RAJ PAL Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Raj Pal and his wife Munni Devi were tried by a Additional Sessions Judge on the charge of murdering Shanti Devi by sprinkling Kerosene oil on her and setting her on fire on 14th November, 1980 at 3.30 p.m. The Additional Sessions Judge, found both the accused guilty of the offence charged with and sentenced both of them to imprisonment for life. Against their conviction and sentence both the accused have preferred separate appeals. This judgment should dispose of Criminal Appeal Nos. 24 of 1982 by Raj Pal and 25 of 1982 by Munni Devi.

(2.) The premises bearing No. M-31 Sham Nagar, Delhi was owned by Tilak Raj (P.W 1). Both the accused, the deceased Shanti Devi and her husband Ram Nath, and P.W. 9 Chander Dev alongwith his wife and two children lived in the said premises in three different rooms adjoining each other. The room in occupation of the accused adjoining the room in occupation of Ram Nath and the room with Chander Dev adjoined the room of accused. Chanderdev was a rickshaw puller and he sometimes worked for Tilak Raj. Ram Nath and Raj Pal accused did the work of fixing hand pumps. Ram Nath was a tenant for about 1 year, Chander Dev came to live at the said premises 2/4 months prior to the occurrence and the accused came to occupy the room about a month before the occurrence.

(3.) The deceased gave birth to three children but unfortunately none survived. According to P. W. 9 the deceased and the accused Munni Devi frequently exchanged abuses. P.W 9 however, stated that he did not notice any particular case for the inimical relations between the accused and Ram Nath and his wife.