CR.A/40720/2001 1/8 JUDGMENT IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 407 of 2001 With CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 566 of 2001 For Approval and Signature: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BHAGWATI PRASAD HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BANKIM.N.MEHTA ===================================================== 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ? No. 2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ? No. 3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ? No. 4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ? No. 5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ? No. ===================================================== MAHENDRA @ MANU JIVRAM & 1 - Appellant(s) Versus STATE OF GUJARAT - Opponent(s) ===================================================== Appearance : In Criminal Appeal No.407 of 2001 MR. RAJESH B.SONI for appellant. MS H.B. PUNANI APP for Respondent - State In Criminal Appeal No.566 of 2001 MR US BRAHMABHATT for appellant. MS H.B. PUNANI APP for respondent – State. ==================================================== CR.A/40720/2001 2/8 JUDGMENT CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BHAGWATI PRASAD and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BANKIM.N.MEHTA Date : 20/11/2008 ORAL JUDGMENT (Per : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE BANKIM.N.MEHTA) 1. Both these appeals arise out of judgment and order passed on 26-4-2001 by learned Addl. Sessions Judge, Banaskantha at Palanpur in Sessions Case No.100 of 2000 convicting and sentencing the appellants for the offence punishable u/ss 302, 397, 201, 120-B and 34 of the I.P. Code and directed them to undergo sentence of life imprisonment for the offence 302, 120-B and 34 of the I.P. Code and further to undergo sentence of rigorous imprisonment for 7 years for the offences punishable u/ss 397 and 34 of the I.P. Code and also to undergo simple imprisonment for seven years and to pay fine of Rs.1000/- in default thereof to undergo simple imprisonment for one month for the offence punishable u/s 201-34 of the I.P. Code. All the sentences were ordered to run concurrently. 2. As both these appeals arise out of the same judgment, the appeals have been heard and decided by common judgment. 3. The prosecution case is that the appellants and other absconding accused hired Tata Sumo Car bearing CR.A/40720/2001 3/8 JUDGMENT registration No. GJ-5-P 6611 from Surat and started to go towards Ambaji. On 15-12-1992 Mahemudkhan Sahebajkhan Ghori of Pandva village informed Vadgam Police Station that a dead body of Muslim boy is lying towards Pandva village. On the basis of this information, dead body with multiple injuries caused with sharp cutting weapon and blunt weapon was recovered from Mokeswar Dam and complaint was filed with regard to the incident. 4. On the basis of the complaint, investigation was started. At the end of investigation, charge sheet came to be filed against the accused. As the offence was triable by Sessions Court, the case was committed to the Sessions Court, Sabarkantha at Palanpur and it was registered as Sessions Case No.100 of 2000. Learned trial Judge framed charge Exh. 8 against the accused for the offence punishable u/s 302, 397, 201 read with Section 34 and u/s Section 120-B of the I.P. Code. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and claimed to be tried and therefore the prosecution adduced evidence. 5. On completion of recording of evidence, the learned trial Judge explained to the accused the incriminating circumstances appearing against them in the evidence. The accused in their further statement recorded u/s 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure stated that they are innocent and false case is filed against them. CR.A/40720/2001 4/8 JUDGMENT 6. After hearing the learned A.P.P. for the State and learned advocate for the accused, the trial Court convicted and sentenced appellants and other accused as mentioned hereinabove. Being aggrieved by the said decision the convicts have preferred both these appeals. 7. We have heard learned advocates for the parties and learned A.P.P. Ms. Hansaben Punani for the State at length and in great detail. We have also perused the impugned judgment and records and proceeding of the trial court. 8. Leaned advocates for the appellants submitted that there is no direct evidence to implicate the appellants in the offence. Test Identification Parade conducted by the police is not legal as it was conducted in presence of police. Hence, the learned trial Judge committed error in relying upon such a weak piece of evidence. It was also also submitted that appellant Mahendra @ Manubhai was identified only because he used to go to the guest house at Ambaji for employment. Except that there is no evidence with regard involvement of the appellants in the offence and hence the appellants are required to be acquitted and the appeals are require to be allowed, 9. Learned A.P.P. submitted that the appellants are identified by the witnesses and the evidence clearly establishes their involvement in the CR.A/40720/2001 5/8 JUDGMENT offence. Therefore, no interference is warranted in the impugned judgment. 10. According to the prosecution case, accused Rasikbhai hired vehicle from P.W. 25 and inflicted fatal injuries to driver Nasirkhan in the sim of Pandva village near Mokeswar Dam with knife and hockey stick and after killing him, robbed Tata Sumo car and threw away dead body in the dam. 11. The prosecution case rests entirely upon the circumstantial evidence. It appears that the accused hired the Tata Sumo car from P.W. 25 Vikaram Kantibhai Patel and it was driven by deceased Nasirkhan. 12. The prosecution examined P.W. 25 Vikram Kantibhai Patel at Exh. 92. It appears from his evidence that on 12-12-1999 accused Rasikbhai Mansukhbhai Mistry came to him to hire vehicle and after paying the deposit amount signed Memo Exh. 93 and asked the witness to send vehicle near Geetanjali Talkies. Therefore, witness talked to one Talebbhai on telephone for the vehicle, who informed the witness to remain present at the office of his brother as the driver had not seen the office. Hence, the witness went to his brother's office. The driver also came there and was asked to go to Geetanjali Talkies. The accused signed the memo as “Rameshbhai Maganbhai Rathod”. The witness identified accused Rasikbhai before the Executive Magistrate in test CR.A/40720/2001 6/8 JUDGMENT identification parade and also in the court. Therefore, it is clear that accused Rameshbhai hired the vehicle in other name and the deceased was sent with him as a driver and they left Surat in Tata Sumo car. Accused Rasikbhai was the person in whose company the deceased was put by P.W. 25. Thereafter dead body of the driver was found. This is the strongest incriminating circumstance against accused Rameshbhai but he has not offered any explanation. Therefore, involvement of accused Rasikbhai in the offence is clearly established. 13. As regards accused Mahendra @ Manubhai is concerned, P.W. 25 also deposed that on the day on which the accused came to him to hire vehicle accused Mahendra @ Manubhai had also come to make inquiry about employment. Accused Mahendra @ Manubhai is identified by the witness in test identification parade as well as in the court. 14. The evidence of P.W. 22 Shaileshbhai Somabhai Exh. 82, the Manager at Apsara Guest House, Ambaji indicates that accused Mahendra @ Manubhai with four other persons was allotted two rooms in the guest house and the accused also made entry in the hotel register. The witness has identified the accused. The hotel register Exh. 75 indicates that the accused made entry on 13-12-1999. Therefore, the circumstances that when accused Rasikbhai hired the vehicle, accused Mahendra @ Manubhai was at Surat and when accused Rasikbhai came to Ambaji, accused CR.A/40720/2001 7/8 JUDGMENT Mahendra @ Manubhai was also found there, indicates complicity of the accused in the offence. The accused has not offered explanation with regard to this incriminating evidence. Therefore, in our view, the learned trial Judge was justified in convicting the accused. 15. The evidence of Executive Magistrate P.W. 10 Ramjibhai Hemabhai Exh. 56 indicates that the accused were identified by P.W. 25 and panchnama Exh.59 was drawn. In the cross-examination of the witness he has denied that police was present during test identification parade. Except this suggestion, there is nothing to indicate that police was present during test identification parade. Therefore, it is difficult to believe that test identification parade was conducted in the presence of police. Even no other irregularity is pointed out by the learned advocates for the appellants. 16. In view of above, it emerges that accused Rameshbhai hired the vehicle at Surat from P.W. 25 and took the deceased as driver and went to Ambaji. Accused Mahendra @ Manubhai was also present at Surat when the vehicle was hired and at Ambaji guest house. Thereafter the dead body of the driver was found. Therefore, in our view, unbroken chain of circumstances clearly establishes involvement of both the accused in the offence. 17. The medical evidence indicates that the death CR.A/40720/2001 8/8 JUDGMENT was homicidal in nature. Therefore, considering the reasons assigned by the trial court, we are of the view that that no interference is warranted in the impugned judgment. Hence, both these appeals do not merit acceptance. 18. For the reasons recorded in the judgment, both the appeals fail and are dismissed and judgment and order of conviction and sentence recorded against appellants of both the appeals for the offence punishable u/ss 302, 397, 201, 120(B) and 34 of the I.P. Code rendered on 26-4-2001 by the learned Addl. Sessions Judge, Banaskantha at Palanpur in Sessions Case No. 100 of 2000 is confirmed. The muddamal be disposed of as directed by the trial court. (Bhagwati Prasad, J.) (Bankim N. Mehta, J.) /JVSatwara/