JUDGMENT
V.G. Palshikar, J.
1. Being aggrieved by the order of conviction dt. 20-11-1984 passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Balotra camp at Banner in criminal case No. 41/1983, convicting the accused appellants for the offence under Section 374, Cr.P.C., this appeal is preferred on the ground mentioned in the memo of appeal and also verbally canvassed before me.
2. With the assistance of the learned counsel for the appellants and the learned Public Prosecutor, I have scrutinised the record and reappreciated the evidence on record.
3. After going through the evidence and reappreciating the same, it was argued by the learned counsel for the appellants that following serious discrepancies are revealed by the record and therefore, the order of conviction is not sustainable :-
(1) The first information report is lodged after a delay of three days and there is no explanation forthcoming which is reasonably satisfactory in nature explaining the delay :
(2) Immediately after occurrence of the incident, the occurrence was not disclosed either by the prosecutrix or by PW. 3 Lala and PW. 4 Mueeb who admittedly accompanied the prosecutrix;
(3) Even the prosecutrix PW. 2 Imamat has stated that she called about the incident for a period of three days and there is no explanation for this unnecessary and unwarranted silence on behalf of the prosecution;
(4) The evidence of the prosecutrix is not at all supported by the medical evidence given by the Doctor as P.W. 5;
(5) There are material improvements in the evidence of P.W. 2 prosecutrix disclosing definite attempt to falsely charge the accused with rape and;
(6) In view of the positive statements made in examination-in-chief by the prosecutrix and in view of the positive statements made in examination-in-chief by the Doctor who is independent witness, conviction as recorded by the learned Judge is not maintainable.
4. The learned Public Prosecutor opposed the contentions and stated that there is no reason why the prosecutrix should allege falsely and therefore, the order of conviction be maintained.
5. The scrutiny of the evidence of P.W. 2 and P.W. 5 is enough for adjudicating the controversy in this case. The prosecutrix PW. 2 has alleged in her deposition that she was raped by the accused persons after she was dragged from the camel she was tiding. She has deposed that:-
^^vkSj rc vHk;flag us ÅWaB idM+ fy;k vkSj /khjflag
us esjh VkWax idM+ yh vkSj fQj eq>s ÅWaV ls uhps fxjknh A**
6. This is therefore, a statement that the prosecutrix was dragged from the camel she was riding and she fell to the ground. If a person falls to the ground from the height of the camel on being dragged, minor injuries by reasons of such fall inevitably caused, however, to such injury is caused on the person of the prosecutrix.
7. Then the prosecutrix proceeds to state that :-
^^esjs xkkyksa ij id Hkjk ;kfu dkV [kk;k A**
This is specific allegation of injury being caused on the chick, no such injury as deposed have been caused or revealed by the Doctor P.W. 5.
8. The prosecutrix then proceeds to state that :-
^^esjs ck;sa xky ij dkVus dk fu’kku vk;k Fkk A
esjh Nkrh ij vkSj tk?kksa ij Hkh tcjnLrh djus pkSVs vkbZ A ihB esa Hkh esjs
pksVs vkbZ Fkha A**
These positive averments of injuries being caused on the person of the prosecutrix are not proved to be correct in fact they are proved to be false when P.W. 5 Doctor who examined her states that:-
^^Jherh bZeker ds ‘kjhj ij dksbZ ckgjh pksV
ugha feyh A mlds xqIr.kksa ij Hkh eq>s dksbZ pksV ugha feyh A eSaus Jherh
bxker ds ‘kjhj ij o xqIr.kksa ij cykRdkj ds dksbZ fpUg ugh ik;s A**
In view of this statement of the Doctor totally disproving of allegation of injury by the prosecutrix, it becomes wholly unreliable statement on which conviction cannot be sustained.
9. The attempt on the part of the prosecution to improve its case, P.W. 1 who is the husband of the prosecutrix has stated that he was told of the rape by the wife after he returned from village Gangala and the incident had occurred three days prior to his return. This witness has categorically stated in his cross-examination as under :-
^^eSus esjh vkSjr ds nksuksa xky dkVs gq,s
ns[ks Fks vkSj ckdh muds diM+s Hkh QVs gq,s ns[ks Fks vkSj dgha pksV ugha ns[kh
Fkh A**
The attempt on the part of the husband to corroborate the wife on the question of injuries to her chicks is proved false by the evidence of the Doctor and therefore, becomes highly unreliable.
10. There is yet another aspect which requires consideration. The prosecutrix as also her husband have stated in the deposition that at the time when the rape was committed, the prosecutrix was accompanied by two witnesses P.W. 3 and P.W. 4 and they were also tied up by the accused persons. It is however, highly improbable that such things could have occurred. The prosecutrix has unequivocally stated that when she was being raped by one accused, other held the camel and they exchanged place. If the claim of the prosecutrix that P.W. 3 and P.W. 4 who wanted to rescue the prosecutrix were tied up by the accused is correct, it is obvious that it was occurred prior to commission of rape or during the commission of rape by one person. It is also obvious that both the accused persons were involved in tying up the two witnesses in which case, there was nothing to prove the prosecutrix from running away, however, nothing of kind was done. The entire narration of facts by these witnesses therefore, renders the entire prosecution story suspicious and fictitious.
11. It may be the position that the wife prosecutrix did not out of shame inform about the rape on her person to anybody else but if the story of the prosecutrix has to be accepted that the rape was known to have been committed to P.W. 3 and P.W. 4. Lala and Mueeb, there is no reason why they did not disclose the occurrence to anybody else for three long days which also creates serious doubt in the prosecution story. In such circumstances, it is really unsafe to rely on the witnesses and maintain the conviction.
12. In the result, the appeal succeeds and is allowed. The order of conviction and sentence is set aside. The accused are already on bail, their bail bonds are cancelled.