IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE R.BASANT & THE HONOURABLE MRS. JUSTICE M.C.HARI RANI WEDNESDAY, THE 24TH FEBRUARY 2010 / 5TH PHALGUNA 1931 CRL.A.No. 780 of 2006() ----------------------- SC.153/2005 of III ADDITIONAL SESSIONS COURT (ADHOC), THRISSUR CP.19/2004 of JUDL. MAGISTRATE OF FIRST CLASS COURT, CHAVAKKAD .................... APPELLANT/ACCUSED --------------------- SUBRAMANIAN, S/O.VELU, THAMARASSERY HOUSE, CHANGADAM ROAD, EDAKKAZHIYOOR, PUNNAYOOR. BY ADV. SRI.P.VIJAYA BHANU SRI.P.M.RAFIQ RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT -------------------------- STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SRI.K.J.MOHAMMED ANZAR THIS CRIMINAL APPEAL HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 24/02/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: R.BASANT & M.C.HARI RANI, JJ. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Crl.A.No.780 of 2006 ---------------------------------------- Dated this the 24th day of February 2010 J U D G M E N T Basant,J In this appeal, the appellant assails the verdict of guilty, conviction and sentence imposed on him under Section 302 I.P.C. He faces a sentence of imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs.2,000/- and in default to undergo R.I for a period of six months for the charge levelled against him. The prosecution case, in short, is that the appellant/accused was employed as a driver abroad. He had returned to India on 07/10/2002. At about 4.30 a.m on 08/10/2002, inside the closed room used by the couple as their bed room, he allegedly inflicted the stab injuries described in Ext.P2 postmortem certificate on his wife. She succumbed to the injuries. Thereby the prosecution alleged that the appellant had committed the offence punishable under Section 302 I.P.C. 2. The investigation commenced with Ext.P1 F.I.statement lodged by PW1, a neighbour and the driver of the taxi car in which the appellant/accused was brought home from Crl.Appeal No.780/06 2 the airport by the deceased and the two children - Pws 2 and 8. Ext.P1(a) F.I.R was registered on the basis of Ext.P1. The alleged time of occurrence was 4.30 a.m on 08/10/2002. F.I.S was lodged and the F.I.R was registered at 6.30 a.m and the F.I.R Ext.P1(a) had reached the learned Magistrate at 2.15 p.m on the same date. PW11 Circle Inspector of Police had filed the final report/charge sheet after completing the investigation. 3. The case was committed to the court of Session by the learned Magistrate in accordance with the provisions of law. The learned Sessions Judge took cognizance of the offence. The appellant/accused denied the charges levelled against him and thereupon the prosecution examined PWs 1 to 13. Exts.P1 to P13 were also introduced in evidence. MOs 1 to 26 were marked. 4. In the course of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses and when examined under Section 313 Cr.P.C, the accused attempted to advance a defence that the deceased as well as he had suffered injuries at the hands of a person who had intruded into their house on that night. He examined DW1 and got Exts.D1 to D13(k) marked. Crl.Appeal No.780/06 3 5. The learned Sessions Judge, on an anxious consideration of all the relevant inputs, came to the conclusion that the prosecution had succeeded in proving all ingredients of the offence punishable under Section 302 I.P.C. Accordingly, the learned Judge proceeded to pass the impugned judgment. 6. Before us, the learned counsel for the appellant Adv.Sri.Vijaya Bhanu and the learned Public Prosecutor Sri.K.J.Mohammed Anzar have advanced their arguments. The learned counsel for the appellant argues that the court below was not justified in coming to the conclusion that the allegations against the appellant have been proved satisfactorily. At any rate, the appellant is entitled to the benefit of doubt which arises from the totality of the circumstances available in the case, argues the learned counsel for the appellant/accused. The learned Public Prosecutor, on the contrary, argues that there was sufficient, satisfactory and unimpeachable evidence to come to a firm conclusion beyond doubt that the appellant had caused the injuries on the deceased described in Ext.P2 and that he is guilty of the offence punishable under Section 302 I.P.C. Crl.Appeal No.780/06 4 7. The appellate judgment is, and has to be read as, a continuation of the judgment by the trial court. We do not, in these circumstances, think it necessary to re-narrate the oral and documentary evidence as also the other materials which were available before the court below. We shall be adverting to the relevant documents as and when necessary in the course of our discussions. Suffice it to say that the oral evidence of PWs 1 to 13 and DW1, the documentary evidence Exts.P1 to P13 and Exts.D1 to D13 have been read over to us in meticulous details by the learned counsel for the appellant. We have adverted to all such pieces of evidence anxiously. 8. The prosecution primarily relies on the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 to prove the occurrence. They are the children of the appellant and the deceased. It is the case of the prosecution that on that night, at the house of the accused where the deceased suffered injuries, there were only four souls - the deceased, the appellant and the two children PWs 2 and 8. PWs 2 and 8 were aged about 12 and 14 on the date of occurrence. The prosecution relies on the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 to prove before the court that the relationship between the Crl.Appeal No.780/06 5 deceased and the appellant was strained. The appellant used to torment and belabor the deceased both mentally and physically all through. On the date when he came back from his place of employment abroad that is on 07/10/2002 also, he had continued to indulge in such inhuman cruel behaviour from the point of time that he came out of the airport. The prosecution relies not only on the evidence of PWs 2 and 8, but also it relies on the evidence of PW1, the driver, in whose car the deceased, PWs 2 and 8 and a relative of the deceased had gone to the airport to fetch the appellant. The evidence of PWs 1, 2 and 8 suggest that as soon as the appellant came out of the airport and also in the car, the appellant had indulged in cruel behaviour against the deceased. He had allegedly beaten the deceased inside the car resulting in a bleeding injury from which blood allegedly fell on the shirt of PW1 which is marked as MO1. The prosecution relies on the evidence of PWs 2 and 8 to further contend that such cruel behaviour had continued even after they reached home. It is their version that when the baggage, which the appellant had brought was opened, there was MO2 knife which he had brought from abroad, which he stated was meant for the Crl.Appeal No.780/06 6 deceased. According to the children, their mother was insulted, abused and tormented by the appellant by allegations that she was unchaste during his absence. According to both PWs 2 and 8, the appellant and the deceased had gone to sleep on the eastern bedroom whereas PWs 2 and 8 had occupied the western bedroom. In the night, the children woke up hearing the cries of their mother. They went to the adjacent room. They saw the deceased being physically assaulted by the accused. The appellant/accused chased the children back to their room. He allegedly closed their room from outside. The children continued to hear the cries of their mother from the adjacent room. They heard the sound of the door of the adjacent room opening. Their mother, the deceased faltered to the door of their room. She opened the door and told them that she had suffered the injuries when the appellant stabbed her. She asked for water. Water was given to her. She was rushed to the hospital. She was declared dead at the hospital. 9. The crucial and the basic question to be considered is whether the court below was right in accepting and acting upon the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8. Except the incident in Crl.Appeal No.780/06 7 question, there is no reason why the children should be antagonistic to their father/the appellant. Going by the version of the appellant, he had brought a TV set etc. for the children. The children were very happy on getting the said gifts/presents from him. We find absolutely no reason why the children should speak falsehood against their father, the appellant. If the evidence of PWs 2 and 8 were believed, there can be no semblance of doubt that the deceased had suffered the injuries at the hands of the appellant. Not only the evidence of PWs 2 and 8 but also the dying declaration made by the mother/the deceased to PWs 2 and 8 also support the version of the prosecution eminently. The learned Public Prosecutor rightly relies on the provisions of Section 106 of the Evidence Act as explained in the decision in Trimukh Maroti Kirkan v. State of Maharashtra [2006(4)KLT 638 SC] to contend that in such circumstances as are available in the instant case, the appellant has the burden to explain how, inside the closed room where he and his wife/the deceased alone were there, the deceased suffered injuries. Crl.Appeal No.780/06 8 10. Obviously to discharge this burden on the appellant, the appellant has chosen to advance a version. His version is that a person, covering himself with some cloth, was found in the bed room and the couple had got up on seeing him. That person had allegedly attacked the deceased. That person had allegedly attacked the appellant also. That is how he suffered an injury on his person which is noted by PW9 doctor in Ext.P7 wound certificate. In short, the accused has placed all his eggs in one basket and advanced the case that he as well as the deceased suffered injuries at the hands of such person, who, after infliction of the injuries, had run out of the house. According to him, he allegedly followed that miscreant. He could not apprehend him. He was attacked by such miscreant and he fell unconscious outside the house. 11. We must say that this version, which the appellant had attempted to advance, does not stand to reason, logic and common sense. There is absolutely no indication or explanation as to how any other person could have gained access into the house on that night. Moreover, if that were the reason, we find no explanation as to why the appellant did not give that version Crl.Appeal No.780/06 9 to the children who were available. It is significant to note that there is no contention even that such a specific version was advanced by the appellant to the police officials at the police station after his arrest. Even when he was produced before the learned Magistrate or till the trial started, he had made no attempt to advance such a version. The police officials are not shown to have any animosity against the appellant. If, as a matter of fact, he had such an explanation, we fail to understand why he did not advance such version before the police officials and they did not record such version. What is of crucial importance to us is that in the cross-examination of police officials PWs 10 to 12, there is not even a semblance of a suggestion that this real truth, as contended by the accused now at the stage of trial, has ever advanced to any one of the police officials or any authority prior to the commencement of trial. That circumstance will loom large when this court attempts to appreciate the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8. 12. We are convinced that the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 is an effective answer to the theory advanced by the appellant. PWs 2 and 8, it is very evident now, are residing with their Crl.Appeal No.780/06 10 maternal grandmother and they have no love lost for their father/appellant herein now. The sequence of events spoken to by PWs 2 and 8 and the very disturbing circumstances that have come out from their evidence clearly show that this antagonism of the children against the appellant is most justified in the facts and circumstances of this case. That again leads us to the conclusion that the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 does not deserve to be disbelieved or discarded on that score. The evidence of PWs 2 and 8 is inherently inspiring and intrinsically appealing. We find no reason to disbelieve the version of PWs 2 and 8. The same does not generate any doubt, distrust or suspicion. We further note that their version has been tapped at the earliest point of time before there could be any opportunity for them to be influenced or their version to be coloured by any source. Moreover, going by the version of the appellant, his in- laws have no reason whatsoever to be antagonistic to him also. In these circumstances, the attempt made to brand PWs 2 and 8 as interested witnesses on whose testimony reliance cannot be placed, cannot at all succeed. Crl.Appeal No.780/06 11 13. We have clinching corroboration for the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 from the oral evidence of PW1. PW1's evidence shows that on that morning when the appellant employed abroad had returned to his native place, he had started indulging in cruel behaviour against the deceased. He made an allegation that she was sleeping with others during his absence. Even in the presence of a stranger like PW1 or the uncle, who accompanied the deceased and the children to the airport, did not restrain him from assaulting his wife in the car resulting in bleeding injury for her. The evidence of PW1 supports the background in which we can and we ought to appreciate the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8. We may sum up by stating that the attempt to assail the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8 does not at all carry conviction. They are of course, children of the age of 12 and 14 years. They are deeply aggrieved by the death of their mother. But it cannot be forgotten that the appellant is their father. To them, a specific suggestion has not even been made or attempted that their father had told them at any point of time that the injuries were suffered by him and the deceased at the hands of this so called stranger, who had found his way into the Crl.Appeal No.780/06 12 house. 14. In this context, we take note of the cross-examination of PW12 as also the other witnesses where not even a semblance of a suggestion is advanced that any miscreant could have gained access into the house of the appellant and the deceased in any manner. The house had not been broken open and nothing is available to even remotely suggest that a stranger could have gained access into the house. 15. We must also advert to certain mole hills out of which mountains are attempted to be made. Argument is built on, and the detailed argument note submitted before the court below reveals that, the incongruity between Ext.P5 seizure mahazer and Ext.P6 sketch prepared by PW7. That was attempted to be capitalised. A plain reading of Ext.P5 must clearly show that the Village Officer, PW7 was not very careful when he prepared the sketch Ext.P6. Though Ext.D2 copy issued to the accused was also marked, we find virtually no difference between Exts.P2, P6 and Ext.D2. A reading of Ext.D2 shows that the door (No.15) marked in Ext.P6/Ext.D2 was really the door connecting room No.1 to room No.4; that is the central hall with the room in Crl.Appeal No.780/06 13 which PWs 2 and 8 slept. That is the evidence of the children; that is the contents of Ext.P5 scene mahazer and that is justified by the other observations made in Ext.P5. But unfortunately when PW7 prepared the sketch, he showed door No.15 not as one connecting the bed room with the central hall; but he showed it as connecting bedroom No.4 with the sit out No.2. A reading of Ext.P5 scene mahazer shows that there is no door to connect the bed room with the sit out. Basic common sense would also inform a person that a connection between room No.4 with the sit out alone and with no connection with the other rooms inside is inherently improbable. Of course, it is true that PW7 attempted to stand his ground and repeat the assertion that door No.15 connecting room Nos.4 and 2 and not rooms 4 and 1. It is crucial in this context that when PWs 2 and 8 gave evidence that when they heard the cries, they went out of the room and knocked at the door of room No.5, there was no cross- examination against them on that aspect. The innocuous inadequacy in PW7 showing door No.15 as connecting rooms 2 and 4 and not rooms 1 and 4 must, in these circumstances, be ignored. That circumstance cannot deliver any advantage to the Crl.Appeal No.780/06 14 accused. In fact, it is pointed out that the village officer PW7 had clarified that fact when he was examined on oath. 16. The next contention laboriously pressed into service before the court below was the incongruity in the blood group. It is contended that if the version of the prosecution were correct, the blood found at the scene of occurrence and the weapon etc. could only have been the blood of the deceased or the appellant. The learned counsel points out that Ext.P8 report of the chemical examiner shows that the blood group was B whereas the oral evidence of DW1 read along with Exts.D3 and D12 (they are copy and original) suggests that the blood group of the deceased was O+ve. We have looked into the original document Ext.D3. We must say that we do note an overwriting on that particular entry that is “O+ve”. It is interesting to see that whether we go by the version of the prosecution or the version attempted to be advanced by the accused, there was no semblance of a possibility of the blood of a stranger being available at the scene of the crime. No one has a case that such person, who allegedly had attacked the deceased and the appellant, had suffered any injuries as to leave behind his blood Crl.Appeal No.780/06 15 so copiously at the scene of the crime and in the clothes of the deceased and the appellant. The incongruity could easily have been clarified by ensuring examination of the blood sent to the expert by PW3 doctor who conducted the postmortem examination. In fact, the evidence of PW3 suggests that the blood was sent to the expert; but that certificate is not produced. We are unable to perceive any sinister significance in that certificate which has not been produced. It is merely an innocuous inadequacy. We are unable to draw any conclusions of consequence against the prosecution on the basis of these circumstances which, according to us, is absolutely innocuous and cannot succeed in generating any reasonable doubt in our mind. The oral evidence of PWs 1,2 and 8 cannot, in any way, be shaken nor can we be persuaded to approach such evidence with any doubt or reservation on this score. 17. The accused had an injury on his person. This has not been properly explained by the prosecution, it is argued. We are unable to accept this contention as the evidence of PWs 2 and 8 suggests that the accused had fallen in the room and had suffered the injury at the scene of crime itself. But he allegedly Crl.Appeal No.780/06 16 ran out of the room with the knife MO2. An injury on his person either when he so fell or accidentally when he proceeded on the spree to inflict injuries on the deceased cannot be held to be improbable or impossible. At any rate, that injury on the accused which is explained by PWs 2 and 8 does not, in any way, persuade us not to accept the oral evidence of PWs 2 and 8. 18. It follows from the above discussions that no worthwhile challenge has been raised against the finding of the court below. We choose to concur with the conclusions of the court below. The challenge fails. 19. In the result, a) This Crl.Appeal is dismissed. b) The impugned verdict of guilty, conviction and sentence are upheld. (R.BASANT, JUDGE) (M.C.HARI RANI, JUDGE) jsr Crl.Appeal No.780/06 17 Crl.Appeal No.780/06 18 Crl.Appeal No.780/06 19 R.BASANT & M.C.HARI RANI, JJ. .No. of 200 ORDER/JUDGMENT 29/07/2009