RAJDEO SINGH Vs. STATE OF BIHAR NOW JHARKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The accused appeals.

(2.) The appellant, Rajdeo Singh @ Bhanjan Singh @ Manjan Singh, was tried and convicted under section 302 and on being convicted, he was sentenced to imprisonment for life. The present appeal is against the said conviction and sentence.

(3.) The facts necessary to dispose of this appeal are as follows: Lalita Kumari, deceased in this case, is the daughter of P.W.4, Beni Sahu. P.W.8, Gita Devi, is the mother of the deceased. P.W. 1, Jitan Kumari, is the friend of the deceased. The deceased and Jitan Kumari, P.W. 1, went to Jungle at about 3.00 p.m. on 14-4-1994 to collect dead woods. After collecting dead woods, they were returning to their house with bundles of wood on their head. When they were on their way to the house, the appellant appeared before them and caught hold of the hands of Lalita Kumari. The deceased protested. The appellant took out a dragger from his waist and inflicted stab injuries on various part of her body including her neck. The deceased fell down crying, but the appellant continued to attack her and inflicted 8 or 10 injuries on her persons. On seeing dastardly attack on the deceased, P.W. 1 ran towards the village. On reaching the village, she informed P.W. 4 Beni Sahu, father of the deceased, P.W.8, Gita Devi, mother of the deceased and P.W. 2, Ramdhani Sahu, a villager, P.W. 3, Tarkeshwar Sahu and then P.W. 7, Ram Sewak Sahu. She narrated the whole incident to them. They went to the place and thereafter P.W. 1 gave the fardbeyan, Ext. 2, at the police station at 5.30 p.m. This was registered as a crime and investigation was taken up by P.W. 5, Niranjan Mandal. He conducted inquest over the dead body of Lalita Kumari by preparing inquest report, Ext. 3. The Police Officer, after conducting inquest, sent the dead body to the hospital for post mortem, on receipt of which, P.W. 12, Dr. Arun Kumar, conducted autopsy on the dead body and found the following injuries:-