IN THE HIGH COURT op KARNATAKA, BANGAI.-CJRE
DATED THIS THE 24th DAY 01:' MARCH %«;mo3%%%%TL,
BEFORE * '7 % ' '
BETWEEN
1. Rajappa@ Rajanna,
S/'0. C;ha1111avccr5sj,§3h, A -- _: --
Aged 60 years (si11c& dead)'. _
S / 0. S.R:... Vszpg-abI1ad:aia11, V' ' "
Aged abcéut ;26._.yea1's',. _ *
£0
. 3. Naxljundé V
Sfo. BIn.a,dJa:a:1 agcd 30 ycmc-'*s,.
4. C1fiiki:avec1féfi§1f;.atirzgiia1fi.,~
S/o. "C.}1m_1na.ppa agtgd 62 years,
1' 'r}..--,.._..--... ' -.
. .. « u_y'c:.1.n1'c1,
" Sf»-bu. Uayaxudraiah,
tn
A A " ~ _ Aggd, 47"3r¢_ars,
. at 1.. -r;'.'~..'"...s....1... A.......;! I: .... ..n
D] U.' zxuiuluu, :1. cu. 3-u yutsua.
*7, Mafigangaiah,
_ ....'3_
~..-S-,lo= P1.1-_ai:_a_h, A0 A 3.3 yczars,
' N31*aSifl1hara_iu,
S/o. Narasimhaiah, Aged 43. ycars,_
30
151 1111 cmn
1.34.-La.1a.u¢A us.'
S / 0. Shiva Aged 30 years,
3.9; v\ CL: U----
10. Paramesllaiah,
S/e. Memiyappe, Ag --
All are residing at
Yelerampura village, L. _
Koratagere Taluk, :_ .,.e___.'i;ie1;e1'$
{By Sri. R'. N-""no.1'-a Dr Em. '<1 i.}'z E-3asa'va1~aj'u,=._s__ f
Advocate) " ' " "
AND:
State ofI{e1T1ataka x -
ByK01'atage1"e Police.-.__ _ ~ _: Respondent
(By -'~'-ri. He..ne}_."a, ,v,A,VCCuj:~.,'}~.
'1*11i.«;: C1""i11ii1'13al"I?ievisi(§;1'7Petition is filed u11der
Section 397 "-~1'ea_d wit1f1'*40_1_ C1:'.P.C. to set aside the -
JudgaiientDatedf:-323.6131996 "gassed by the 1'v'Iu;1sifi' and
_ 'G.C.No.248/199;1 -and the
Judgment dated f_'19'.vO3';9C!--04 passed" by the -P.(_)., Fast
Track Courtelli', 'I'3,I1nV1-fer in Cr1.A.No.10/-19-96 to
acquit t11e"petitioi1e1'*. ' '
This~ .petit:iefl"eeming on for 11ea_I'i_I1g_,_ day the
»' };3o1;1't,_mede.t11e following:
ORDER
..’1*11e.’ i3etitio1″1ers-accused Nos. 1 to 10 have been
V. Aeenvieted for ‘r._11e offences p1.11.is’..a…1.,- 1…I..der Seetiens
323, 353, 255, 504 8:. 506 IPC and they are sentellced to
“undergo simple i111prisom11en1: for _a- period of six
1″flO1″1f1″iS, by the Judgment of co11vict_ion and sentence
passed by the Munsifi’ and JMFC., Ko1’etage_re dated
23.01.1996 in C.C.No.248/1991. The said ohde1* of
conviction and sentence is confirmed by
19.03.2004 passed by Fast Track (_3r.11__!1’_1:-..Ilt1_”_,”~V.VV.ttI.:;e…_…2;
C111oJ.ALo1$OI1(J\Il 1996 end “S s”e1~..;» L11 ‘petition has
been filed challenging the o1*cle_1’7of * ,
sentence.
2. It is the of “~–p1’oseoution that PW.1
. ~.. .. .’
Anjhmppa, ,.11_e._ C.irele.. Inspe.-tor olt . <;.i.t_:e. on 1' C€i'"'t of
' 'Yeleralnpura village
are 1nvo1vee1 A17.o4; 1991 at 4.00, he went
to the spot xVélong:"avitli':'l1isstaff and found about 30-40
persons '-.gatli1e1'ed""wl1o"";vere involved in gallzbling, after
:.oot1ld__ apprehend A-1 (Rajappa) who also
H ~attemjjtéd __to[1i2u1 away from the scene of occurrence, on
l' H –' , nn 1…
could touch his boil’ , me 11::
i11tJe1*;*oVgaatio11, A-1 revealed that he is the brother of
5
(‘ti
Cr’
r-I
“L
I
E:
“1
:0
H:
GB
:
E
DO
S 1
|–O9
V R HlVlL2′-‘\..,’ he also held threat stating that if he were to call
the villagers, serious consequences will ensue, he
made hue and cry. After hearing the cries of A-1,
.9u9mae2’»~—
about 40-50 villagers assembled at scene of OCC{ll’I7C11CC
held threats to riding police party saying,
released, they will tie up the ild’_11g ,V
The police constables Aewatlieippa
constable Ra_111a.iah who i1’lV}t1’16 case
claim to have app1’ehei.%.de<i A:.V–_–:1:'. " _a1_1€_g¢d that the
persons who ,5:1_-..SBl1'lb1£'d._ 9…; -the 3};-o.'.'* also abused the
police language and
obst1'ucted'w.etl1e:u tllcir oflicial duty.
As the pol£ee'}1ppi*e11e1id'edthat a law and order problem
was likely: to »– left the accused person and
retemiled its the pd-lice ""-"'ti"'1 and I-"v'i_:'.1_.'1..'i_i§,"<Z_'L a
.A 4:v.rl11ic1"1 came to be registeied in crime
letéaiust accused No.1. the course
of.44'in.veetitg4etion, spot mahazar was drawn and after
.. nreegrding the stateiueiite _f -e1_.1ra_,I_1t w…I.1._-$se'e,=ch91jge
be iii'-d agufl-'net A-1 t' A-10.
3. The prosecution, in suppoljt .of__ its case,
examined PWs. 1 to 10, got marked Ex.P.1 -to PT. No ‘
evidence was let in on behalf of the accused, but
:4
however, portions of statements of PWS. 4 81. ffhave
been got marked as Ex.D.1 83 2. On
the oral and documentary evidence,
held th-“t the -“c-cneed–petiti”‘”ers h’r’_’j1 _ ‘ iii:-..o”wZhe
.___._ A..AnAE
charges levelled against thern ar1dv_”‘se11tc11ceA
stated herein before. u
4. Of thewitiheteeeeeyeygaanillcd, PW.7
crucial deli jindep’ende11t witnesses to
the they have not
suppo_1’ted prosecution, they have turned
hostfler the evidence of the riding
, . D-‘”7 ‘S 51;” P51 Wu
ha-
(‘1
85 8 .I.VV.U’
case and forwarded FIR to the
Itdagistrate.
to AAl1’1::’..pector (co_rn_p1ai_.1._:_-11_t} 1e Ln__11is _.vi.,e1_1é:fi:dc11QScd .119…
._ L?”
tu t mere w”s ‘”10 ide””1t:it’ica’i’n 1;’r”‘d’- ‘? ‘._’d asdregards
the identity of accused persons, there ‘is no material to
establish as to how the other accused ‘1.e., A-2 to 10
came to be implicated in the case. It isargtled by the
R-Q.LULOL\°u—+
tl1ej_11.Vas”e.
when they reaeiijqéti e p1’C€ o
learned HCGP., that it is A-1 who revealed. the of
A-2 to A- 10. PW.2 is the Doctor who
C C
“I’Il1’l”Pd W1
.|..A.;J|a|.L-u I-1.1.1., vv ‘.1—aI.I.1|.n.n-‘ .-..— _ –4-_-1-7-_ ;:V _–J_–
1:
(‘P””.f”3’), Panchaksharappa (F
Q_ A§mg_1_’_]_1ninh T3, F351 .6! oh;
‘
certificates as per Ex.P.2,.»3;.____4 he _
certificates reveal that there ab_tasio}ns’ and
$1165′ We-1’3 SiI11P13 ill’ gg ‘Fciathe reasons best
1 +1–. . ..’- X
‘flG’IVfl, l…l.l.Q i’31Cn\.CuI.1.Gu’».uui:: ‘nu
police who
Caused illeellfwaai” 4» 5- “:6″ &$v8va$matkon1v a
about {receipt .. .. irfibrmation ._w.it_t_1 _ _rega4i_d to
§”‘g,i11g a11c1__.-_-t11e_\,I_§;]1!.3o. state that
,2, _ 30-40
‘p’f§I”SO11SV’If$Ift§”fQufld involved in_ a11;giee_on_seei_ng
tileini, *;_-ofhitheni ran away from the scene of
occurrellce. However, from the evidence of PWS. 1 it is
* aeeh,tha.. on apprehe.1eio.. of A-1 1″-ee_1″__r_=i ed; _111_1_r-*_.=;-.1 _e n r -. ‘-
ahci about 30-40 viiiagers gathered 0_VC3I”_-fiiéffi’. T
the evidence of PWs.1, 3, 4, 5, 6 82-. 8 contradict with
each other. If really the vi11_ager_e_Who_WeI’e .iI_1_voived in
gambling got scared and ran away fIfo_m_,_the_.§Qcne, ___on
seeing the riding party, they Wouldnot have assehibied
back on seeing the A-1 being apprehended. .
1111!’! 11:=CeSSa_1″‘3J’ fn rlnte’ afi 1″(!11§l”i TU
|4\l :.;.\.: ur uu.§uu._ _ry.=J=.__ _* ”
counsei for petitioner there is he 1na.te;rié&1
there was a case reg’sterec1.__ against aiizfenev of the
accused for gambling. the incident in
qL1_CS1′.iO11 had occ111’red_.xat_ Aaho1;;t.v’.5;».1j5.fp.$3.1, ._b1lt lfloiwever,
4.1– -..,.1:…… 1..—- …1….:.,.4-.5. “. U . “i ‘5’”
L11 you ‘c: 1 ‘ vs. icgivei. “”3 ‘ a– t’.’.£-136 fi.GG’fit. 3.00 1″}.11″i.
The ;1J0iice«–Vstatit§1i”V’a11d the scene of
occurre11ce”yi_s K.Ms. There is
absolntely’ fcrthconiiiig for the delay in
icclging coii3.}:Lai.-t’:”.he1__tidly, As there is no
com’.piainticase–V registered ‘t any one of the
‘ aceused’~fer:”gamb1h1g. The genesis of the case cannot
j_ from the material prod_uced by the
proseci1tic11 and the same appears to have been
.
S11″~}31’€SS6″‘ ‘0’” the i.1ves..1@t..;1g agenw. ….owever, t..e
evidence of PWS. 1, ‘2, 3, 4, 5, 6 85 8 reveais that incident
that had occurred in the village the same cannot be
ruled out. But as tn why such an incident had
cecurred, why pecple had gathered. wily they started to
,C2Qn,uLedZu__
run away from the scene of 0CCl1I’1’€1.’1OC, how ethejfiagain
came back, assembled again and l1e1d tiie
police person; e1 __1 appe__r t- he 11_,..,1.:;=.-._,!v_’.’1’c_*=,*..1L§’-‘i’i.’–}’V=: ‘
fT\’l-..-,……-. 3..
1 11C]. 1.15
record regarding the i111p1ice__1.tion””Accused. ;
10. However, as regards1’u as 1’1e.u: to be
prominent figure brother of MLA,
he has be 11 1–lQme(1.””n’._!-LL13″nr’rn’1lEQafi””v”E’d.1\’1 it is stated
as’ \..v\.4 A _u|.a..LJ.
t
I»
that ofi1e1*4aecu§_§ed were :.a1so..i1″:%Ioi1ied”in the galllbling in
the village’; Zigccclfdingi toii1efp1’osecution, there were
six police *._had gone for the ride and they
in their reviderioei’ categorically stated that. t1_ey
» :invfo1!Ied.gi11:V’7ga_1nb1i11g and no identity of such persons is
police personnel. All these aspect of
the have not been considered by the Courts
hei.,w The C(.”._.1’tS be1..w, wit..o1..t consioeling the
“vidmce in a p1’op’r per”pe *t’v’ ‘*a”e arrive_d_ at a Wrong
conclusion that the petitioners are guilty__ of having
committed the offences punishable U/S323; 3353, 255, =
504 63 506. The material on record may lead to -a strong
,Law~w–‘ ”
suspicion of the accused being guilty of the ofieiaees,
but mere suspicion however strong would _11:t’:t .’_’py__’__itself¢
. ‘ _ .:CiA’i’E€?tSG1j§3.T'[)1€
doubt. Thus, the orde1f.e’0f co1*ivicti.oI1 9Vai1§1.:sen1ji;.e11(:e_”‘e.
passed by the Courts below to be._VVi:1i:er’fe1’ed with
i11 this revision petition} _ I{_eI;,ee,”~ti1e “fo1_loWi11g:
[:3 ,. 9
‘E9, 9}-P
.. F1 ..
The isa ‘T’I1C judglhellt
dated 19.03.2004
pétssed Track Court-III, ‘I’u_mk_ur in
Cri1hifis1l 1996 and the Juciggment
;1_.#4..-.A.,.a nrin 1__n’;’ …_…….,,..r 1…. 4.1…. ‘uI’..-……_.:.m:- n_
wk’:J.c1l£3;l .:50.b- ..l.J’i:’lJ }..|r1!!ibCl.l U)’ LL15 1V.l.LLU.bl.l.1 Ob
, ¥C;«4sitvKorata’gee in C.C. No.248/1991 are set
j VA’oI=.V”v’I’11e accused-petitioners herein are
héhhaecjoitted of all the charges levelled agaj__r1st them.
AA VT”-‘T’1 bail bomis
~.-1. 4 av