PALENDRA KUMAR ALIAS PALEN Vs. STATE OF CHHATTISGARH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal has been filed against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 22.10.2008 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge Bhatapara, Camp Court Baloda Bazar, Raipur, in Sessions Trial No. 08/2007 convicting the accused/appellant under Sections 302, 450 and 404 IPC and sentencing him to undergo imprisonment for life with fine of Rs. 500/- u/s 302; RI for five years with fine of Rs. 300/- u/s 450 and RI for three years with fine of Rs. 200/- u/s 404 IPC, plus default stipulations.

(2.) As per the prosecution case, acquitted accused Baital alias Chhotku hired the services of the accused/appellant herein and gave Rs. 10,000/- to him for committing the murder of his wife. Accused Baital alias Chhotku also assured the accused/appellant to get him bailed out in the event a case was registered against him. On 19.7.2007 when deceased Bhudhin Bai was in her house, the accused/appellant went to her house and committed her murder by first hitting her head against the wall and then tying her neck with his lungi and applyig pressure on her neck with the help of a club. Case of the prosecution further shows that after committing the murder of the deceased, the accused/appellant took out all her ornaments and kept the same in his house which were recovered on 21.7.2007 on his memorandum Ex. P-10 vide seizure memo Ex. P-11. Un-numbered merg Ex. P-22 was recorded on 19.7.2007 against unknown person and thereafter inquest on the dead-body was conducted on 20.7.2007 vide Ex. P-2. Body of the deceased was then sent for postmortem examination which was conducted by Dr. Bhan Singh Dhruv (PW-13) who gave his report Ex. P-18. Thereafter, numbered merg Ex. P-23 was recorded on that very day against unknown person followed by FIR Ex. P-22 registered on 21.7.2007. After filing of charge sheet, the trial Court framed the charge against the accused/appellant u/s 450, 302/34, 120-B and 404 and against accused Baital alias Chhotku u/s 302/34 and 120-B IPC.

(3.) In order to prove the complicity of the accused persons in the crime in question, the prosecution has examined 15 witnesses. Statements of the accused persons under Section 313 Cr.P.C. were also recorded in which they denied their guilt and pleaded innocence and false implication in the case.