HARNAM SINGH Vs. STATE OF M P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE appellants were tried for offences under Sections 147, 148 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (for short IPC) or in the alternative under Section 302 read with deadly weapons, they had committed murder of Deokaran Singh or in the alternative, they all committed his murder in prosecution of common object of unlawful assembly of which these seven appellants were members on 21st September, 1979, at 5 p.m. at village Barghwar, P.S. Kareli.

(2.) THE Sessions Judge, Narsinghpur by his judgement dated 8th February, 1980 acquitted the appellants. The State filed an appeal against acquittal and the son of the deceased Deokaran Singh also filed a revision application. The High Court came to the conclusion that the judgement of the trial Court was perverse and, on the appraisal of the evidence, it set aside the acquittal of the appellants and convicted each one of them under Section 304 Part -II read with Section 149, I.P.C. Different sentences were imposed. It is against this judgement that appeal by special leave has been filed.

(3.) THE case of the prosecution was that prior to 21st September, 1979 the date of the incident, construction of a road from Kareli to Baghwar had commenced. The contractor for the work was one Jethabhai (CW -1). The contraction work was being done near the huts of Hari Ram and Sukh Ram (father of Sushilabai PW -3). As there were disputes with regard to the location of the road in the village, opinion of the members of the Gram Panchayat had been sought by the contractor a couple of days earlier. One opinion was that the road should pass near the huts of Hari Ram and Sukh Ram which would involve damaging their huts and, to this proposal, the deceased Deokaran Singh was opposed. It is alleged that on the morning of 21st September, 1979 Deokaran Singh had protested against the construction of the road which would result in the damage to the huts of the poormen and, therefore, the work appears to have been deferred. Later that day at about 5 p.m. Deokaran Singh again passed that way and he found that the construction of the road had begun in a manner which would adversely affect the huts of Hari Ram and Sukh Ram. He again protested. It was then that a number of persons assaulted Deokaran Singh with pickaxe, axe and spade etc. which implements were being used in the construction work and were readily available at the spot, thereby causing injuries to Deokaran Singh which led to his death on the spot.