 cm below (L) ear 3 cm (L) to midline oblique 1.2 X 0.3 cm X neck muscle-deep margins clean both angles acute directed downwards, inwards and backward.
(9) Incised wound present over front of neck in midline horizental 0.5 cm below injury No.6, 2 x 1 cm x muscle- deep.
Uteres enlarged : 24 X 21 cm cavical length: 4 cm.
Contains female foctus : 33 cm in length (6-7) months.
This witness in his deposition has explained the injuries which are reflected in the postmortem report, which are referred to herein above. In his deposition, he has stated that external injury Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 were possible to have been caused by the mudamal article i.e. knife which is recovered at the instance of the accused. These injuries, in his view, were sufficient to cause the death of the victim in natural course.
6. The accused was also found, having sustained injuries. The accused was treated by Dr.Vinesh Babulal Shah. This Dr.Vinesh Babulal Shah is examined as PW-8 at Exh.31. In his deposition, it comes on record that the accused had following injury marks:
(1) reddish brown coloured abrasions, seven in number in an area of 5 cm.x3 cm. and 7 cm.below from right wrist at the backside of right hand. They were 0.5 cm. x 0.5 cm. to 0.3 cm. X 1.2 cm. in size.
(2) an abrasion of 0.5 cm. in size at the backside or right hand on index finger at the base part. It was brownish red.
(3) There was brownish red abrasion of 0.8 cm.X 0.2 cm. in size and 2 cm. outer to injury no.2.
(4) There was brownish red abrasion of 1 cm. x 1 cm. over left side of his cheek and 2 cm. above injury No.2.
(5) There was an abrasdion of 1 cm. X 0.2 cm. in size over left side of cheek and 2 cm. above injury No.4.
(6) There was brownish red abrasion of 2.5 cm. X 0.2 cm. in size over left side of neck and 10 cm. below left ear.
(7) brownish red abrasion of 1 cm.x 0.8 cm. in size over right cheek and 10 cm. below right angle of mouth.
7. One Virendra Mahendrabhai Modi, PW-3 is examined at Exh. 16 and from his deposition, the recovery of knife and the towel, in which it was wrapped, is proved to have been recovered, at the instance of the accused.
8. One Noor Ahmed Satar Shaikh is examined as PW-9 at Exh.33. He was pancha witness to the recovery of clothes of the accused. He stated that in the police station, the accused was wearing the blood stained shirt which was taken by police. Pants and undergarment of the accused was also taken by the police. He confirms that the mudamal article which is shown to him at the time of trial is the same which was taken off by the police from the body of the accused, in the police station.
9. The serological report Exh.50 reveals that the blood group of the accused is A and that of the victim was AB. It further states that, on the knife as well as the towel in which the said knife was wrapped, blood stains, of the blood group of the victim were found. It also revels that, on the shirt of the accused also, blood stains, of the blood group of the victim were found. Thus, FSL report connects the accused with the commission of offence.
10. Abdul Rahim Ahmed Shaikh is PSI is examined as PW-13 at Exh.41. In his deposition, he stated that on 10th July, 2005 at about 11.30 night, he received a phone call that one dead body of woman is lying in the house at Plot No.93 of Shaktinagar. Therefore, he had immediately reached the spot. It was on the first floor. The body had injury wound on the throat/neck. Two ladies standing at there were taken help of, to see if the victim was raped and it apparently looked that there was a rape. Thereafter, I went to police station along with the complainant and at about 00.15 on 11.7.2005 the complaint was taken and same was sent to PSO for registering the offence and as per the oral instructions of Commissioner of Police, Surat, investigation thereof was given to Detection of Crime Branch.
11. Kanubhai Kishorbhai Patel, Police Sub Inspector is examined as PW-14 at Exh.43. In his deposition, he narrated that the investigation of offence registered with Pandesara Police Station vide FIR I-C.R.No.122/2005 was given to him. Pursuant to the orders of the Commissioner of Police, he had completed the procedure of inquest and sending the body for postmortem, panchnama of scene of offence, recovery of blood stains, pillow covers, etc. from the scene of offence. Further, he had taken statements of different persons like landlord Jayantibhai and his Sonalben, Avdheshbhai, Pankaj Shah etc. He states that on 11.7.2005 the accused was not found. On 12.7.2005 when the accused was found, he was questioned. Thereafter, he was arrested and his clothes were recovered. He has narrated the theory of discovery of weapon, knife and the towel in which the knife was raped at the instance of the accused.
12. Mr.Akhileshkumar Devsaran Shah, who is complainant and husband of the deceased, is examined as PW-2 at Exh.13. In his deposition, he has explained in detail, the financial transactions which he had with one Anuj, the uncle of the accused, appellant. Both, Anuj and the accused, were in the business of medical store and had taken the medical store of the complainant on rent. They had thereafter decided to start new medical store near by itself and had started furniture work for the new shop, on which the complainant had asked Anuj, to give back the possession of his medical store, which Anuj had initially refused, that is how dispute started, however, subsequently the possession was given but financially, the account was not squared off. Insistence of the complainant to vacate the medical store had annoyed Anuj and his nephew Amit and that was the motive to take revenge.
13. PW-5 Avdhesh Shah who is brother of complainant is examined at Exh.23. In his deposition, he has also narrated the dispute of handing over the possession of medical store by Anuj with the complainant.
14. Sonalben Jayantibhai Amin, PW- No.6 is examined at Exh.29. She is landlady staying at the ground floor of the house No.93 at Shaktinagar and in that very house, on the first floor, the victim and the complainant were staying. In her deposition, she has stated that in the evening, from the water tap in front of the house, two boys (Lalit and Amit) were doing the job of taking the water (storage for household on the first floor) through pipe. After their taking of water was over, she had taken the water from her house. Thereafter, she had gone to the market. After returning, she was busy with her household work and at night, when she was winding up her kitchen, the complainant came and shouted that his wife is wounded and bleeding, and everybody ran upstairs. Thereafter, she saw the victim lying in the bed and her throat was wounded and was bleeding. She further stated that, on the asking of the police, she had gone upstairs and the police wanted to verify, prima-facie, whether before murder, rape was also committed. The wife of the brother of the complainant and this witness had lifted the clothes of the deceased to verify, prima-facie, whether rape has committed or not. But this prosecution witness states that she had not seen anything. At this stage, she was declared hostile and she was cross examined. In her cross examination, she says that at about at about 8 O'Clock in late evening, the dark skin boy, who is relative of the complainant and one more boy with fair skin both had come back to her place and they were going upstairs. In the cross examination by the accused, she says that generally, after the water storage work is over on the first floor, the pipe is pulled on the first floor itself and on the date of incident, after the pipe was taken off from the tap, the black skin boy had gone upstairs.
15. Lalitkumar Bejhnath Prasad PW-7 is examined at Exh.30. In his deposition, he stated that the complainant is his cousin brother. He i.e. Lalit had gone to Surat on 4.7.2005 i.e. just 6 days before the date of incident and he was staying with Akhilesh his wife Chandnidevi (the deceased) and Pankaj, thus, 4 persons. After coming to Surat, he started working with Pankaj in his medical store. He stated that on 10th July, 2005 at about 7.30 in the evening, he had come to the home for water storage. On way to home, the appellant, accused Amitkumar met him and he said that he will accompany him after doing the job for water storage. Thereafter, Lalit and Amit both reached home. Thereafter, the landlady Sonalben came and she asked whether the water storage job is over. Thereafter, she went inside the home. Thereafter, Chandni (the deceased) had pulled the pipe upstairs and thereafter, both Lalit and Amit walked out therefrom. While Lalit was going towards shop, he saw Amit going back to the home of the deceased. He further stated that at about 10 O'Clock night, while he was returning from his medical store, he and Pankaj had stopped at Subham Medical Store where the complainant came and said that somebody has killed his wife and on hearing this, all four i.e. Lalit, Pankaj, Akhilesh and Avadhesh ran towards home. On way, Vandanaben (wife of Avdhesh) met and all went upstairs the home, where the victim was lying on the bed. She had serious injuries on her throat and it was bleeding. Other members from the Society also gathered there and landlord Jayantibhai had telephoned police and police also came there. Thereafter, the dead body of the deceased was taken to hospital.
16. On the basis of the above evidence, which came on record, learned Sessions Judge came to the conclusion that the charge against the accused, the appellant herein, was proved beyond reasonable doubt about commission of offence punishable under Section 302 of IPC.
17. Learned counsel for the appellant contended that there is no strong motive for commission of offence. In his submission, the family of the victim as well as the accused are coming from the nearby villages of State of Bihar and the dispute regarding handing over of possession of medical store was already settled and thus there is no motive. This argument of learned counsel can not be accepted for the reason that, from the evidence, it transpires that for the rented property dispute and financial transactions, the complainant i.e. the husband of the victim and the uncles of the present accused, with whom the appellant was working and residing, did have strain relations and the appellant being young blood had nurtured the animosity and committed the offence in question, which is duly corroborated by other circumstances, including medical and scientific evidence and therefore, only on the ground that the possession of the property in question was already handed over back to the complainant, by itself is no ground to negate the motive alleged upon appellant in commission of offence and therefore, the contention of learned counsel for the appellant in this regard is meritless and is dismissed.
18. Learned counsel next contended that the theory of the last seen together is also not supported by the deposition of Sonalben PW-6. In this regard, it is required to be noted that Lalit, and the accused had gone to the house of the deceased for the purpose of storage of water for household and after finishing that job, both had left that place. However, from the deposition of Lalit, it has come on record that the accused thereafter, turned back and went towards the house of victim. This aspect is confirmed even by the accused himself in his further statement recorded by the learned Sessions Judge under Section 313 of Criminal Procedure Code. In view of this, even this contention of learned counsel is required to be rejected.
19. Learned counsel for the appellant has also contended that the situation of the house was such that, while the victim would have shouted and would have screamed, it is unbelievable that it is not heard by the neighbours. The fact of the victim having been found injured in the house and after people gathered there and police came and she was taken to the hospital, collectively go to show that the offence has taken place in the house on the first floor itself and only because neighbours have not come forward to confirm, they had heard screaming of the victim itself would not care any situation which can be said to be beneficial to the appellant, when there are other material evidence available on record.
20. It is also required to be noted here that if the injury sustained by the victim vis-a-vis injury sustained by the accused himself are seen and weighed together, the appellant was required to explain the injury marks on his body. As recorded herein above, in the deposition of Dr.Viren Babulal, PW-8, who had treated the accused, has narrated the injuries on the body of the accused. This aspect is put to the notice of the accused, appellant, by learned Sessions Judge while recording his further statement under Section 313 of Cr.P.C. The accused has flatly denied that he had any injury at all. Thus, in absence of any explanation about the injuries on the body of accused himself, on the face of other corroborative evidence, including medical and scientific evidence, one more circumstance gets added against the appellant.
21. Learned advocate for the appellant Shri Baghel has contended that this is the case of circumstantial evidence and in such cases, the chain about the commission of offence should be completed. The law with regard to circumstantial evidence is well settled. Reference in this regard may be made to the observations of the Hon'ble the Supreme Court of India in the case of Aftab Alam Ansari V/s. State of Uttranchal reported in AIR 2010 SC 773. The Hon'ble The Supreme Court while upholding the conviction recorded under circumstantial evidence, inter-alia, observed thus:
“4. This Court has heard the learned counsel for the parties and considered the documents forming part of the appeal. It is relevant to notice that the prosecution has not claimed that the rape and murder of the deceased was witnessed by anyone and no direct evidence regarding the same is adduced before the court. Admittedly, the whole case against the appellant rests on circumstantial evidence. The law relating to circumstantial evidence is well settled. In dealing with circumstantial evidence, there is always a danger that conjecture or suspicion lingering on mind may take place of proof. Suspicion howsoever strong cannot be allowed to take place of proof and, therefore, the Court has to judge watchfully and ensure that the conjectures and suspicions do not take place of legal proof. However, it is no derogation of evidence to say that it is circumstantial. Human agency may be faulty in expressing picturization of actual incident but the circumstances cannot fail. Therefore, many a times, it is aptly said that "men may tell lies, but circumstances do not". In cases where evidence is of a circumstantial nature, the circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt is to be drawn should, in the first instance, be fully established. Each fact must be proved individually and only thereafter the Court should consider the total cumulative effect of all the proved facts, each one of which reinforces the conclusion of the guilt. If the combined effect of all the facts taken together is conclusive in establishing the guilt of the accused, the conviction would be justified even though it may be that one or more of these facts, by itself/themselves, is/are not decisive. The circumstances proved should be such as to exclude every hypothesis except the one sought to be proved. But this does not mean that before the prosecution case succeeds in a case of circumstantial evidence alone, it must exclude each and every hypothesis suggested by the accused, howsoever extravagant and fanciful it might be. There must be a chain of evidence so far complete as not to leave any reasonable ground for conclusion consistent with the innocence of the accused and it must be such as to show that within all human probability, the act must have been done by the accused. Where the various links in a chain are in themselves complete, then a false plea or a false defence may be called into aid only to lend assurance to the Court. If the circumstances proved are consistent with the innocence of the accused, then the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt. However, in applying this principle, distinction must be made between facts called primary or basic on the one hand and inference of facts to be drawn from them on the other. In regard to the proof of basic or primary facts, the Court has to judge the evidence and decide whether that evidence proves a particular fact or not and if that fact is proved, the question arises whether that fact leads to the inference of guilt of the accused person or not. In dealing with this aspect of the problem, the doctrine of benefit of doubt applies. Although there should be no missing links in the case, yet it is not essential that every one of the links must appear on the surface of the evidence adduced and some of these links may have to be inferred from the proved facts. In drawing these inferences or presumptions, the Court must have regard to the common course of natural events, and to human conduct and their relations to the facts of the particular case”.
Keeping above principle in mind, if we examine the facts of this case, the evidence which has come on record, which is discussed above, goes to show that learned Sessions Judge has not committed any error in coming to the conclusion that the chain of circumstances, linking the accused with the commission of offense is proved beyond reasonable doubt.
22. Considering the totality of the facts and evidence, which has come on record, as discussed hereinabove, when the learned Sessions Judge came to the conclusion that the charge against the sole accused of committing offence punishable under Section 302 of IPC is proved, in our view, it can not be said that learned Sessions Judge has committed any error and therefore, no interference is called for and appeal is, therefore, dismissed.
( JAYANT PATEL, J.) ( PARESH UPADHYAY, J.) (ashish)