STATE OF PUNJAB Vs. DALBIR SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal at the instance of the State has been preferred from the judgment of the Division Bench of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh, dated July 27, 2005 in Criminal Appeal No. 250/1996 whereby High Court gave the appellant the benefit of doubt and acquitted him of the charges framed against him.

(2.) Briefly, the facts of the case are that the respondent Dalbir Singh, a constable in 36 th Battalion Central Reserve Police Force, at the relevant time was posted at Fatehabad, District Amritsar, Punjab. On April 11 th , 1993, Harish Chander, the Battalion Havaldar Major (hereinafter 'B.H.M.') in 'Company D' of the Battalion, reported to Hari Singh, the Deputy Commandant Quarter Master (hereinafter 'Deputy Commandant'), that the accused had refused to carry out the fatigue duty assigned to him. On such report being made, the Deputy Commandant directed the B.H.M. and Sub Inspector Kewal Singh to produce the accused before him. As per these directions, the accused was produced before the Deputy Commandant at 11:15 a.m. Upon being warned verbally about his non compliance of the orders for fatigue duty, the accused requested the warning to be issued in writing. Upon such a response, the Deputy Commandant ordered the B.H.M. and the Sub Inspector to have the accused present before him the next morning.

(3.) However, immediately after these talks, the Deputy Commandant's office saw firing from a Self Loading Rifle (SLR), even as the Deputy Commandant himself and the B.H.M. were inside it. As the Deputy Commandant positioned himself underneath a table, he allegedly noted that it was the accused who was firing from a rifle from a tent pitched outside. He was allegedly hit in his back. The B.H.M. sustained multiple bullet injuries in his shoulders.