IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 21.07.2008 CORAM: THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P.D.DINAKARAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.N.BASHA Criminal Appeal No.613 of 2006 1. Saravanan 2. Shanmugavel .. Appellants/Accused 1 and 2 Vs. State by Inspector of Police, Palacode Police Station, (Crime No.316 of 2002) .. Respondent/Complainant * * * Prayer : Criminal Appeal filed under Section 374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure against the Judgment passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Dhamapuri, made in S.C.No.57 of 2005 dated 15.06.2006. * * * For Appellants : Mr.S.Ashok Kumar, SC for M/s.Anand, Abdul & Vinodh Associates For Respondent : Mr.N.R.Elango, Additional Public Prosecutor J U D G M E N T
(Judgment of the court was delivered by K.N.BASHA, J.)
Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment of the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Dharmapuri, dated 15.06.2006 made in S.C.No.57 of 2005 convicting the appellants under Section 302 IPC and sentencing them to undergo imprisonment for life and also imposing a fine of Rs.1,000/- each, in default, to undergo three months rigorous imprisonment.
2. The prosecution version, as unfolded during the course of trial through the evidence adduced by the prosecution, is as follows :
(i) P.W.3 is the elder sister of the deceased, Palanivasan. A-1 was the neighbour of the deceased and P.W.3. A-1, A-2 and the deceased were friends. A-1 asked an amount of Rs.2,000/- as loan from P.W.3 through the deceased. P.W.3 gave the loan amount of Rs.2,000/- to A-1 as the deceased guaranteed for the repayment. P.W.3 demanded the repayment of the loan amount from A-1, three months after giving the loan. The deceased went and asked A-1 to repay the loan which was given by his sister, P.W.3 and A-1 abused the deceased in filthy language. They were not in talking terms for a week and thereafter, they restored their relationship and both of them used to consume alchohol. On one day, A-1 called the deceased to Laingalapatti village for Kaliamman temple festival and thereafter both the deceased and A-1 left for that temple festival. As the deceased was not returned even two days thereafter, P.W.3 went and enquired mother of A-1 and she informed that he would come two days thereafter. Again after three days, P.W.3 went and enquired A-1 and A-1 stated to P.W.3 that due to the quarrel in respect of loan amount of Rs.2,000/-, A-2 caught hold of the deceased and A-1 said to have thrown the deceased into the well. Thereafter, P.W.3 went and informed her mother one Ariyakkal and her uncle one Dharman.
(ii) Meanwhile P.W.2 who is an agriculturist in the village went to his field on 09.06.2002 at 9.00 a.m. and found an unidentified body of a male person was floating in his well. He went and informed P.W.1, Village Administrative Officer. P.W.1 along with his Assistant, P.W.10, came to the well and found the body of a male person at 10.30 a.m. He enquired the neighbours, but no one was able to identify the body. P.W.1 had not received any information from anyone. Thereafter, P.W.1 asked his Assistant, P.W.10, to remain at the scene and went to the police station.
(iii) P.W.1 went to palacode Police Station and gave the report, Ex.P.1. P.W.13, on receipt of the report, registered the case in Crime No.316 of 2002 under Section 174 Cr.P.C. He sent the First Information Report, Ex.P.13 to the Tahsildar, Palacode, the Magistrate and to the higher police officials.
(iv) P.W.13 took up investigation and went to the scene of occurrence at 1.45 p.m. and prepared the observation mahazar, Ex.P.6 and the rough sketch, Ex.P.14 in the presence of P.W.10 and another. He held inquest on the dead body of the deceased at 2.30 p.m. Ex.P.15 is the inquest report. He examined some witnesses and recorded their statements at the scene. He sent the body for post-mortem.
(v) The Doctor, P.W.11, conducted post-mortem on the dead body of the deceased on 10.06.2002 at 12.45 p.m. and found the following injuries :
External injury not made not due to high decomposing of the body.
Internal Examination :
Opening of the Thorax : Hyoid Bone : Intact ; Ribs : No fracture of the ribs ; Heart : Weight normal on C/s. Congested and decomposed ; Lungs : On c/s. congested on squeezing frothy watery fluid comes out ; Opening of the Abdomen : Liver : Weight normal on c/s. congested and decomposed. Stomach : Contains 250 gms of undigested rice food ; Intestines : Distended with gas ; Kidney : Weight normal on c/s congested ; Bladder : Empty ; Opening of the Head : Skull : No fracture of the skull bone ; Brain : Liquified.
Ex.P.10 is the Post-mortem certificate. He opined that the deceased would appear to have died at about 72 to 96 hours prior to autopsy and would have died due to asphyxia due to drowning.
(vi) P.W.13, in continuation of his investigation, examined P.Ws.1, 2, 3 and others and recorded their statements. On 10.06.2002, he examined P.W.6, Tailor, and recorded his statement and he came to know that the body is that of the deceased. As P.W.6 identified the shirt, M.O.1, is that of the deceased as he used to stitch shirt for the deceased. P.W.13 went to the house of the deceased and showed the photograph and shirt, M.O.1, to P.W.3, sister of the deceased. P.W.3 identified the body as that of her brother. P.W.3 further informed that A-1 gave the extra-judicial confession and thereafter, he recorded a statement from P.W.3 and altered the offence to one under Section 302 IPC. Ex.P.16 is the altered First Information Report and he sent the same to the Magistrate Court.
(vii) P.W.1 stated that on 14.06.2002, A-1 and A-2 appeared before him in his office and at that time P.W.4 and one Thirupathi came to his office. On enquiry, A-1 gave the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2 to the Village Administrative Officer, P.W.1. Thereafter, P.W.1 took both the accused and produced them before P.W.13, Inspector of Police, palacode Police Station at 12.00 noon along with his report, Ex.P.3. P.W.13 arrested both the accused and took them to the scene and after A-1 and A-2 identified the place, they were remanded to judicial custody through the Court. P.W.13 examined the other remaining witnesses and recorded their statements.
(viii) P.W.14 took up further investigation. He examined the Doctor, P.W.11, who has conducted post-mortem and received the post-mortem certificate, Ex.P.10. He also received Ex.P.9, Viscera report and Ex.P.11, final opinion. After completion of investigation, P.W.14 filed the charge sheet against the accused on 30.11.2002 for the offence under Section 302 IPC.
3. The prosecution, in order to bring home the charges against the accused, examined P.Ws.1 to 14, marked Exs.P.1 to P.16 and M.Os.1 to 6.
4. When the accused were questioned under Section 313 Cr.P.C. in respect of the incriminating circumstances appearing against them through the evidence adduced by the prosecution, both the accused have come forward with the version of total denial. They have not chosen to examine any witness on their side.
5. Mr.S.Ashok Kumar, learned senior counsel appearing for the appellants vehemently contended that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the charges against the accused by adducing clear and consistent evidence and made the following submissions :
(1)The evidence of P.W.3, sister of the deceased, is unbelievable and unacceptable as she was not even able to state the date of occurrence and also the date on which A-1 and A-2 said to have been made extra-judicial confession to her and she has also not given report to the police or informed to anyone.
(2)The evidence of P.W.1, Village Administrative Officer, is unacceptable and unbelievable. P.W.1 has stated that A-1 and A-2 appeared before him on 14.06.2002 and A-1 gave the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2, and at that time P.W.4 and one Thirupathi was present. But P.W.4 stated that they went to the police station on the date of conducting post-mortem, i.e., on 10.06.2002 and also on the next day, i.e., on 11.06.2002 and found A-1 at the police station. P.W.5 stated that on 13.06.2002, he was examined by the police and he was taken to the police station and at that time A-1 and A-2 were present at the police station. Therefore, the version of the prosecution that A-1 and A-2 appeared before P.W.1 and gave the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2 is unreliable and unacceptable.
(3)The last seen theory as spoken by P.W.8 is unreliable and unbelievable as P.W.8 has not stated about the date and time on which he has seen the accused along with the deceased at Kaliamman temple festival. P.W.8 further admitted in his cross-examination that the deceased and the accused were unknown to him and he has not seen them before the temple festival.
6. Per contra, Mr.N.R.Elango, learned Additional Public Prosecutor, contended that the prosecution has proved its case by adducing clear and cogent evidence. It is contended that though there are certain inconsistencies between the evidence of P.W.1 and P.Ws.4 and 5, the evidence of P.W.1 is quite natural and he is the Village Administrative Officer and he has no reason to implicate the accused falsely. It is contended that the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2 made by A-1 to P.W.1, VAO, is also corroborated by P.W.4 and further presence of P.W.4 is also mentioned in Ex.P.2 and P.W.1 has also obtained the signature of P.W.4 in Ex.P.2. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor would further submit that the prosecution version is also corroborated by the medical evidence.
7. We have given our careful and anxious consideration to the rival contentions put forward by either side and also scrutinized the materials available on record and perused the impugned judgment of conviction.
8. The entire case rests on the circumstantial evidence. The prosecution placed reliance on the following circumstances :
(1)The last seen theory as spoken by P.W.3 in respect of the deceased going along with A-1 to the Kaliamman temple festival and thereafter, the deceased not returning back to the house and the alleged extra-judicial confession said to have been made by A-1 to her.
(2)The last seen theory as spoken by P.W.5 to the effect of the deceased accompanying with A-1 to the temple festival.
(3)The last seen theory as spoken by P.W.8 to the effect that he has seen the deceased along with A-1 and A-2 at Kaliamman temple festival at Laingalapatti village.
(4)The extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2, said to have been made by A-1 to P.W.1, Village Administrative officer, in the presence of P.W.4.
(5)The identification of the body through M.O.1, shirt, as identified by P.W.6, Tailor, and P.W.3, sister of the deceased.
9. Before proceeding to consider the above said circumstances, it is relevant to refer the principle of law laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in respect of circumstantial evidence.
10. The Honble Apex Court has held in a latest decision in Krishnan V. State represented by Inspector of Police reported in 2008 (4) Supreme 25 that,
This Court in a series of decisions has consistently held that when a case rests upon circumstantial evidence, such evidence must satisfy the following tests :-
i.the circumstances from which an inference of guilt is sought to be drawn, must be cogently and firmly established ;
ii.those circumstances should be of definite tendency unerringly pointing towards guilt of the accused ;
iii.the circumstances, taken cumulatively, should form a chain so complete that there is no escape from the conclusion that within all human probability the crime was committed by the accused and none else ; and
iv.the circumstantial evidence in order to sustain conviction must be complete and incapable of explanation of any other hypothesis than that of the guilt of the accused and such evidence should not only be consistent with the guilt of the accused but should be inconsistent with his innocence. (See Gambhir V. State of Maharashtra AIR 1982 SC 1157).”
11. It is also equally well settled by the Hon’ble Apex Court in Gade Lakshmi Mangraju alias Ramesh V. State of Andhra Pradesh reported in AIR 2001 SC 2677 that,
“In a case based on circumstantial evidence one circumstance by itself may not unerringly point to the guilt of the accused. It is the cumulative result of all circumstances, which could matter. Hence, it is not proper for the Court to cull out one circumstance from the rest for the purpose of giving a different meaning to it.”
12. Now let us scrutinize and analyze the circumstances put forward by the prosecution in the light of the above said principle of law laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court.
13. As far as the first and second circumstances, namely, last seen theory as said to have been spoken by P.W.3 and P.W.5 is concerned, it is to be seen that neither P.W.3 nor P.W.5 has stated the date and time on which A-1 took the deceased to Kaliamman temple festival. It is pertinent to be noted that though P.W.3 may be called as an illiterate lady, the fact remains that P.W.5 has stated that on 13.06.2002 he was examined by the police and he went to the police station and at that time he has seen A-1 and A-2 at the police station. Therefore, P.W.5 was able to state the date and if really he had seen the deceased was taken by A-1, he could have very well mentioned about the date on which the deceased was taken by A-1 to the temple festival. P.W.5 is also related to the deceased, but strangely, he has not given any report to the police in spite of his statement to the effect in the chief examination that his Sister, Ariyakka, mother of the deceased, stated to him that the whereabouts of the deceased was not known. The conduct of P.W.3 is also highly unnatural and abnormal. It is seen that P.W.3 has also not given any report to the police. It is claimed by P.W.3 that she has informed her mother, Ariyakka, and her uncle, Dharman. If really she had informed to her uncle Dharman, then her uncle could have very well given the report to the police, but the said Dharman, was not examined by the police and such non-examination of Dharman is also fatal to the prosecution case. In view of the above said infirmities, we are of the considered view that it is most unsafe and hazardous to place reliance on the evidence of P.W.3 and P.W.5.
14. The third circumstance put forward by the prosecution is the last seen theory said to have been spoken by P.W.8 to the effect that he has seen both the deceased and the accused at the kaliamman temple festival. It is pertinent to be noted that P.W.8 has categorically admitted that he has not seen the deceased as well as A-1 and A-2 earlier to the temple festival. It is seen that P.W.8 has, for the first time, identified A-1 and A-2 before the Court and no identification parade was conducted. Therefore, it is crystal clear P.W.8 neither seen the deceased nor A-1 and A-2 prior to the occurrence and he has identified A-1 and A-2 for the first time before the Court. In view of such categorical admission of P.W.8, it is highly improbable for P.W.8 to identify A-1 and A-2.
15. The Hon’ble Apex Court in Kanan and others v. State of Kerala reported in 1980 MLJ (Cri.) 1 has held that,
“It is well-settled that where a witness identifies an accused who is not known to him in the Court for the first time, his evidence is absolutely valueless unless there has been a previous T.I. parade to test his powers of observations. The idea of T.I. parade under section 9 of the Evidence Act is to test the veracity of the witness on the question of his capability to identify an unknown person whom the witness may have seen only once. If no T.I. parade is held then it will be wholly unsafe to rely on his bare testimony regarding the identification of an accused for the first time in Court.”
16. The fourth circumstance put forward by the prosecution is the alleged extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2, said to have been made by A-1 to P.W.1, Village Administrative Officer, in the presence of P.W.4. It is the specific version of P.W.1 that A-1 and A-2 appeared before him on 14.06.2002 and thereafter, A-1 gave the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2, in the presence of P.W.4 and one Thirupathi. The prosecution has withheld the examination of the said Thirupathi, but examined only P.W.4. It is pertinent to be noted that P.W.4 has categorically stated that he went to the police station on the date of post-mortem, i.e., on 10.06.2002 and again he went to the police station on the next day, i.e., on 11.06.2002 and at that time, A-1 was present at the police station. P.W.5 has also categorically stated in his chief examination that on 13.06.2002, he went to the palacode police station and on that day, he found A-1 and A-2 were present at the police station and he has identified them to the police at that time. P.W.5 again reiterated the same version in his cross-examination. Therefore, it is crystal clear that A-1 and A-2 were very much in the custody of the police even prior to 14.06.2002, the date on which A-1 is said to have been made the extra-judicial confession, Ex.P.2 to P.W.1. In view of this serious infirmity and inconsistency, we have no hesitation to reject the evidence of P.W.1 and we are of the considered view that it is most unsafe and hazardous to place reliance on the alleged extra-judicial confession said to have been made by A-1 to P.W.1.
17. The last circumstance put forward by the prosecution is that the identification of the body through P.W.6, Tailor, who has identified the shirt, M.O.1, said to have been stitched by him for the deceased and thereafter identified by P.W.3, sister of the deceased. Before proceeding to consider the evidence of P.W.6 and P.W.3 on this aspect, we are constrained to state that even assuming that the shirt, M.O.1 is that of the deceased and the body also is that of the deceased as per the version of P.W.6 and P.W.3, sister of the deceased, by no stretch of imagination, A-1 and A-2 could be fastened with the liability of causing the death of the deceased in the absence of any other incriminating circumstances. As already pointed out, there are several missing links in the circumstances put forward by the prosecution and the prosecution has miserably failed to complete the chain of circumstances unerringly pointing to the guilt of the accused.
18. For the aforesaid reasons, we are constrained to come to the irresistible conclusion to the effect that the prosecution has miserably failed to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt and as such the impugned judgment of conviction is unsustainable and the appeal is liable to be allowed. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed and the conviction and sentence imposed on the appellants by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Dhamapuri, made in S.C.No.57 of 2005 dated 15.06.2006, are hereby set aside. Bail bonds executed shall stand cancelled. Fine amount paid, if any, is directed to be refunded to the appellants.
(P.D.D., J.) (K.N.B., J.) 21.07.2008
Index : Yes
Internet : Yes
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To
1. The Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Dharmapuri.
2. The Judicial Magistrate, Palacode.
3. - do thro" The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dharmapuri @ Krishnagiri.
4. The Inspector of Police, Palacode Police Station, Krishnagiri District.
5. The Public Prosecutor,
High Court, Madras.
P.D.DINAKARAN, J.
and
K.N.BASHA, J.
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Judgment in
Crl.A.No.613 of 2006
21.07.2008