Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu & Anr vs State Of Punjab

2. One Jaswinder Kaur @ Jassi, normally residing with her parents in Canada, married PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh resident of village Kaoka Khosa, District Sangroor, Punjab on 15.04.1999. It was a court marriage and against the wishes of her parents and her maternal uncle. Jassi thereafter went to Canada on 02.05.1999 and while she was there, on the basis of a fax message (Ext.PAO) allegedly under her signature, FIR No.38 dated 23.02.2000 was registered with Police Station Sadar Jagraon against PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh under Sections 342, 467, 468, 471 and 506 of the IPC. When Jassi got to know about this, she came back to India and appeared before the police. Her statement was recorded that she had married PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh out of her free will, that the alleged signature on the fax message was not hers and that the marriage was not to the liking of her parents and maternal uncle. Her statement under Section 164 Cr.P.C. was also recorded and thereafter closure in respect of said crime was ordered. Jassi then started living with her husband in the house of PW 20 Sukhdev Singh, maternal uncle of her husband, in village Narike.

3. On 08.06.2000 PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh and Jassi were coming back on a scooter from Malerkotla to their village and when they had reached village Sykhe at about 9.30 PM, four persons armed with hockey sticks and swords got down from a white Maruti car and attacked them. PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh received number of injuries. Leaving him in injured condition, those persons forcibly took away Jassi in that car. PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh somehow managed to reach the house of PW 20 Sukhdev Singh who got him admitted in the Civil Hospital, Malerkotla, where PW-1 Dr. Amit Modi found him to have suffered the following injuries:-

3 X .5cm incised wound over left side of scalp 3 cm above ear pinna in temporal area 2 cm from injury No. 4.

4.5 X .5cm incised wound over left side of scalp 6 cm above ear pinna 1cm away from injury No. 4 and 2cm away from injury No. 5 4 X 3cm lacerated wound with this much of it hanging and attached to remaining scalp by superficial layer of skin only 1cm from injury No. 6. For injuries No. 1 to 7 X-ray was advised.

For injuries No. 8 to 10 X-ray was advised. In all the injuries except injury No. 2 fresh bleeding was present. Injuries No. 1 to 8 were kept under observation, whereas injuries No. 9 and 10 were grievous. Probable duration of injuries was within six hours. The kind of weapon used for injuries No. 1,3,4,5,6,8,9 and 10 was sharp, whereas for injuries No. 2 and 7 was blunt."

4. PW-1 Dr. Amit Modi sent intimation or ruqa Ext.PB to the police who recorded the statement of PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh, in which it was stated as under:-

5. FIR No. 48 was accordingly registered with police station Amargarh under Sections 307, 364 and 34 IPC at about 1.50 AM on 09.06.2000. PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh was then referred and taken to Christian Medical College, Ludhiana for further treatment where he was attended to by PW 2 Dr. Deepak Bansal and PW 4 Dr. Subhasish Das. On 09.06.2000 at about 10.00 AM one Bahadur Singh of Village Bolara while going to his agricultural field found dead body of a young lady aged about 22-23 years lying in water on the edge of minor canal. He reported the matter to the police, pursuant to which FIR No.197 dated 09.06.2000 under Section 302 IPC was registered with the police station Sadar Ludhiana. The body was identified to be that of Jassi. In the post mortem conducted by a Board of three doctors on 10.06.2000 at about 4.00 PM, following injuries were noticed on the body of Jassi:-

6. On 09.06.2000 itself a supplementary statement of PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh was recorded in which he gave the number of said Maruti car as DNJ 4862 and also stated his firm belief that the occurrence had been committed in connivance with Hardev Singh @ Mintu, Surjeet Singh, Malkiat Singh, Darshan Singh and Gurnek Singh @ Bhatti. It appears that despite such clear assertions no arrests were effected. The matter was being investigated by PW 38 Sub-Inspector Hardeep Singh who had gone to the spot on 09.06.2000 and prepared the site plan and was able to recover one sandal, a handle of cricket bat and upper portion of a hockey stick. Under the orders of the Special Superintendent of Police, investigation was taken up by PW 40 Inspector Swarn Singh on 20.06.2000. Hardev Singh whose name was mentioned in the FIR as well as supplementary statement was arrested on 21.06.2000 while Darshan Singh was arrested on 22.06.2000. On 28.06.2000 Anil Kumar was arrested, while six others including Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu were arrested on 30.06.2000.

7. While he was in custody, statement of Anil Kumar was recorded which led to the discovery of a pistol, three live cartridges and one Maruti car bearing no. DNJ 4862 from which a mobile having No.9814011272 and an additional SIM having No.9814038404 were recovered. Blood stained portion of back seat of the car was cut and seized. The statement of Ashwani Kumar led to the discovery of a kirpan and a photograph of Jassi (Ext.P-38) from a farm named Bolara Farm. On the back side of the photograph, in Gurumukhi was written her name, physical description including complexion and the clothes that she would normally wear. The description was meant to enable a stranger to identify with clarity the person in the photograph. It was a full photograph taken out from the collection of someone known to her or the family. From the house of Ashwani Kumar mobiles were seized with numbers 9814014562 and 9316053404.

8. On 05.07.2000 statement of PW 5 Jagdeep Singh was recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C to the effect that about one and a half months before, one Gurwinder Singh and Ashwani Kumar had taken him and PW6 Harjeet Singh to the dhaba of one pahlwan in a tempo. They were told to give beating to PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh as he had contracted marriage with a girl related to Ashwani Kumar without the consent of her family. Said PW 5 Jagdeep Singh and PW 6 Harjeet Singh not having agreed to, they left the dhaba. Later in the newspaper he saw the photograph of PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh and his wife and therefore had appeared before the Investigating Officer to get the statement recorded before the Magistrate. To the similar effect was the statement of PW 6 Harjeet Singh which was also recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C. on 05.07.2000.

10. On 18.07.2000 statement of PW-7 Jasbir Singh under Section 164 Cr.P.C. was recorded that Anil Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Ginder and Tony were his friends and they would often assemble on the farm of Anil Kumar for drinks and meals. It was further stated that on 16.06.2000 when they had so assembled, Anil Kumar asked him if he had read the newspaper of the day and upon his answering in the negative Anil Kumar stated that news regarding the murder of Jassi had appeared in the newspaper of that day which murder was committed by them. Anil Kumar further stated that Joginder Singh Thanedar was with them and the parents of the girl had given them money through Joginder Singh, Thanedar for the said murder. On 22.07.2000 PW-8 Bhagwan Singh produced one tempo bearing No.PB-10/9719 before the police. This was the tempo stated to have been used by Ashwani Kumar and Gurwinder Singh for taking PW-5 Jagdeep Singh and PW-6 Harjeet Singh to the dhaba of pahlwan.

12. After completion of investigation charge-sheet was filed against eleven persons while Surjeet Singh, maternal uncle and Malkiat Kaur, mother of Jassi were declared proclaimed offenders. It was the case of the prosecution that the accused had hatched the conspiracy to commit the murder of Jassi and had caused injuries to PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh and thus committed the offences with which they were charged. It was alleged that the marriage of Jassi with PW 15 Sukhwinder Singh, who was simply a three wheeler driver, was not to the liking of the mother and the maternal uncle of Jassi. The prosecution in support of its case examined 45 witnesses and produced number of documents on record while 42 witnesses were examined in defence. The gist of the testimony of the witnesses examined by the prosecution, inter alia, was as under:-

13. The trial court after considering the material on record and hearing rival submissions, vide its judgment dated 21.10.2005 found that the prosecution had successfully proved its case against seven accused persons including the appellants. It found them guilty under Section 302/364/307 read with Section 120B IPC. Accused Anil Kumar, Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu, Gurwinder Singh @ Ginder and Gursharan Singh @ Tony were sentenced under Section 302 IPC to undergo life imprisonment, under Section 364 IPC to undergo RI for 10 years and under Section 307 IPC to undergo RI for seven years with separate sentences of fine and sentences in default. Three other accused, namely, Joginder Singh, Hardev Singh and Darshan Singh were convicted with the aid of Section 120B IPC and sentenced to suffer similar imprisonment on the aforesaid three counts. However benefit of doubt was given to other four accused, namely, Jaswant Singh @ Soni, Ravinder Singh @ Lilu, Kamaljeet Singh @ Komal and Gurnek Singh @ Bhatti and they were acquitted of all the charges. All seven convicted accused filed Criminal Appeal Nos.836-DB/2005 and 921-DB/2005 before the High Court, which gave benefit of doubt to Hardev Singh, Gurwinder Singh and Gursharan Singh @ Tony and acquitted them, while it confirmed the conviction and sentence of the present appellants, which judgment is now under challenge in the present appeals.

14. As regards appellants Ashwani Kumar and Anil Kumar, the trial court as well as the High Court have principally relied upon the evidence regarding assault on PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh as stated by him and the fact that he identified them to be part of the group of assailants. The extra judicial confession, as stated by PW-7 Jasbir Singh and the recoveries effected pursuant to the disclosure statements were relied upon. The testimony of PW-5 Jagdeep Singh and PW-6 Harjeet Singh as well as the communications between the accused soon before and after the incident of assault on PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh and kidnapping of Jassi were also relied upon. The other two appellants were found guilty with the aid of Section 120B IPC as conspirators. The telephonic communications between them and Ashwani Kumar and Anil Kumar were relied upon as against Joginder Singh and Darshan Singh.

iii) PW-5 Jagdeep Singh and PW-6 Harjeet Singh stated about their meeting with Ashwani Kumar and Gurwinder at the dhaba of a pahlwan and that they did not agree to the proposal of beating PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh. They identified the tempo and stated about having given statements under Section 164 Cr.P.C.

x) PW-24 constable Bikkar Singh deposed about the recoveries effected from Bolara Farm pursuant to the disclosure statement of the accused.

16. Appearing for State of Punjab Shri Jayant K. Sud, Additional Advocate General assisted by Ms. Jasleen Chahal, Assistant Advocate General took us through the entire record. It was submitted that the offence in the present case was an act of conspiracy which was clear from the fact that fax message Ext.PAO had originated from the same number in Canada with which the accused Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu and Anil Kumar were constantly in touch, that the backside of the photograph (Ext.P-38) and the conversations deposed to by PW-5 Jagdeep Singh and PW-6 Harjeet Singh lend complete corroboration, that identification by PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh was completely trustworthy and fully reliable, that the record of telephonic conversations show all the four appellants were in touch with each other as well as with the number in Canada soon before and immediately after the occurrence, that the recoveries of kirpan, blood-stained seat cover and photograph (Ext.P-38) corroborated the prosecution case and that the extra judicial confession as stated by PW-7 Jasbir Singh further clinched the issue.

We therefore reject the submission.

20. As per deposition of PW-8 Bhagwan Singh and other material on record, the tempo in question bearing No.PB-10/9719 was under the control of Joginder Singh. It was this tempo which was used by Ashwani Kumar as stated by PW-5 Jagdeep Singh and PW 6 Harjeet Singh. The telephonic conversations between Joginder Singh, a serving police officer and Ashwani Kumar and Anil Kumar just before and soon after the incident are extremely crucial. No explanation has been offered on part of Joginder Singh. The record further indicates that Joginder Singh was also in touch with the same number from Canada, in respect of which again there is no explanation. In the extra judicial confession deposed to by PW-7, there is clear assertion that parents of Jassi had given money through Joginder Singh. In the circumstances we fully agree with the assessment made by the courts below in finding Joginder Singh guilty of the offences under Sections 364, 302 and 367 IPC with the aid of Section 120B IPC. His conviction and sentence, in our considered view, is completely justified.

21. However, as regards Darshan Singh all that the prosecution has produced is the record of telephonic conversations. No doubt that there have been communications with Ashwani Kumar, Anil Kumar, Joginder Singh and the number from Canada but such communications are from a landline number which stands in the name of the brother of Darshan Singh. There is no evidence on record that the said landline number was under the exclusive control of Darshan Singh. Secondly, given the fact that his daughter is married with the son of Surjeet Singh from Canada, the conversations with the number in Canada are explainable. It is true that suspicion against Darshan Singh was expressly stated in the first statement of PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh itself. However, apart from telephonic conversations nothing has been placed on record by the prosecution. We, therefore, give benefit of doubt to Darshan Singh and acquit him of the charges leveled against him.

22. In the circumstances Criminal Appeal Nos.1041-1042 of 2008 preferred by Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu and Joginder Singh and Criminal Appeal No.1043 of 2008 by Anil Kumar are dismissed affirming the orders of conviction and sentence recorded against them. The appeal of Darshan Singh, namely, Crl. Appeal No.1814 of 2009 is allowed and he is acquitted of all the charges. The bail bonds furnished by him stand cancelled. Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu, Anil Kumar and Joginder Singh who were not granted bail, must undergo the sentences awarded.