DEEPAK RAI Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These appeals are directed against the judgment and order passed by the High Court of Judicature at Patna in Death Reference No. 6 of 2009 and Criminal Appeal(DB) Nos. 989 of 2009 and 158 of 2010, dated 19.08.2010. By the impugned judgment and order, the High Court has confirmed the judgment of conviction, dated 17.09.2010 and order of sentence, dated 30.10.2009 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge cum FTC No. 2, Vaishali at Hazipur in Sessions Trial No. 195 and 571 of 2006, whereby the learned Sessions Judge has convicted the three accused-appellants for offence under Sections 120B, 148, 302 read with 149, 307 read with 149, 326, 429, 436 and 452 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short 'the IPC') and sentenced them to death.

(2.) The Prosecution case in a nutshell is: On the fateful night of 01.01.2006, the deceased informant (PW-7) was sleeping in the Varanda of his house and his wife alongwith the children, two daughters aged 12 and 10 years, respectively and three sons aged 8, 6 and 3 years, respectively were sleeping in the room inside the house. At around 01.00 A.M., he was awakened by the sound of footsteps of several people. In the dim light of a night bulb and further from their voices, he identified the persons who had come near his house armed with lethal weapons as appellant-accused persons and nine other villagers besides 10-11 unknown persons. Before the informant could escape, appellant- accused-Jagat Rai(A1) and Deepak Rai(A2) caught hold of him and pushed him on the ground whereafter 3-4 unknown persons got over his body and gagged him. Then A1 instructed few others to surround the house from all sides and sprinkle kerosene over it, while the other accused persons locked the door of the room where the informant's wife was sleeping alongwith the children and set the house on fire trapping them inside. Thereafter, they sprinkled kerosene over the informant's body and held him to the ground while A1 set the informant's mouth on fire by lighting a matchstick. Upon rising of a blazing flash of fire, the accused persons fled away leaving the informant behind. While the informant also attempted to escape, A2 fired at him but the informant managed an escape and raised alarm.

(3.) The fardbayan was recorded at 7:30 AM, on the basis of which an FIR was registered against the three appellant- accused and few others for the offence under Sections 147, 148, 149, 452, 342, 324, 326, 427, 436, 307 and 302 of the IPC at 9:00 AM on 01.01.2006. The motive of the occurrence was alleged to be the informant's refusal even after consistent threats by A1 to withdraw the FIR lodged by him for the theft of informant's buffalo against A1 and his family, in pursuance of which two members of his family were arrested. Upon investigation, the chargesheet was drawn against the aforesaid accused persons on 21.03.2006.