KONDAGIRI LAITARA Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The two appellants stood charged under S.302 read with S.34 of the I.P.C. with having committed the murder of Tadingi Enkana (to be described hereinafter as 'the deceased') by intentionally causing his death in furtherance of their common intention on April 15, 1979 at village Pudapai in the district of Koraput. The prosecution had alleged that P.W.2 and his father had performed a Puja in a hill and had sacrificed a goat and distributed meat to the villagers including the two appellants who took exception as they had not been pulling on well with the other side. The appellant Mina returned the meat to P.W.2 while P.W.2, his father and the deceased were present in the house. P.W.2 and the deceased then went to the house of the appellants and challenged them as to why meat was returned. At this, the appellant Laitara came out of his house with a Tangia (M.O.I) and dealt a blow by its blunt side on the chest of the deceased as a result of which the latter fell down. The other appellant Mina, son of the appellant Laitara, then came to the spot, picked up a stone (M.O.II) lying there and dealt blows on the head, chest and testicles of the deceased. P.Ws.2, 4 and 6 were the witnesses to the occurrence. P.W.4, it was alleged, had snatched away M.O.I from the hands of the appellant Laitara. The deceased succumbed to the injuries on the spot. On the basis of the first information report lodged by P.W.1, investigation followed and on its completion, a charge-sheet was placed and the appellants were prosecuted.

(2.) P.W.9 was the doctor who had conducted the autopsy and had noticed injuries on the head and chest of the deceased sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death. He had, however, not noticed any injury on the testicles of the deceased. There could be no doubt from the medical evidence that death of the deceased was homicidal in nature. This aspect has not been challenged before us.

(3.) Accepting the evidence of P.Ws.2, 4 and 6, the learned Sessions Judge held that the charge against the appellants had been established. We have been taken through the relevant evidence at the hearing of this appeal.