ATUL KUMAR AND ORS. Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ALL the aforementioned appeals are being disposed of by a common judgment as the appellants therein have challenged the judgment and order dated 22.1.2011 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Ludhiana.

(2.) VIDE impugned judgment and order, the trial Court convicted and sentenced the appellants as under: -

(3.) THE facts of the case are that on 12.5.2006 at 7.20 a.m. ASI Balwinder Singh was present at Ghumar Mandi in connection with patrolling where Savi Sachdeva alongwith her brother -in -law Ravi Sachdeva appeared and got recorded her statement that her husband Rajesh Sachdeva was running a shop under the name and style of 'Raghav Jewellers'. Her brother -in -law Ravi Sachdeva was also running the shop with his brother Rajesh Sachdeva. On 11.5.2006, her husband had closed the shop at about 8.15 p.m. She called him at about 10.30 p.m. to know as to why he had not reached home, who told her that he was taking something with his friend and would reach home soon. Her husband called her some time later and told her that he was going with his friend in connection with some urgent work. She asked him to come back home and change clothes as he might have to stay out for 2/3 days. However, on the morning of 12.5.2006, when she learnt that the shop of her husband had been set on fire, she alongwith her brother -in -law Ravi Sachdeva reached the shop and saw that the air conditioner of the shop was burnt and the locks were lying open with keys. She stated that the keys of the shop always remained in the possession of her husband, who had not returned home.