RAMVILAS Vs. STATE OF M P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In these appeals, the appellants challenge the correctness of the judgment passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur in Criminal Appeals No.377 of 1995 and 481 of 1995 whereby the High Court confirmed the conviction and sentence awarded to the appellants by the trial court under Sections 302 read with Section 149 IPC, 324, 323 read with Section 149 IPC and 148 IPC.

(2.) Case of the prosecution is that on 23.07.1991 at about 7.00 O'clock in the morning at village Hathighat, deceased-Bansilal had gone towards the riverside to attend nature's call. One Harisingh Kachhi (PW-7), Jagdish (PW-13) and Noor Khan (PW-9) came to the house of Narmada Prasad (PW-3) and informed him that the accused-appellants were assaulting his brother-Bansilal. Narmada Prasad (PW-3) immediately rushed to the spot alongwith them and near 'otla' of Hardul Baba, he noticed that all the appellants armed with lethal weapons had surrounded his brother-Bansilal. Appellants Chhotelal, Kailash and Suresh were armed with spears, appellant-Ramvilas was armed with pistol, whereas appellants Ramsingh and Gorelal were carrying lathis with them. When Bansilal tried to escape, appellant-Ramvilas fired a shot from his pistol and when Bansilal fell down, appellants Chhotelal and Kailash attacked him with spear on his scalp and forehead. When Narmada Prasad (PW-3) tried to intervene, appellant-Kailash attacked Narmada Prasad with spear and caused injury below his right eye. Then Uma Bai (PW-5) sister of the deceased and Sona Bai-mother of the deceased tried to save Bansilal, the appellants Kailash and Ram Singh also attacked them. Appellant-Ramvilas intimidated and threatened the persons present there and said that if anybody would intervene, he would be shot dead. The appellants gave repeated blows to Bansilal by spear and lathis and then fled away. Injured Bansilal was immediately taken to the hospital where he was declared dead. On the complaint lodged by Narmada Prasad (PW-3), brother of the deceased, FIR was registered in Criminal Case No.131 of 1991 under Sections 147, 148, 149, 341 and 302 IPC at PS Nasirullahganj. After due investigation, the appellants were prosecuted under Sections 148, 302, 302 read with Section 149, 324, 324 read with Section 149, 323 and 323 read with Section 149 IPC.

(3.) Upon consideration of the evidence, the trial court convicted the appellant-Ramvilas and other accused under Sections 302 read with Section 149, 324, 323 read with Section 149 and 148 IPC and sentenced them to undergo life imprisonment and further imposed sentence of imprisonment for other offences. On appeal, the High Court confirmed the conviction of the appellants and also the sentence of imprisonment imposed on each of them. These appeals assail the correctness of the impugned judgment. On application filed onbehalf of the appellants, the appeal was dismissed as withdrawn qua the appellants Suresh (A1), Kailash (A2) and Ram Singh (A4) by the Chamber Judge Order dated 18.02.2013.