RAM RANJAN ROY Vs. EMPEROR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Ram Ranjan Roy a zemindar in the Bankura district, Umesh Chandra Mookerjee, one of his gomastas, and Madhab Mistri, his up-country peon, have been charged with offences which resulted in the death of Dhan Kristo Laik and his nephew Banwari Laik, tenants of Ram Ranjan. The charges against Ram Ranjan were that he, on or about the 18th of March 1914, at Dejuri, committed murder of Dhan Kristo Laik by striking him with a lathi and thereby killing him, and also that he committed murder of Banwari Laik by being present and abetting Madhab Mistri in striking and thereby killing him. Umesh Chandra Mookerjee was also charged with the murder of Banwari by being present and abetting Madhab. The charge against Madhab Mistri was that he murdered Banwari, and that he caused simple hurt to Hari Laik.

(2.) Umesh has been acquitted. Ram Ranjan has been acquitted of the murder of Dhan Kristo, but convicted of the murder of Banwari by being present and abetting Madhab Mistri. And Madhab Mistri has been convicted of both the offences with which he was charged. The sentence in each case has been transportation for life. Ram Ranjan and Madhab have appealed, but no appeal has been preferred by the direction of the Local Government, We, therefore, have to assume that Ram Ranjan was not guilty of the murder of Dhan Kristo or of any offence against him of a lesser degree.

(3.) I will here state the broad features of the case for the prosecution, largely borrowing for the purpose from the first information as-contained in Ex. I. Ram Ranjan, on the 6th of March, came to his village of Dejuri and put up at the Durga mela. He was anxious to secure his tenants assent to an enhancement of their rents, and sent for some of them, with a view to discussing the matter. The zemindar s demands were resisted, and ultimately on the 8th of March he summoned Banwari through Madhab Mistri, to whom I will in future refer as the Nagdi.