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Sharanappa S/O Tukaram Kamble vs The State Aurad-B Ps
2024 Latest Caselaw 15429 Kant

Citation : 2024 Latest Caselaw 15429 Kant
Judgement Date : 3 July, 2024

Karnataka High Court

Sharanappa S/O Tukaram Kamble vs The State Aurad-B Ps on 3 July, 2024

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                                                      CRL.A No. 200031 of 2021
                                                  C/W CRL.A No. 200086 of 2016
                                                      CRL.A No. 200128 of 2016


                                 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

                                        KALABURAGI BENCH

                               DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF JULY, 2024

                                              PRESENT

                             THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ASHOK S. KINAGI
                                                 AND
                               THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K

                             CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 200031 OF 2021 (374)
                                              C/W
                                CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 200086 OF 2016


                               CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 200128 OF 2016


                      CRL.A NO.200031/2021

                      BETWEEN:

                      RATIKANTH
                      S/O SHARNAPPA KAMBLE,
Digitally signed by   AGE: 24 YEARS, OCC: NIL,
BASALINGAPPA          R/O HARIJANWADA, TQ: AURAD (B),
SHIVARAJ
DHUTTARGAON           DISTRICT: BIDAR -585 401.
Location: HIGH
COURT OF                                                           ...APPELLANT
KARNATAKA
                      (BY SRI. B. C. JAKA, ADVOCATE)

                      AND:

                      THE STATE BY AURAD- B P.S.
                      DISTRICT: BIDAR
                      REPRESENTED BY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
                      HIGH COURT BUILDING,
                      KALABURAGI- 560 001.
                                                              ...RESPONDENT
                      (BY SRI. SIDDALING P. PATIL, ADDL. SPP)
                            -2-
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                                CRL.A No. 200031 of 2021
                            C/W CRL.A No. 200086 of 2016
                                CRL.A No. 200128 of 2016


     THIS CRL.A. IS FILED U/S.374 (2) OF CR.P.C, PRAYING
TO SET ASIDE THE JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION AND ORDER
OF SENTENCE DATED 11.04.2015 IN S.C.No.41/2015 ON THE
FILE OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE AT
BIDAR, FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 302,
201, 120B, 109 R/W 34 OF IPC AND ACQUIT THE APPELLANT
OF THE OFFENCE CHARGED AGAINST HIM IN THE INTEREST
OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.


IN CRL. A NO.200086/2016

BETWEEN:

MR. PINTU @ YESU,
S/O BABURAO KAMBLE,
AGED ABOUT 25 YEARS,
R/AT, HARIJANWADA, AURAD-B,
DISTRICT: BIDAR - 577513.

                                             ...APPELLANT
(BY SRI. B. C. JAKA, ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE BY AURAD-B P.S
DISTRICT- BIDAR
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
HIGH COURT BUILDING,
KALABURAGI- 560001.

                                          ...RESPONDENT
(BY SRI. SIDDALING P. PATIL, ADDL. SPP)

     THIS CRL.A. IS FILED U/S.374 (2) OF CR.P.C, PRAYING
TO SET-ASIDE THE JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION AND ORDER
OF SENTENCE DATED 11.04.2015 IN S.C. NO.41/2015 ON THE
FILE OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE AT
BIDAR, FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 302,
201, 120B, 109 R/W 34 OF I.P.C AND ACQUIT THE APPELLANT
OF THE OFFENCE CHARGED AGAINST HIM IN THE INTEREST
OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
                             -3-
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                                 CRL.A No. 200031 of 2021
                             C/W CRL.A No. 200086 of 2016
                                 CRL.A No. 200128 of 2016


CRL.A NO.200128/2016

BETWEEN:

SHARNAPPA
SON OF TUKARAM KAMBLE,
AGE: 44 YEARS, OCC: MISTRI WORK,
R/O HARIJAN WADA AURAD-B,
TQ. AURAD-B,
DISTRICT: 585 426.

                                              ...APPELLANT
(BY SRI. B. C. JAKA, ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE BY AURAD-B P.S
DISTRICT- BIDAR
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
HIGH COURT BUILDING,
KALABURAGI- 560001.

                                            ...RESPONDENT
(BY SRI. SIDDALING P. PATIL, ADDL. SPP)

       THIS CRL.A. IS FILED U/S.374 (2) OF CR.P.C, PRAYING
TO SET-ASIDE THE JUDGMENT AND CONVICTION AND ORDER
OF SENTENCE DATED 11.04.2016 IN S.C. NO.41/2015 ON THE
FILE OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE AT
BIDAR, FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 302,
201, 120B, 109 R/W 34 OF I.P.C AND ACQUIT THE APPELLANT
OF THE OFFENCE CHARGED AGAINST HIM IN THE INTEREST
OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.


       THESE APPEALS, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS
DAY RAJESH RAI K J., DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
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                                     CRL.A No. 200031 of 2021
                                 C/W CRL.A No. 200086 of 2016
                                     CRL.A No. 200128 of 2016


                          JUDGMENT

directed against the judgment of conviction and order of

sentence passed by the Court of Principal District and

Sessions Judge, Bidar in S.C.No.41/2015 dated

11.04.2016, wherein the learned Sessions Judge convicted

the accused/appellants for the offences punishable under

Sections 302 r/w Section 34 of IPC r/w Section 120-B, 109

and 201 of IPC. Thereby, learned Sessions Judge

sentenced them to undergo imprisonment for life and to

pay a fine of Rs.5,000/- each for the offences punishable

under Sections 302 r/w Section 34 of IPC r/w Section 120-

B and 109 of IPC (the imprisonment for life means the

imprisonment till end of his natural life). Further, they

sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period

of three years and to pay a fine of Rs.2,000/- each for the

offence punishable under Section 201 r/w Section 34 of

IPC. In default of payment of fine, they directed undergo

simple imprisonment for a period of one year during their

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time of imprisonment for life. Further directed that, all the

substantive sentences shall run concurrently.

2. The factual matrix of the prosecution case is as

follows:

It is the case of prosecution that the accused No.4

and 1 are the father and son. Deceased is the mother of

the accused No.4 and grandmother of accused No.1. The

complainant-PW.1 is the younger brother of deceased

Laxmibai. Accused No.4 working as Mestri, involved in bad

vices and always quarreling with his mother i.e., deceased

to give money, the complainant used to pacify the quarrel

between deceased and accused No.4. The accused No.1

without going to School, wandering here and there and he

was also quarreling with his grandmother i.e., deceased by

insisting her to give gold and cash for his bad vices. The

complainant had advised them not to indulge in such

activities, however the accused No.4 did not heed to the

advice made by the complainant. When this being the

scenario, on 27.11.2014 at morning 7:00 a.m., the

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accused No.4 had telephoned to the complainant stating

that some persons have assaulted his mother i.e.,

deceased and requested him to come to his house.

Accordingly, the complainant and his sister Janabai (PW.5)

went to the house of the deceased in the morning hours at

about 9:00 a.m. and saw the bloodstained mat and broken

Bangle pieces in the court yard of the house and saw the

dead body of his sister which was buried, leg and heels

were visible. Hence, PW.1 lodged the complaint before the

Police suspecting that accused No.1-Rathikanth and

accused No.4-Sharnappa might have murdered the

deceased with sharp edged weapon in the intervening

night of 26.11.2014 and 27.11.2014 and must have buried

the dead body by digging pit in the court yard. Based on

such complaint lodged by PW.1, PW.29-PSI of Aurad Police

Station registered the FIR in Crime No.384/2014 dated

27.11.2014 against accused Nos.1 and 4 for the offences

punishable under Sections 302 and 201 r/w section 34 of

IPC.

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3. Thereafter, PW.33-the Investigation Officer

conducted the investigation and come across that the

accused No.1 had called upon his friends i.e., accused

Nos.2 and 3 and made a conspiracy to snatch the cash and

gold by committing his grandmother's murder, after the

act, they would share cash and gold. Accordingly, accused

Nos.2 and 3 have agreed to the said act and on the night

of 27.11.2014 at about 00:15 hours, accused No.1 tip off

accused Nos.2 and 3 to stand outside the house and to

inform him, if anybody comes and accordingly, accused

Nos.2 and 3 stood outside the house. Accused No.1 raised

TV volume and took big stone and assaulted on the left

cheek and face of the deceased who was sleeping, thereby

committed murder and also assaulted the deceased with a

wooden repiece on the leg of the deceased and made up

jolt and also assaulted on the neck of the deceased with

sickle and assaulted on her stomach. Thereafter, accused

Nos.1, 2 and 3 have taken the dead body of the deceased

outside the house and dig a pit and buried the dead body

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in the said pit. Accordingly, after completion of the

investigation by obtaining necessary documents from the

concerned authority, PW.33 filed the charge sheet against

accused Nos.1, 2 and 4 for the offences punishable under

Sections 302, 201, 109, 120-B r/w section 34 of IPC,

before the Committal Court. However, accused No.3 is a

minor and he tried before Juvenile Justice Board, Bidar.

4. After committal of the case before the Sessions

Court, the prosecution in total examined 33 witnesses as

PWs.1 to 33 so also got marked 38 documents as Exs.P1

to 38 and got identified 14 material objects as MOs.1 to

14. On contrary, the accused have got marked 2

documents as Exs.D1 and 2.

5. After completion of the prosecution evidence,

the learned Sessions Judge read over the incriminating

evidences of the material witnesses to the accused as

contemplated under the provisions of Section 313 of

Cr.P.C. Though accused denied the same, they neither

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chose to examine any witnesses on their behalf nor got

marked any documents.

6. Post assessment of oral and documentary

evidence placed before the learned Sessions Judge, the

learned Sessions Judge convicted the accused for the

aforementioned offences and sentenced them as stated

supra. Being aggrieved by the said judgment, accused

No.1 preferred Crl.A.No.200031/2021, whereas accused

No.2 preferred Crl.A.No.200086/2016 and accused No.4

preferred Crl.A.No.200128/2016 to set-aside the judgment

of conviction and order of sentence passed by the Sessions

Court.

7. We have heard learned counsel B.C. Jaka for

the appellants/accused and learned Additional SPP Sri

Siddaling P. Patil for the respondent/State in all the

appeals.

8. It is the primary contention of the learned

counsel for the appellants that the learned Sessions Judge

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erred while passing the impugned judgment by convicting

the accused. The impugned judgment suffers from

perversity and illegality since the learned Sessions Judge

convicted the accused based on surmises and conjectures.

They would further submit that the entire case of the

prosecution rests on circumstantial evidence except the

Investigation Officer-PW.33 and other official witnesses,

i.e., PW.23 to PW.30, none of the material witnesses have

supported the case of the prosecution, as such, the

prosecution miserably failed to prove the charges leveled

against the accused by leading cogent corroborative

evidence. They would further contend that as per the law

laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in catena of

judgments, if the case is rests on the circumstantial

evidence, the prosecution has to prove the guilt of the

accused by proving the chain link of all the circumstances

by hypothesis guilt of accused. They would further contend

that the name of accused No.2 is not forthcoming in the

FIR i.e., Ex.P27, however, later he has been falsely

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NC: 2024:KHC-K:4528-DB

implicated in the case without any prima facie materials.

Accordingly, they pray to allow the appeals.

9. Per contra, learned Addl. SPP vehemently

contended that, after meticulously examining all the

materials available on record, the learned Sessions Judge

convicted the accused in a well reasoned judgment which

does not call for any interference by the hands of this

Court. He would further contend that the prosecution

successfully established the guilt of the accused beyond

reasonable doubt by the evidence of Investigation Officer-

PW.33 so also the other official witnesses i.e., PW.23 to

30. He would further contend that, though the other

material witnesses turned hostile to the prosecution case,

there is no bar to disbelieve the evidence of official

witnesses to bring home the guilt of the accused as held

by the Hon'ble Apex Court in catena of judgments.

Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the appeals.

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10. Having heard the learned counsel for the

respective parties so also perused the evidence and

documents made available before us, the points that

would arise for our consideration are:

1. Whether the judgment under these appeals suffers from any perversity or illegality?

2. Whether the learned Sessions Judge is justified in convicting the appellants/accused for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 201, 120-B, 109 r/w Section 34 of IPC?

11. This Court being the Appellate Court, in order

to, re-appreciate the entire material on record, it is

relevant to consider the evidence of prosecution witnesses

and the documents relied upon. On a cursory glance on

the evidence deposed by the witnesses before the trial

Court are as under:

(i) PW.1-Shivaram, the complainant and the

younger brother of deceased Laxmibai, lodged the

complaint as per Ex.P1 and deposed that accused No.1 is

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the grandson and accused No.4 is the son of the deceased.

However, this witness turned hostile to the prosecution

case by denying other averments of complaint lodged by

him as per Ex.P1.

(ii) PW.2-Lingamma and PW.3-Jagannath, the

witnesses for inquest panchanama drawn on the dead

body of the deceased as per Ex.P3. However, both the

witnesses were turned hostile to the prosecution case.

(iii) PW.4-Sunil, witness for Ex.P4 i.e., spot

mahazar, however this witness turned hostile to the

prosecution case.

(iv) PW.5-Janabai, the circumstantial witness and

also the younger sister of the deceased Laxmibai and

mother of PW.1. However, this witness turned hostile to

the prosecution case.

(v) PW.6-Umakanth, witness for Ex.P7 i.e., seizure

mahazar at the instance of accused i.e., the weapons

M.Os.12 and 13 used for the commission of crime by the

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NC: 2024:KHC-K:4528-DB

accused. However, this witness turned hostile to the

prosecution case.

(vi) PW.7-Goutam, son of PW.5 and the

circumstantial witness, turned hostile to the prosecution

case.

(vii) PW.8-Muktabai and PW.9-Shakuntala, the

circumstantial witnesses and relatives of the deceased.

However, these witnesses turned hostile to the

prosecution case.

(viii) PW.10-Mallikarjun, PW.11-Narsingh, PW.12-

Subhash and PW.13-Kashinath, the labourers of the Town

Panchayat who exhumed the dead body of the deceased

from the pit at the instructions of the Chief Officer in the

presence of the family members. However, all these

witnesses were partly turned hostile to the prosecution

case.

(ix) PW.14-Sheik Chand, the Chief Officer of Town

Panchayat who sent labourers i.e., PWs.11 to 13 from TMC

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Office for exhumation of dead body of the deceased. He

deposed that, he had given Khata Extract i.e., Ex.P17 of

the house of the husband of the deceased.

(x) PW.15-Ramesh and PW.16-Bhimrao, the panch

witnesses for cloth seizure of the deceased as per Ex.P18,

turned hostile to the prosecution case.

(xi) PW.17-Subhash and PW.18-Raju, the panch

witnesses for recovery of currency notes from the accused

as per Ex.P19, turned hostile to the prosecution case.

(xii) PW.19-Ashok and PW.20-Sanjukumar, the

panch witnesses for exhumation of the dead body of the

deceased as per Ex.P20, turned hostile to the prosecution

case.

(xiii) PW.21-Rahula, the witness for spot

panchanama Ex.P4, turned hostile to the prosecution case.

(xiv) PW.22-Lalappa, witness for seizure

panchanama-Ex.P7 i.e., cloths M.Os.12 to 14, turned

hostile to the prosecution case.

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(xv) PW.23-Rajendra K.V., The Taluka Executive

Magistrate conducted the panchanama and exhumation of

dead body as ordered by the Sub Divisional Magistrate,

Bidar and he prepared panchanama of exhuming body as

per Ex.P20. He recorded the statements of PWs.5, 15, 17,

18, 19 and identified the inquest panchanama-Ex.P3,

blouse and saree of deceased as M.O.1.

(xvi) PW.24-The Police Constable, carried the FIR to

the jurisdictional Magistrate.

(xvii) PW.25-Shobha, handed over the dead body of

the deceased and M.Os.1 to 3 to the relatives after

conducting post-mortem examination.

(xviii) PW.26-Santosh is the owner of land bearing

Survey No.66 measuring 3 acre 18 guntas situated at

Aurab Taluka where the robbed amount was hidden by the

accused.

(xix) PW.27-Veershetty Rathod, Assistant Engineer,

prepared the spot sketch as per Ex.P22.

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(xx) PW.28-Dr.Gayatri, conducted the autopsy over

the dead body and issued the postmortem report as per

Ex.P24 and also identified the FSL report as per Ex.P25

and given the final opinion as to the cause of death as per

Ex.P26.

(xxi) PW.29-Shivanand, the then PSI, registered the

FIR against the accused as per Ex.P27 based on the

complaint lodged by PW.1 as per Ex.P1.

(xxii) PW.30-Vivekanand, the Assistant Executive

Engineer, GESCOM, issued a Certificate as per Ex.P28 that

there was an electricity supply in the intervening night of

26.11.2014 and 27.11.2014 at Aurad village.

(xxiii) PW.31-Basavaraj, the circumstantial witness ,

turned hostile to the prosecution case.

(xxiv) PW.32-Ujjwala, the Presiding Officer of II Addl.

Senior Civil Judge and JMFC, Bidar deposed about the

request letter of the accused to record the confessional

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statement of accused No.1. However the accused had not

given such statement.

(xxv) PW.33-Siddappa, CPI, Rona, the Investigation

Officer in this case. After completion of investigation, laid

the charge sheet against the accused in this case.

12. On careful perusal of the above evidence, in

order to prove the homicidal death of the deceased

Laxmibai, the prosecution relied the evidence of PW.23-

the Taluka Executive Magistrate, whose presence inquest

panchanama on the dead body was conducted so also

PW.28-Doctor who conducted the postmortem

examination, Ex.P3-inquest Panchanama, Ex.P24-

postmortem report, Ex.P25-Forensic Science Laboratory

report and final opinion of the Doctor-PW.28 as per

Ex.P26. PW.29 conducted the inquest panchanama as per

Ex.P3. PW.23-the Taluka Executive Magistrate was present

during that time and had perused the injuries sustained by

the deceased. The Doctor has opined that the death is due

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to "hemorrhage and shock as a result of cut throat injury".

He further opined that, by sharp edged weapon if throat is

cut, then there are chances of occurring cut throat injury.

Hence, on conjoint reading of the above evidence, the

prosecution has proved that the death of deceased

Laxmibai was homicidal one. However, to connect the

accused for homicidal death of deceased, though the

prosecution examined PWs.1 to 22 the relatives of

deceased and other material circumstantial witnesses,

unfortunately, all of them have utterly turned hostile to

the prosecution case.

13. The Sessions Judge convicted the accused

solely based on the testimony of the Investigation Officer-

PW.33 and the evidence of other official witnesses. No

doubt, the testimony of official witnesses cannot be

discarded for the reason that they are the official

witnesses. In the same time, the Court must look into the

corroborative evidence to rely the testimony of official

witnesses. The Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Pradeep

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Narayan Madgaonkar and Others v. State of

Maharashtra reported in (1995) 4 SCC 255 held that

indeed the evidence of the officials (Police) witnesses

cannot be discarded merely on the ground that they

belong to the Police force and are, either interested in the

investigating or the prosecuting agency but prudence

dictates that their evidence needs to be subjected to strict

scrutiny and as far as possible corroboration of their

evidence in material particulars should be sought. Their

desire to see the success of the case based on their

investigation requires greater care to appreciate their

testimony.

14. Admittedly, the entire case of the prosecution

rests on circumstantial evidence. The Hon'ble Apex Court

laid the law in catena of judgments as how a case has to

be proved, if it rests on circumstantial evidence. The

panchasheela principles held by the Hon'ble Apex Court

way back in the year 1984 in the case of Sharad

Birdhichand Sarda v. State of Maharashtra reported in

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(1984) 4 SCC 116 which was re-iterated by the Hon'ble

Apex Court in the recent judgment i.e., Shankar v. State

of Maharashtra reported in 2023 SCC OnLine SC 268

held as under.

(1) the circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt is to be drawn should be fully established. It may be noted here that this Court indicated that the circumstances concerned 'must or should' and not 'may be' established. There is not only a grammatical but a legal distinction between 'may be proved' and 'must be or should be proved' as was held by this Court in Shivaji Sahabrao Bobade v. State of Maharashtra [(1973) 2 SCC 793] where the following observations were made:

19. ..."Certainly, it is a primary principle that the accused must be and not merely may be guilty before a court can convict and the mental distance between 'may be' and 'must be' is long and divides vague conjectures from sure conclusions."

(2) The facts so established should be consistent only with the hypothesis of the guilt of the accused, that is to say, they should not be explainable on any other hypothesis except that the accused is guilty,

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(3) the circumstances should be of a conclusive nature and tendency,

(4) they should exclude every possible hypothesis except the one to be proved, and

(5) there must be a chain of evidence so complete as not to leave any reasonable ground for the conclusion consistent with the innocence of the accused and must show that in all human probability the act must have been done by the accused.

15. By applying the principles laid down by the

Hon'ble Apex Court as above to the facts and evidence of

case on hand, in our considered view, the prosecution

miserably failed to prove all the circumstances except the

homicidal death of deceased. The dead body was not

exhumed at the instance of accused. Before their arrest

itself, the dead body of deceased was exhumed. Further,

the other circumstances like motive, recovery of weapons

used for the commission of crime, recovery of clothes of

the accused worn at the time of the incident are

concerned, though the prosecution examined the material

witnesses i.e., PWs.1-the brother of deceased, PW.5-the

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sister of deceased, PW.7-the son-in-law of the deceased,

PW.9-the relative of deceased, none of these witnesses

have supported the case of the prosecution. As per

prosecution, PWs.1 and 2 being the relatives were aware

about the harassment meted out by accused Nos.1 and 4

to the deceased for money to their bad vices, however,

both were not supported the case of prosecution. Though,

the Investigation Officer exhumed the dead body in the

presence of PW.23-Tahsildar, the same was conducted

before the arrest of accused. As such, the dead body was

not recovered at the instance of accused. Though the

learned Sessions Judge opined that the death of the

deceased was well within the special knowledge of

accused, they have to explain the same, if they have not

committed the murder of deceased, then who else has

committed the same. The said reasoning of the learned

Sessions Judges is totally misconceived, since the dead

body was exhumed before the arrest of accused. Further,

the initial burden lies on the prosecution to prove its case,

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then only such burden shifts on the accused to explain the

special knowledge. The recovery of the weapons which

were said to have been used for the commission of crime

i.e., M.Os.12 and 13, under Ex.P14 also not proved since

the mahazar witnesses for the same are totally turned

hostile to the prosecution case. The learned Sessions

Judge by relying the evidence of Investigation Officer and

the Doctor who conducted the autopsy, convicted the

accused that too in a case based on circumstantial

evidence. Hence, as per the settled position of law laid

down by the Hon'ble Apex Court supra, the impugned

judgment passed by the learned Sessions Judge calls for

interference.

16. We are aware of the fact that the ghostly

murder of age old lady by her own son and grandson at

her house goes unpunished, but to prove the act of

accused, absolutely no evidence is forthcoming on record.

Suspicion, however strong cannot find place of proof.

There is a long difference between 'may be' and 'must be'

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as held by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of

Narendra Singh v. State of M.P., (2004) 10 SCC 699

held in Paragraph No.30 as under:

30. It is now well settled that benefit of doubt belonged to the accused. It is further trite that suspicion, however grave may be, cannot take place of a proof. It is equally well settled that there is a long distance between "may be" and "must be".

17. In view of the above discussion, we are of the

considered view that the learned Sessions Judge erred

while convicting the accused since the prosecution failed to

prove the guilt of the accused beyond all reasonable

doubt. In that view of the matter, we answer point No.1 in

the affirmative and point No.2 in the negative and proceed

to pass the following:

ORDER

i. Criminal Appeal No.200031/2021 filed by accused No.1, Crl.A.No.200086/2016 filed by accused No.2 and Crl.A.No.200128/2016 filed by accused No.4 are allowed.

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ii.    The judgment of conviction and order of
       sentence     imposed          by   the    Principal

District and Sessions Judge, Bidar in S.C.No.41/2015 dated 11.04.2016 is set aside.

iii. Consequently, the appellants/accused Nos.1, 2 and 4 are acquitted for the offences punishable under Sections 302 read with Section 34 of IPC, read with Section 120-B and 109 so also offence punishable under Section 201 of IPC read with Section 34 of IPC.




       i.e.,   appellants    in      Criminal     Appeal
       Nos.200086/2016           and      200128/2016,

stand cancelled. The fine amount, if any, deposited by them shall be refunded to them on due identification.



v.     The Jail Authority is directed to release
       accused      No.1    in       Criminal     Appeal

No.200031/2021, forthwith, if he is not required in any other case.

- 27 -

                                    NC: 2024:KHC-K:4528-DB





       vi.     The operative portion of the judgment
               shall    be   communicated       to   the
               concerned Jail Authorities.




                                              Sd/-
                                             JUDGE




                                              Sd/-
                                             JUDGE

HKV

CT;BN
 

 
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