STATE OF JHARKHAND Vs. LAKHAN RAI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Death Reference as well as Criminal Appeal arises out of the judgment dated 24-6-2005 passed by the 3rd Additional Sessions Judge, Palamau at Daltonganj in Sessions Trial No. 60 of 2003 whereby the learned trial Court convicted the appellant Lakhan Rai for the offence under Sections 302 and 307 IPC and awarded him the death sentence for the said offence.

(2.) The charge against the appellant was for committing the murder of his old father, mother, his wife, his three sons, his only daughter, his three nieces (brother's daughters) and also for causing serious injury on the person of his 4th niece (brother's daughter) who died after 21 days of the incident.

(3.) From the record of the lower Court, it appears that the appellant had pleaded guilty at the time of charge but the learned trial Court in the interest of justice put him on full trial. In course of trial altogether 14 witnesses were examined out of whom, 13 witnesses were examined as PWs whereas 14th witness namely Madhuri Devi was examined as a Court witness. In course of trial the informant Bigan Rai died.