SANTOSH KUMARI Vs. STATE OF J AND K

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Appellant is the widow of late Mr. Surinder Singh, who was murdered at about 9:00PM on June 28, 2007. Criminal Appeal No. 1660/2011 is directed against judgment dated October 20, 2010 rendered by the learned Single Judge of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu in Criminal Revision No. 29 of 2008 by which the order dated March 24, 2008 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Kathua framing charges under Sections 302, 109, 147, 148 read with Section 149 of Ranbir Penal Code against Respondent Nos. 3 to 7 is set aside and the matter is remanded to the learned Judge, Samba to consider the case in terms of Sections 267, 268 and 269 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989 (1933 A.D.) (as applicable in the State of Jammu and Kashmir). Criminal Appeal No. 1661 of 2011 is directed against order dated October 20, 2010 passed by the learned Single Judge of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu in 561-A Code of Criminal Procedure No. 54 of 2009 by which prayer made by the Respondent of the present appeal to quash order dated March 24, 2008 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Kathua in a Criminal Challan being File No. 33 of 2007 titled as State v. Subhash Singh and Others framing charge against him for commission of offences under Sections 302, 109, 147, 148 read with 149 of Ranbir Penal Code, is allowed. Criminal Appeal No. 1662 of 2011 is directed against judgment dated October 20, 2010 passed by the learned Single Judge of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu in Bail Application No. 26 of 2010 by which the Respondent Nos. 3 to 7 have been released on interim bail pending trial against the Respondents for above mentioned offences. As the three appeals arise out of common judgment and order dated October 20, 2010 rendered by the learned Single Judge of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Criminal Revision No. 29 of 2008, petition filed under Section 561-A Code of Criminal Procedure No. 54 of 2009 and Bail Application No. 26 of 2010, this Court proposes to dispose of them by this common judgment.

(2.) The case of the prosecution is that Respondent Nos. 3 to 8 in criminal appeal No. 1660 of 2011 formed an lawful assembly on 29-06-2007, common object of which was to murder Surinder Singh and in prosecution of the common object of the said assembly, Respondents Nos. 3 to 8 mounted a murderous assault on Surinder Singh, husband of the Appellant, at village Sanoora, District Samba (J & K). The injured was immediately shifted to hospital for treatment. On the basis of the information given by the Appellant, FIR No. 113/2007 under Section 307 read with 109 of Ranbir Penal Code was registered at police station Hiranagar, in connection with the aforesaid incident on June 29, 2007. On July 2, 2007 injured Surinder Singh succumbed to his injuries in Military Hospital, Satwari, and Jammu and, therefore, offence punishable under Section 302 of Ranbir Penal Code was added. On the basis of FIR lodged by the Appellant, investigation was undertaken. During the course of investigation statement of the Appellant and other witnesses were recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1989. The dead body of the deceased was sent for postmortem examination. After completion of the investigation, the investigating agency had filed charge sheet in the Court of learned Magistrate for offences punishable under Sections 302, 109, 147, 148, 149 of the Ranbir Penal Code. As the offence punishable under Section 302 is triable exclusively by a Court of Sessions, the case was committed to Sessions Court for trial. The learned Additional Sessions Judge, after hearing the prosecution and the accused on the question of framing charge, framed necessary charge on March 24, 2008 against each accused for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 109, 147, 148, 149 of Ranbir Penal Code.

(3.) Feeling aggrieved by the framing of above mentioned charges by the trial court on March 24, 2008, the Respondent Nos. 3 to 7 in Criminal Appeal No. 1660 of 2011 preferred Criminal Revision No. 29 of 2008 before the High Court. The High Court by order dated June 6, 2008 issued notice and summoned the record of the case from the trial court. On March 20, 2009, the Respondent No. 8, who is original accused No. 6, preferred a petition No. 54 of 2009 under Section 561-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure to quash order dated March 24, 2008 passed by the trial court framing charges against him for commission of offences punishable under Sections 302, 109, 147, 148 read with 149 of the Ranbir Penal Code. During the pendency of above numbered petitions, the High Court by order dated August 13, 2009 sent back the record to the trial court and granted liberty to the Respondent Nos. 3 to 8 to seek bail from the trial court. When the above numbered Revision and the petition filed under Section 561-A were pending disposal before the High Court, the prosecution examined three eye witnesses to the occurrence viz. (1) Santosh Kumari, i.e., the Appellant herein, (2) Surishta Devi and (3) Shakti Devi. It may be stated that the Appellant and the Shakti Devi have fully supported the case of the prosecution.