MAHABIRBISWAS Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Mahabir Biswas and Shiba alias Bijoy Krishna Dutta, the two appellants herein, along with six others, including one Amit Haldar alias Pagla, were arraigned before the Court of Session for offences punishable under Ss. 364/34, 302/34, 201/34 and 379, I.P.C. On conclusion of the trial the Court, while recording an order of acquittal in favour of four, convicted the other four including the two appellants and Amit Haldar under S. 302/34, I.P.C. but acquitted them of the charge under S. 201/34, I.P.C. As regards the charges under Ss. 364/34, I.P.C. and 379, I.P.C. the Court recorded a finding that those were redundant in the facts and circumstances of the case and, as such, did not pass any formal order of conviction and sentence in respect of the same. For the conviction under S. 302/34, I.P.C. the two appellants were sentenced to death and the other two to imprisonment for life. The reference made to the High Court under S. 366, Cr.P.C. for confirmation of the sentences of death and the appeal preferred by the appellants were heard together and by the impugned judgment the High Court while upholding the conviction of the two appellants commuted their sentence to imprisonment for life. Hence this appeal by special leave.

(2.) Bereft of details the case of the prosecution is as under. On March 20, 1987 at or about 10.30 p.m. Pabitra Bhattacharjee and Tapan Ghosh (the two victims) along with one Shambhu Debnath were returning to their respective houses in a rickshaw from Naihati Railway Station rickshaw stand after being dropped there by Dr. Tarun Adhikari, the local M.L.A. On the way Shambhu Debnath got down from the rickshaw in front of his house. Immediately thereafter some miscreants led by the two appellants came there, surrounded the two victims, dragged them out of the rickshaw and forcibly took them towards the nearby football ground. Information about the abduction of the two victims was given to the members of their families by Shambhu Debnath on the same night, who in their turn, informed the local police station. In spite of vigorous searches conducted by the members of the victims families and the police they could not be traced. However, on the following morning, their dead bodies were found lying by the side of a water tank on Adahata Road, Naihati with their hands tied and multiple injuries on their persons. Thereafter on a written complaint lodged by Debaprasad, the younger brother of Pradip, a case was registered and on completion of investigation charge-sheet was submitted against the appellant and others alleging that alter forcibly taking the victims to the football ground the miscreants tied them with rope, killed them and removed their dead bodies to the nearby water tank.

(3.) The defence of the appellants, as it can be gathered from the trend of their cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses and the statements made by them in their examination under S. 313, Cr.P.C., was one of innocence and of false implication due to political rivalry.