RULI RAM Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) POLITICAL battles are increasingly being fought with bullets and not with ballots. Innocent lives are lost and in some cases of those who have no role to play therein.

(2.) TWO young boys, Manohar and Satish, aged about 10 and 12 years respectively (hereinafter referred to as the 'deceased' by the respective names) lost their lives allegedly on account of one such battle. The two accused-appellants Ruli Ram and his son Ramesh were said to be responsible for taking away their lives. The trial Court i.e. the Court of Session at Hissar held the accused-appellants guilty under Section 304, Part II of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short 'IPC'). In appeal by the State a Division Bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh held that the accused-appellants were to be convicted under Section 302, IPC. The trial Court awarded sentence of 10 years R.I. imprisonment; but the High Court substituted it by imprisonment of life.

(3.) BY a common judgment the Additional Sessions Judge as noted above convicted the accused-appellants under Section 304, Part II, IPC, while others were convicted for other offences. The accused-appellants as well as the State filed appeals before the High Court. BY a common judgment High Court disposed of the appeals. While appeal filed by the accused-appellants was dismissed, that of the State as indicated above was allowed. Judgment in said appeals is the susbject-matter of challenge in the present appeals.