1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR J U D G M E N T Aasin Khan & others Vs. State of Rajasthan D.B.CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.406/2003 against the judgment dt.26.3.2003 passed by the Addl.Sessions Judge (FT), Jalore, in Sessions Case No.18/2002. Date of Judgment: Nov.11, 2008 P R E S E N T HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE A.M.KAPADIA HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE DEO NARAYAN THANVI Mr.Dhirendra Singh, for accused appellants. Mr.V.R.Mehta, Public Prosecutor. BY THE COURT : (PER HON'BLE THANVI J.) 1. This is an appeal against the judgment of the learned Addl.Sessions Judge (F.T.), Jalore, dated 26.3.2003, whereby all the five accused appellants 2 Aasin Khan, Shakur Khan, Teke Khan, Smt.Bhima and Amare Khan were convicted under various offences of the Indian Penal Code as under: (1) ACCUSED APPELLANT AASIN KHAN: U/Sec.148 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/Sec.302 IPC: Life imprisonment alongwith a fine of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. U/Sec.324 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/s.323/149 IPC: Six months' R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. (2) ACCUSED APPELLANT SHAKUR KHAN: U/Sec.148 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/s.302/149 IPC: Life imprisonment alongwith a fine of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. 3 U/s.324/149 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/Sec.323 IPC: Six months' R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. (3) ACCUSED APPELLANT TEKE KHAN: U/Sec.148 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/s.302/149 IPC: Life imprisonment alongwith a fine of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. U/s.324/149 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/Sec.323 IPC: Six months' R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. (4) ACCUSED APPELLANT SMT.BHIMA: U/Sec.148 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/s.302/149 IPC: Life imprisonment alongwith a fine 4 of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. U/s.324/149 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/Sec.323 IPC: Six months' R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. (5) ACCUSED APPELLANT AMARE KHAN: U/Sec.148 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/s.302/149 IPC: Life imprisonment alongwith a fine of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. U/s.324/149 IPC: One year's R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.500/- & in default, to further undergo six months' S.I. U/Sec.323 IPC: Six months' R.I. alongwith a fine of Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. 2. Brief facts leading to this appeal are that Sikandar Khan (PW 11) lodged a written report Ex.P.32 at Police Station, Bagra, Distt. Jalore on 5.7.2002 alleging 5 therein that when he alongwith his family members were sitting in their khatedari well, accused Shakur Khan, Aasin Khan, Amare Khan, Shere Khan, their mother and two other ladies, came in their field and accused Aasin Khan inflicted head blow on his father Ali Khan with axe, Shakur Khan inflicted injury on the hand of his mother Indra with iron rod and Amare Khan and other ladies inflicted injuries on his wife and daughter and Sheru Khan inflicted blows with kicks & lathi. Upon seeing his father died, he rushed to the police station. Upon this report, the police registered a case and after investigation, all the accused were challaned for the offences u/ss.147, 148, 302, 324 and 323/149 IPC before the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate, who committed the case to the court of Sessions. Learned trial Judge heard the arguments on charge and framed charges for the offences u/ss.148, 302 or in alternative 302/149, 324 or in alternative 324/149 and 323 or in alternative 323/149 IPC. All the accused appellants pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. 6 The prosecution examined 21 witnesses. The statements of the accused were recorded u/s.313 CrPC. They produced 5 witnesses in their defence. After hearing the arguments, the learned trial Judge convicted the accused appellants as above, against which this appeal has been preferred. During pendency of the appeal, accused Teke Khan died and proceedings against him were consequently abated vide order dt.18.5.06. 3. Learned counsel for the appellants has not disputed the incident but his sole argument is that in this case, it was the complainant party, which first entered into the field of accused and in exercise of right of private defence, accused Aasin Khan is said to have inflicted axe blow on the head of deceased Ali Khan, where he died. According to him, there is no role of other accused appellants, except giving kicks and inflicting lathi blows. He further submits that there was no question of formation of unlawful assembly so as to 7 convict them for the offence u/s.148 IPC or any other section of the Indian Penal Code with the aid of Section 149 IPC. 4. Per contra, learned Public Prosecutor has supported the judgment of the learned trial Court and has urged to dismiss this appeal. 5. We have re-appreciated the evidence on record. It is an admitted position that the incident took place in the field of accused party and the site plan proved by the prosecution is Ex.P.2 in which mark `X' is shown to be place of incident being situated in Khasra No.61 & the field of complainant party has been marked at place `C' being Khasra No.53. The fields marked `A', `B' & `D' are of neighbourers. The portion marked `E to F' and `G to H' is the sign of cultivating the field from the tractor. The description of the site plan has been given in Crime Details Form marked Ex.P.1 in which it has been stated that mark `X' being Khasra 8 No.61 has come in the share of accused appellant Teke Khan, who has now died, in partition. It is also admitted position that cross cases were registered vide Ex.D.1 but the police has given the Final Report in the matter. When from the site plan Ex.P.1, the field Khasra No.61 is in the share of accused appellant Teke Khan, then the presence of rest of the accused appellants, who are family members of Teke Khan cannot be said to be unlawful so as to bring the case under the category of formation of unlawful assembly. It is true that axe blow has been inflicted by accused appellant Aasin Khan and these two blows on the scalp and chest of deceased Ali Khan, as per the version of Dr.Vallabh Bhandari (PW 15), who conducted the post mortem report vide Ex.P.34, were the cause of death. A separate report has also been given to this effect which is Ex.P.35. The same is the statement of Dr.R.C.Chouhan, who was the member of the Medical Board, which conducted the post mortem. When the cause of death is axe blows, then it is to be seen as to 9 who is the author of these blows. In this regard, Sikandar Khan (PW 11), who is the son of deceased, has said that the disputed field was jointly cultivated by them. When his father went to the accused as to why they were cultivating the joint field, then accused Aasin Khan came on the spot and told that how they were demanding their share and thereupon, he inflicted axe blows on the head of his father and rest of the accused, who were having lathis in their hands and Smt.Bhima, who was having no weapon in her hand, inflicted blows. When his wife and mother came to intervene, accused Aasin Khan also inflicted axe blows on them. Accused Shakur Khan inflicted lathi blow on his wife. On hearing the cries, he went on the spot and seeing the incident, he left for the police station. 6. Smt.Indra (PW 12), wife of deceased, is also an injured witness. While stating about the joint possession of his husband and accused party over the field, she has deposed that accused Aasin Khan came 10 with tractor and started cultivation. When her husband intervened, he inflicted axe blow on her husband. Rest of the accused also inflicted lathi blows. When she alongwith her daughter in law went to interfere, accused Aasin Khan inflicted axe blow on her. 7. Smt.Sukhi (PW 13) is also an injured witness. She has also stated the same version. 8. Ms.Apiya (PW 14) is also eye witness of the incident. Her statement is also on the same line. 9. If the evidence of these four witnesses is looked into in the light of the statement of the investigating officer Mahendra Singh (PW 21), it is clear from the last line of his cross examination that as per his investigation, he found that except accused Aasin Khan and Shakur Khan, rest of the accused inflicted blows with fists and slaps only and, therefore, lathis could not be recovered. Though the recovery of lathi has been 11 shown from Shakur Khan vide Ex.P.12 but the cause of death, as per the post mortem report Ex.P.34 & Ex.P.35, is the injuries on chest and head, which are shown in the injury report, Ex.P.18, which have been caused by sharp edged weapon. Ofcourse lathi cannot be said to be a sharp edged weapon, therefore, it cannot be said that these injuries were caused by Shakur Khan by lathi on the person of deceased Ali Khan. These injuries are the result of axe blows, which was in the hands of accused Aasin Khan and the same has also been recovered from him. 10. From the above evidence, it can safely be arrived at the conclusion that the author of the injuries on the chest and head on the person of deceased Ali Khan was accused appellant Aasin Khan for which he can be conclusively held liable for committing culpable homicide. Since unlawful assembly has not been established and accused were sitting in their field as per the site plan Ex.P.1 and dispute arose with regard 12 to cultivation of the field by tractor, the only conclusion which can be arrived-at is that all the accused acted in exercise of right of private defence including the accused appellant Aasin Khan. When a person acts in exercise of right of private defence & exceeds his right by causing death of another, then it is a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder punishable under Section 304 part I IPC, being a case of Exception-2 defined under Section 300 IPC. Therefore, in our view, the act of the accused appellant Aasin Khan is covered under Section 304 part I IPC. So far as rest of the accused are concerned, they have inflicted injuries with slaps and fists and accused Shakur Khan by lathi, which is alleged to have been recovered from him. Smt.Indra (PW 12) & Smt.Sukhi (PW 13) are the injured witnesses and their injuries are simple in nature, caused by blunt weapon as per their injury reports Ex.P.16 and Ex.P.17 respectively. Therefore, the act of the rest of the three accused falls under Section 323 IPC and they can be held liable for that 13 offence only. 11. Consequently, while allowing this appeal in part, we alter the judgment dt.26.3.2003 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge (F.T.), Jalore as under: (i) Accused appellant Aasin Khan is convicted only for the offence under Section 304 part I IPC instead of Section 302 IPC and is sentenced to the period already undergone, which is about seven years, with a fine of Rs.1000/- & in default, to further undergo one year's S.I. However, he is acquitted for the rest of the offences i.e. under Sections 148, 324 and 323/149 IPC. He is in jail, he be released forthwith, if not required in any other case, on depositing of fine. (ii) Accused appellants Shakur Khan, Smt.Bhima and Amare Khan are convicted for the offence u/s.323 IPC only and they are sentenced to the period already undergone, which is about five months, with a fine of 14 Rs.100/- & in default, to further undergo one month's S.I. However, they are acquitted for the rest of the offences i.e. u/ss.148, 302/149 and 324/149 IPC. (DEO NARAYAN THANVI), J. (A.M.KAPADIA), J. RANKAWAT JK, PS