SOHAN LAL Vs. STATE OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellants in these appeals were held guilty and convicted by the additional sessions judge, by judgment dated 18.09.2002, and awarded punishment, by order on sentence dated 23.09.2002. The appellants had approached this Court by these appeals presented in October, 2002 feeling aggrieved by the judgment dated 18.09.2002 and order on sentence dated 23.09.2002, governing two sessions cases (no. 42/1997 and 41/1997). Since the two cases were inter-connected, evidence having been commonly led, and read, the background facts and the persons involved being also common, they have been heard together for being decided by this common judgment.

(2.) The background facts leading to the prosecution which culminated in the impugned judgment being passed, to the extent borne out from the indisputable material on record, need to be taken note of at the outset.

(3.) Lata (deceased) and Geeta (PW-1) were sisters. Their mother Leelawati (PW-16) along with her other children including son Madan Lal (PW-8) were residents at the relevant point of time of house no. 6, Boulevard Road, Tis Hazari, Delhi, which would fall within the jurisdiction of police station Sabzi Mandi. Lata, Geeta and Madan Lal had three more brothers and three other sisters, one of the other brothers, Brij Lal (PW-2), also being a witness on whose testimony the prosecution rested its case. The family also included Dayawati (PW-15), wife of Madan Lal, and Meenakshi (PW-9), wife of Brij Lal, though it may be added that the said other brother was a resident of another property. Lata, it may be noted here was the elder one, she having studied upto seventh standard, Geeta, the junior sibling having gone to school upto ninth standard.