Citation : 2016 Latest Caselaw 1849 Bom
Judgement Date : 26 April, 2016
1 apeal744.03
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY,
NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR.
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.744 OF 2003
The State of Maharashtra,
through the P.S.O., Police Station,
Nagbhid. .... APPELLANT
VERSUS
Sarvdaman alias Manohar Bagmare,
Aged about 43 years,
Occupation - Cultivation,
R/o Bhikeshwar, Tahsil - Nagbhid,
District - Chandrapur. .... RESPONDENT
______________________________________________________________
Shri S.S. Doifode, Additional Public Prosecutor for the appellant,
Shri M.P. Khajanchi, Advocate for the respondent.
______________________________________________________________
CORAM : Z.A. HAQ, J.
DATED : 26 APRIL, 2016.
th
ORAL JUDGMENT :
1. Heard Shri S.S. Doifode, Additional Public Prosecutor for
the appellant and Shri M.P. Khajanchi, Advocate for the respondent.
2 apeal744.03
2. State of Maharashtra has filed the appeal challenging the
judgment passed by the learned Special Judge acquitting the accused
of the offences punishable under Sections 504, 506 and 323 of the
Indian Penal Code and Sections 163 and 164 of the Bombay Village
Panchayats Act, 1958 and Section 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
3. The case of the prosecution is :
On 14-12-1999 at about 4-00 p.m., the accused obstructed the
complainant - Aawadtabai Sahadeo Shamkule when she was taking
she-buffaloes to cattle pond and the accused intentionally insulted her
by abusing her on her caste. According to the complainant, the
accused was knowing that the complainant belongs to Scheduled Caste
and to humiliate her the accused had abused the complainant at a
public place in public view. The accused had assaulted the
complainant by fist and blows after felling her down by holding her
hair. The incident was witnessed by some villagers.
The complainant lodged report with the police station, the crime
was registered, the investigation was conducted and charge-sheet was
filed before the learned Magistrate. As the offence is triable by the
Court of Sessions, the matter was committed to the Court of Sessions.
3 apeal744.03
The charges were framed, read over and explained in vernacular to the
accused. The accused did not accept the guilt and claimed to be tried.
The learned Special Judge conducted the trial and by the impugned
judgment concluded that the prosecution failed to prove that the
accused had abused the complainant on her caste with intention to
humiliate her, in public view at a public place. The learned Special
Judge concluded that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused
had assaulted the complainant and had hurt her. The learned Special
Judge acquitted the accused.
4. With the assistance of the learned Additional Public
Prosecutor for the appellant and the learned Advocate for the
respondent, I have examined the record.
5. The report (Exhibit No.15) lodged by the complainant on
14-12-1999 shows that the complainant had complained that the
accused obstructed her and insulted by giving abuses and assaulted
her. The report does not contain any averment which can constitute
an abuse relating to the caste of the complainant. The averments
regarding abuses on the caste of the complainant are found in the
second report dated 19-12-1999. The prosecution has not explained
4 apeal744.03
the necessity of recording the second report. The statements of the
witnesses were recorded after receipt of the report dated 14-12-1999
and after receipt of the report dated 19-12-1999 again the statements
of the witnesses were recorded. The medical examination report of the
complainant is not on record. The learned Special Judge has doubted
the claim of the complainant that the accused continued the assault for
about fifteen minutes, observing that if the assault had continued for
fifteen minutes in the presence of villagers as alleged, someone might
have intervened.
6. The learned Special Judge has scrutinized the evidence
and other material on record properly and has recorded that the
prosecution has failed to establish, beyond doubt that the accused is
guilty of commission of offence for which he was charged. The
conclusions of the learned Special Judge are based on proper
appreciation of the evidence and other material on the record and it
cannot be said that there is any error or perversity in the conclusions of
the learned Special Judge.
5 apeal744.03
I see no reason to interfere with the judgment. The appeal
is dismissed.
JUDGE
pma
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