{"id":250840,"date":"2008-12-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-10T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/raghubar-roy-vs-state-of-bihar-on-11-december-2008"},"modified":"2017-02-21T00:30:45","modified_gmt":"2017-02-20T19:00:45","slug":"raghubar-roy-vs-state-of-bihar-on-11-december-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/raghubar-roy-vs-state-of-bihar-on-11-december-2008","title":{"rendered":"Raghubar Roy vs State Of Bihar on 11 December, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Patna High Court<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Raghubar Roy vs State Of Bihar on 11 December, 2008<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: Abhijit Sinha<\/div>\n<pre id=\"pre_1\">                           DEATH REFERENCE No.8 OF 2006\n                                       WITH\n                            CR. APP. (DB) NO.1177 OF 2006\n                                       WITH\n                            CR. APP. (DB) NO.1185 OF 2006\n\n                                              ........\n<\/pre>\n<p id=\"p_1\">Reference made by Sri Diwakar Mishra, Presiding Judge, Fast Track Court No.V,<br \/>\nSamastipur, through Letter No.10072 dated 6.11.2006 and appeals against the Judgment<br \/>\nof conviction dated 20.10.2006 and Order of sentence dated 31.10.2006 passed by Sri<br \/>\nDiwakar Mishra, Presiding Judge, Fast Track Court No.V, Samastipur in Sessions Trial<br \/>\nNo.270 of 2005\/540 of 2006.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_1\">                                      &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_2\">\n                           DEATH REFERENCE No.8 OF 2006<\/p>\n<p>THE STATE OF BIHAR&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;APPELLANT.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_3\">                                             Versus<\/p>\n<p>RAGHUBAR RAI, SON OF LATE SUNDER ROY, RESIDENT OF VILLAGE-\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_4\">JANARDANPUR, P.S. KALYANPUR, DISTRICT-SAMASTIPUR.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_5\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;RESPONDENT.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_6\">                                            WITH<\/p>\n<p>                             CR. APP (DB) No.1177 OF 2006<\/p>\n<p>BIRAL ROY, SON OF TRIVENI ROY ALIAS PRIKSHAN ROY, RESIDENT OF<br \/>\nVILLAGE-KOTHEA, P.S.CHACKMEHSI, DISTRICT-SAMASTIPUR.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_7\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;APPELLANT.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_8\">                                                  Versus<\/p>\n<p>THE STATE OF BIHAR&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;RESPONDENT.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_9\">                                            WITH<\/p>\n<p>                             CR. APP (DB) No.1185 OF 2006<\/p>\n<p>RAGHUBAR RAI, SON OF LATE SUNDER ROY, RESIDENT OF VILLAGE-\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_10\">JANARDANPUR, P.S. KALYANPUR, DISTRICT-SAMASTIPUR.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_11\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;APPELLANT.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_12\">                                                  Versus<\/p>\n<p>THE STATE OF BIHAR&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;RESPONDENT.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_13\">                                            &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_14\">For the Appellants      : M\/s. Kanhaiya Prasad Singh, Senior Advocate and Khurshid<br \/>\n                          Alam, Advocate (in both the appeals) and for the Respondent<br \/>\n                          in D. Reference.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_15\">For the informant       : Mr. Basant Choudhary, Senior Advocate, in all three cases.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_1\">                                                                  2<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p_16\">                   For the State          : Mr. Ashwani Kumar Sinha, A.P.P.in all the three cases.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_17\">                                                         PRESENT<\/p>\n<p>                                   THE HON&#8217;BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVA KIRTI SINGH<br \/>\n                                     THE HON&#8217;BLE MR. JUSTICE ABHIJIT SINHA<\/p>\n<p>                                                             &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_18\">                                                          JUDGMENT.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_19\">Abhijit Sinha,J:                   In the month of July, 2004 as the gurgling flood waters devastated areas<\/p>\n<p>                      under Kalyanpur P.S., Nand Kumar Thakur alias Ghuran Thakur, a Member of the<\/p>\n<p>                      Panchayat Samiti , though reported to be sick was taken away by boat at around 11<\/p>\n<p>                      A.M. on 15th July, 2004 by Mukhia , Raghubar Roy, Vimlesh Kumar Gupta, Kailash<\/p>\n<p>                      Roy, Biral Roy, Kamod Paswan, Ashok Kumar Roy and Sikandar Roy and four other<\/p>\n<p>                      unknown persons on the pretext that the relief materials from the block could not be<\/p>\n<p>                      given to them in his absence because he was a Member of the Panchayat Samiti and<\/p>\n<p>                      the people under the panchayat were dying of starvation and thereafter he never<\/p>\n<p>                      returned home and no trace could be found. Accordingly, Nirmala Devi, wife of<\/p>\n<p>                      Nand Kumar Thakur alias Ghuran Thakur, submitted a written report before the<\/p>\n<p>                      Officer Incharge, Kalyanpur P.S. on 23.7.2004 on the basis whereof Kalyanpur P.S.<\/p>\n<p>                      Case No.90 of 2004 was registered against the seven persons aforesaid under <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_1\">Sections<\/p>\n<p>                      364<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_1\">120-B<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_2\">34<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_3\">302<\/a> I.P.C.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_20\">                      2.           Briefly stated, the prosecution case as culled out from the written report of<\/p>\n<p>                      the informant is that at about 10 A.M. on 15.7.2004 while her husband, her dewar,<\/p>\n<p>                      Chandrakant Thakur, brothers-in-law, Binay Kumar Thakur and Bipin Kumar Thakur<\/p>\n<p>                      were sitting at the darwaza along with her, Vimlesh Kumar Gupta, Kailash Roy and<\/p>\n<p>                      boatman Biral Roy, came to the darwaza by boat and informed that Mukhia,<\/p>\n<p>                      Raghubar Roy, had called him to bring materials of flood relief and distribute the<\/p>\n<p>                      same. It is said that since her husband had fever, he refused to go but an hour later at<\/p>\n<p>                      about 11 A.M., Mukhia Raghubar Roy, himself accompanied by Vimlesh Kumar<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_1\">                                         3<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Gupta, Kailash Roy, Biral Roy, Kamod Paswan, Ashok Kumar Roy, Sikandar Roy<\/p>\n<p>and four other unknown persons came over by boat to their darwaza and requested<\/p>\n<p>him that since he was a member of the panchayat samiti, the relief materials could not<\/p>\n<p>be released from the Block Office in his absence and the people would starve to death<\/p>\n<p>and when her husband expressed his inability on account of his illness to accompany<\/p>\n<p>them, Raghubar Roy said that he would get him examined by a doctor and even<\/p>\n<p>though the husband refused to accompany them, all the persons took him away<\/p>\n<p>against his will by boat to Kalyanpur block. It is said that when her husband did not<\/p>\n<p>return home till 7 P.M., she sent her dewar and both the brothers to the house of<\/p>\n<p>Raghubar Roy to know the whereabouts of her husband but it was learnt that<\/p>\n<p>Raghubar Roy had not returned till then. Other attempt was made at 10 P.M. when it<\/p>\n<p>was again found that Raghubar Roy had not returned. On the following day, her<\/p>\n<p>dewar and brothers again went to the house of Raghubar Roy to enquire about Nand<\/p>\n<p>Kumar Thakur and they were given to understand by Raghubar Roy that Nand Kumar<\/p>\n<p>Thakur had returned to his house in the night itself by another boat. Thereafter hectic<\/p>\n<p>search was made for Nand Kumar at the houses of the friends and relatives but no<\/p>\n<p>trace could be found. The putrefied and decomposed dead body was subsequently<\/p>\n<p>recovered.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_21\">3.           The informant further stated that her husband used to go to cattle mart<\/p>\n<p>held on his own lands near Durga temple in village-Janardanpur where cows and<\/p>\n<p>buffaloes were sold on every Tuesday and Raghubar Roy was demanding this plot of<\/p>\n<p>land to be given to him on contract for realization of money but her husband had<\/p>\n<p>refused which caused annoyance to Raghubar Roy. On this premise the informant<\/p>\n<p>expressed her suspicion and apprehension that the accused persons by hatching a<\/p>\n<p>conspiracy had kidnapped her husband and killed him on the pretext of distributing<\/p>\n<p>flood relief materials and in order to conceal the dead body had thrown it into the<\/p>\n<p>flood waters.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_2\">                                         4<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p_22\">\n<p id=\"p_23\">4.         The police started investigation and found the accused persons<\/p>\n<p>absconding. However, in course of investigation they received secret information<\/p>\n<p>about accused Vimlesh Kumar Gupta and Biral Roy and reached Jathmalpur<\/p>\n<p>Mahadeo Sthan Chour with witnesses. It is alleged that on seeing the police force<\/p>\n<p>both the accused took to their heels and fled away towards bridge but were<\/p>\n<p>apprehended by the police on chase. Admitting his guilt accused Vimilesh Kumar<\/p>\n<p>Gupta gave out that the dead body of Nand Kumar Thakur had been thrown into the<\/p>\n<p>river after committing his murder in between Dhruvagama village and the saw mill<\/p>\n<p>near to it. This fact was supported by the confessional statement of accused Biral<\/p>\n<p>Roy. Search for the dead body of Nand Kumar Thakur in the surging flood water<\/p>\n<p>yielded no fruitful result and the dead body could not be found. On the following<\/p>\n<p>morning search continued by boat and in course thereof when they reached near the<\/p>\n<p>bamboo clump in village Dhruvagama, on being pointed out by the two accused they<\/p>\n<p>detected the dead body wearing kurta paijama floating on the water near a shisam<\/p>\n<p>tree. The witnesses, Jagdish Dubey and Chandrakant Thakur, the brother of the<\/p>\n<p>deceased, identified the dead body after seeing the same. This recovery was made at<\/p>\n<p>about 7.30 A.M. on 25.7.2004. The confessional statement of the accused persons<\/p>\n<p>were recorded who gave out that all the accused persons had gone to Kalyanpur on<\/p>\n<p>the boat of Raghubar Roy where Nand Kumar Thakur was administered mild<\/p>\n<p>medicines and while coming back in the evening by the boat, Raghubar Roy<\/p>\n<p>strangulated him to death and threw the dead body into the flood waters with the help<\/p>\n<p>of other accused persons. The police prepared inquest report and sent the dead body<\/p>\n<p>to Samastipur for post-mortem examination where the doctor found the cause of death<\/p>\n<p>to be asphyxia and stated the time of death before about 10 days.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_24\">5.         Having completed the investigation the Investigating Officer submitted<\/p>\n<p>chargesheet no.93 of 2004 against Vimlesh Kumar Gupta and Biral Roy. Thereafter<\/p>\n<p>chargesheet no.3 of 2005 was submitted against accused Raghubar Roy, showing the<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_3\">                                           5<\/span><\/p>\n<p>investigation to be pending against accused Kamod Paswan, Kailash Roy, Ashok<\/p>\n<p>Kumar Roy and Sikandar Roy.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_25\">6.         Eventually, by order dated 1.6.2005, the then Ist Additional Sessions<\/p>\n<p>Judge, framed charges under <a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_4\">Sections 120-B<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_5\">34<\/a>, <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_6\">364<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_7\">34<\/a>, <a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_8\">302<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_9\">34<\/a> and <a href=\"\/doc\/386021\/\" id=\"a_10\">201<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_11\">34<\/a> I.P.C.<\/p>\n<p>against accused Vimilesh Kumar Gupta, Biral Roy and Raghubar Roy to which they<\/p>\n<p>pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried. It would not be out of place to mention<\/p>\n<p>here that soon after the framing of charge the case in respect of Vimlesh Kumar<\/p>\n<p>Gupta was dropped by order dated 28.7.2005 since he had expired in the meantime<\/p>\n<p>and the trial proceeded against the remaining two.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_26\">7.         At the trial, the prosecution in support of its case examined as many as 10<\/p>\n<p>witnesses of whom P.W.9 is Dr. Ashok Bardhan Sahai who has proved the post-<\/p>\n<p>mortem (Ext.3) and P.W.10, Brij Bihari Pandey, is the Investigating Officer and<\/p>\n<p>Nirmala Devi, the informant, is P.W.6, apart from bringing on record the<\/p>\n<p>documentary evidence.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_27\">8.         The defence case is that they are innocent and have been falsely<\/p>\n<p>implicated in this case due to previous enmity over a dispute with Nand Kumar<\/p>\n<p>Thakur over the issue of cattle mart in the village and that Nand Kumar Thakur often<\/p>\n<p>became traceless for years together and it was possible that he might have gone<\/p>\n<p>missing and the recovered dead body was of another unknown person and not of<\/p>\n<p>Nand Kumar Thakur and taking advantage of the same due to the previous enmity<\/p>\n<p>and caste rivalry the accused persons had been dragged in into this case in a well<\/p>\n<p>planned manner after 8 days. The defence also produced documentary evidence as<\/p>\n<p>also oral evidence in its defence to show that the contract of the said cattle fair was in<\/p>\n<p>the name of the accused Raghubar Roy from before and that the witnesses produced<\/p>\n<p>by the prosecution in the court were interested witnesses having previous animosity.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_28\">9.            At the conclusion of the trial both the accused, Raghubar Rai and Biral<\/p>\n<p>Roy, were adjudged to be guilty of and convicted for commission of offences under<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_4\">                                          6<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_12\">Sections 364<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_13\">34<\/a> , <a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_14\">120B<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_15\">34<\/a>, <a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_16\">302<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_17\">34<\/a> and <a href=\"\/doc\/386021\/\" id=\"a_18\">201<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_19\">34<\/a> I.P.C. Taking into consideration the<\/p>\n<p>presumptively heinous nature of the crime, dubious role played by him therein and<\/p>\n<p>the pendency of a conglomerate of criminal cases of various nature against him,<\/p>\n<p>convict Raghubar Rai was sentenced to the gallows for the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_20\">Section 302<\/a><\/p>\n<p>I.P.C. He was further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years for<\/p>\n<p>the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_21\">Section 364<\/a> I.P.C. along with a fine of Rs.25, 000\/- payable to the<\/p>\n<p>wife of the deceased and in default to undergo simple imprisonment for two years.<\/p>\n<p>For the offences under <a href=\"\/doc\/1439698\/\" id=\"a_22\">Sections 120<\/a> B \/ 34 and 201\/34 <a href=\"\/doc\/1569253\/\" id=\"a_23\">I.P.C<\/a>., he was sentenced to<\/p>\n<p>rigorous imprisonment for 7 years each. Co-convict Biral Roy on a finding of being a<\/p>\n<p>conspirator and close associate of the main accused, Raghubar Rai, was sentenced to<\/p>\n<p>life imprisonment for the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_24\">Section 302<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_25\">34<\/a> I.P.C., rigorous imprisonment<\/p>\n<p>for 10 years for the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_26\">Section 364<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_27\">34<\/a> I.P.C, rigorous imprisonment for 7<\/p>\n<p>years for the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/386021\/\" id=\"a_28\">Section 201<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_29\">34<\/a> I.P.C. and rigorous imprisonment for 5<\/p>\n<p>years for the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_30\">Section 120B<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_31\">34<\/a> I.P.C. with a direction for all sentences<\/p>\n<p>to run concurrently.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_29\">                                  FINDINGS<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_30\">10.             Admittedly, the factum of death of Nand Kumar Thakur alias Ghuran<\/p>\n<p>Thakur is neither in controversy nor in dispute. The primary question which calls for<\/p>\n<p>pointed consideration is whether the prosecution has been able to prove the charge<\/p>\n<p>against the accused herein beyond all reasonable doubts and if the answer is in the<\/p>\n<p>positive then whether the case of the appellant Raghubar Rai would fall within the<\/p>\n<p>category of &#8220;rarest of rare&#8221; cases so as to deserve capital punishment.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_31\">11.           Admittedly again, there are no eye witnesses of the occurrence and the<\/p>\n<p>entire prosecution case is based upon circumstantial evidence. As observed in the<\/p>\n<p>case of Deepak Chandrakant Patil Vrs.State of Maharshtra reported in ( 2006) 10<\/p>\n<p>SCC 151, in a case based on circumstantial evidence there may be no direct evidence<\/p>\n<p>to prove the manner of assault or the actual participation of an accused in the assault<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_5\">                                          7<\/span><\/p>\n<p>on the deceased resulting in his death, but if the circumstantial evidence is conclusive<\/p>\n<p>in nature, a conviction on the basis of such circumstantial evidence may be recorded.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping this principal in mind we have to delve and deliberate as to whether the<\/p>\n<p>circumstances established on record are incriminating in nature and the chain of<\/p>\n<p>circumstances established by the prosecution is so complete as not to be consistent<\/p>\n<p>with any other hypothesis except the guilt of the accused.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_32\">12.             As per the written report ( Ext.2) submitted by Nirmala Devi ( P.W.6)<\/p>\n<p>the wife of the deceased, the presence of her dewar Chandrakant Thakur ( P.W.2) ,<\/p>\n<p>and brothers-in-law Binay Kumar Thakur ( P.W.1) and Bipin Kumar Thakur ( not<\/p>\n<p>examined) is indicated at her darwaja wherefrom Nand Kumar Thakur was allegedly<\/p>\n<p>taken away by the accused and their henchmen. This fact finds support from the<\/p>\n<p>evidence of P.Ws.1,2 and 6 . This fact is also supported by the evidence of Mahanth<\/p>\n<p>Ram Lakhan Das ( P.W.5) ,the father of the deceased, and P.W.2 who though not<\/p>\n<p>shown to be present at the darwaza of Nand Kumar Thakur claims to have seen the<\/p>\n<p>departure of Nand Kumar with the accused. P.Ws 1,2 and 6 have also supported the<\/p>\n<p>prosecution story of Nand Kumar Thakur being indisposed and refusing to go at the<\/p>\n<p>first instance when Vimlesh Kumar Gupta, Kailsh Roy and boatman Biral Roy had<\/p>\n<p>come to call him. P.W.3 ( Paltan Sahni) claims to have seen Nand Kumar Thakur in<\/p>\n<p>the company of the accused and their accomplices on a big boat going towards<\/p>\n<p>Kalyanpur. The fact of Nand Kumar leaving with the accused persons is not in<\/p>\n<p>dispute nor has any controversy thereto been raised by the defence.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_33\">13.                What is worth noting is the fact that whereas P.W.1 deposed that<\/p>\n<p>when Nand Kumar refused to go on the second occasion , Raghubar Rai caught hold<\/p>\n<p>of his arm and forcibly got him seated on the boat, P.Ws 2 and 6 state of Raghubar<\/p>\n<p>Rai , merely catching hold of Nand Kumar&#8217;s hands but they do not give any<\/p>\n<p>suggestion of any force being applied on Nand Kumar to force him on to the boat.<\/p>\n<p>Even P.W.5 does not give any indication of Nand Kumar being held in captivity.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_6\">                                            8<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Curiously, in course of his cross-examination, P.W.1 admits that neither Nand Kumar<\/p>\n<p>nor any of the relatives present there at the relevant time, including himself and<\/p>\n<p>Nirmala Devi, made any attempt to set him free or raise any hulla. He also admitted<\/p>\n<p>that there had been no struggle or tussle. The behaviour of the relatives of Nand<\/p>\n<p>Kumar not to offer any resistance to his being taken away is a matter which pricks the<\/p>\n<p>conscience with an element of doubt and unreasonableness. From the above one may<\/p>\n<p>deduce that with Raghubar Rai&#8217;s assurances of getting Nand Kumar examined by a<\/p>\n<p>doctor and providing medicines for his ailment he only had extended a helping hand<\/p>\n<p>to Nand Kumar to enable him to get on to the boat.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_34\">14.              P.W.1 also deposed that when Nand Kumar did not return by 7 P.M.<\/p>\n<p>he in the company of P.W.2 and Bipin Kumar Thakur went to the house of Raghubar<\/p>\n<p>Rai and found that he had not returned by then. He also speaks of going there a<\/p>\n<p>second time at 10 P.M but even then Raghubar was not available. Having spent the<\/p>\n<p>night in anxiety, they again visited Raghubar Rai the following morning when<\/p>\n<p>Raghubar informed them that Nand Kumar had already returned to his house by<\/p>\n<p>another boat in the evening. Search for him in the houses of the relatives yielded no<\/p>\n<p>positive result. P.W.2 has supported P.W.1 in the aspect. This led to the filing of the<\/p>\n<p>written report (Ext.2) after eight days.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_35\">15.                P.W.1 in course of his testimony sought to give a criminal tinge to<\/p>\n<p>the otherwise innocuous occurrence by stating that the cause of occurrence was that<\/p>\n<p>Nand Kumar Thakur had a cattle mart in village Janardanpur and Raghubar Rai with<\/p>\n<p>avaricious eyes thereupon was pressurizing Nand Kumar to hand over the same to<\/p>\n<p>him on contract which had not been acceded to and as a result thereof Nand Kumar<\/p>\n<p>had been taken away by the accused persons and murdered. P.W. 2 in substantiating<\/p>\n<p>the fact of enmity in course of his deposition added that there used to be frequent<\/p>\n<p>squabbles between the two over the issue. P.Ws 2,5 and 6 have substantiated the fact<\/p>\n<p>of existence of differences and ill- feelings between Nand Kumar and Raghubar Rai.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_7\">                                           9<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Curiously, the Investigating Officer does not appear to have considered this as a<\/p>\n<p>matter of which required investigation and he is silent in this regard.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_36\">16.                 To establish an offence punishable under <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_32\">Section 364<\/a> I.P.C. it is<\/p>\n<p>required to be proved that the person charged with the offence had the intention at<\/p>\n<p>the time of the abduction that the person abducted would be murdered or would be so<\/p>\n<p>disposed of as to be put in danger of being murdered . The pre-requisite for the<\/p>\n<p>prosecution is to establish that he intended at the time of the abduction to place the<\/p>\n<p>abducted person in a position which would put him\/her in danger of being murdered.<\/p>\n<p>One may, for this purpose, take into consideration the motive, previous relations of<\/p>\n<p>the parties and the circumstances showing clearly that the deceased was abducted<\/p>\n<p>with the object of being murdered.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_37\">17.              From the evidence available it is apparent that the area was reeling<\/p>\n<p>under the devastating fury of the flood waters causing all round misery, grief and<\/p>\n<p>depression with hungry populace clamouring for food and solace. In such a situation<\/p>\n<p>it is but common expectation that people swayed by humanitarianism would eschew<\/p>\n<p>their animosity and differences would join hands in amity to ameliorate the human<\/p>\n<p>sufferings. From the evidence of P.Ws 1,2, 3,5 and 6 as discussed in the foregoing<\/p>\n<p>paragraphs , it does not appear that the deceased Nand Kumar Thakur was forcibly<\/p>\n<p>taken away from his darwaja with the pre-determined motive or intention of his<\/p>\n<p>being murdered or being disposed of as to be put in danger of being murdered. None<\/p>\n<p>of the witnesses have stated anything in this regard so as to come to the conclusion<\/p>\n<p>that Nand Kumar Thakur was kidnapped\/ abducted from his darwaja. Had these<\/p>\n<p>winesses been aware of the alleged intention or motive of the accused persons of<\/p>\n<p>killing Nand Kumar Thakur, they would definitely have offered some sort of<\/p>\n<p>resistance, but the depositions of the witnesses are absolutely silent regarding<\/p>\n<p>resistance being offered to Nand Kumar Thakur being taken away by boat. Even the<\/p>\n<p>police was not informed of Nand Kumar Thakur being taken away for eight days.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_8\">                                         10<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p_38\">18.              Having given my anxious thought to this aspect of the matter I am of<\/p>\n<p>the confirmed opinion that it cannot be said with certainty that the accused persons<\/p>\n<p>were guilty of the offence under <a href=\"\/doc\/695990\/\" id=\"a_33\">Section 364<\/a>\/<a href=\"\/doc\/37788\/\" id=\"a_34\">34<\/a> I.P.C. and, accordingly, their<\/p>\n<p>conviction and sentence thereunder is set aside.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_39\">19.              It appears from the evidence of Jagdish Dubey ( P.W.4 ) that after<\/p>\n<p>kidnapping of Nand Kumar Thakur, the Kalyanpur Police led by the Sub-Inspector<\/p>\n<p>of Police went to Jathmalpur Mahadeo Asthan with Chandrakant Thakur in the<\/p>\n<p>evening of 24.7.2004 where the accused persons Biral Roy and Vimlesh Kumar<\/p>\n<p>Gupta were reported to be hiding . He stated that on seeing the police vehicle the<\/p>\n<p>accused persons attempted to flee         but were apprehended on chase and on<\/p>\n<p>interrogation Biral Roy and Vimlesh Kumar Gupta confessed their guilt and divulged<\/p>\n<p>that they along with Raghubar Rai and other persons had committed the murder of<\/p>\n<p>Nand Kumar Thakur on 15.7.2004 and threw the dead body into the flood waters.<\/p>\n<p>These two apprehended accused also gave out that they could show the place where<\/p>\n<p>the dead body was. He further stated that the police along with both the accused<\/p>\n<p>persons started searching in the light of Petromax and torch but due to the late night<\/p>\n<p>and fury of the flood water the search could not be concluded and on the following<\/p>\n<p>day   at about 7 A.M.      the search started again and they proceeded        towards<\/p>\n<p>Dhrubgama along with accused persons by boat and the dead body Nand Kumar was<\/p>\n<p>pointed out and identified by the apprehended accused. The dead body was lying in<\/p>\n<p>a clump of bamboos and a shisham tree towards the north east corner of Dhrubgama.<\/p>\n<p>The dead body was floating face upwards and was clad in Kurta- Payjama.<\/p>\n<p>Chandrakant Thakur ( P.W. 2) who was accompanying the police party identified<\/p>\n<p>the dead body of his brother by face and his ring . The dead body was brought to the<\/p>\n<p>darwaja of Prabhakar Jee where the inquest report by carbon process was prepared<\/p>\n<p>and the same was attested by him and Chandra Kant Thakur who put their signatures<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_9\">                                         11<\/span><\/p>\n<p>thereupon. The statement of P.W.4 finds corroboration from P.W.2 and the<\/p>\n<p>Investigating Officer (P.W.10).\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_40\">20.                   The defence has assailed the impugned Judgment of conviction<\/p>\n<p>and order of sentence on the ground that although Nand Kumar Thakur was found<\/p>\n<p>missing from the night of 15.7.2004, no information about this fact was given to the<\/p>\n<p>police by any of the relatives till the F.I.R. was lodged eight days thereafter. No<\/p>\n<p>reasonable explanation is forthcoming from any of the prosecution witnesses for this<\/p>\n<p>inordinate delay in lodging the F.I.R. . It is evident from the deposition of P.W.6, the<\/p>\n<p>informant, that she had not stated anything to the inmates of the house, namely, her<\/p>\n<p>mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The other aspect which had been asserted is that all<\/p>\n<p>the witnesses who have supported the prosecution case are in some way related to the<\/p>\n<p>deceased and the informant and the defence has put forward the plea of the evidence<\/p>\n<p>being those of interested witnesses. Relying on the deposition of P.W. 3, it was<\/p>\n<p>submitted that he had company of Suraj Sahni , Raj Kumar Sahni and the Samdhi of<\/p>\n<p>his brother on the boat from which he had seen Nand Kumar Thakur being taken<\/p>\n<p>away by the accused but curiously none of these independent witnesses have been<\/p>\n<p>examined by the prosecution. Similarly, although several persons were present at the<\/p>\n<p>time of recovery of the dead body and preparation of inquest report, none of these<\/p>\n<p>persons were sought to be examined in the court or were made to figure as witnesses<\/p>\n<p>of the inquest. In this context, it was sought to be pointed out with reference to the<\/p>\n<p>deposition of P.W.10 that no investigation was held with regard to the alleged motive<\/p>\n<p>and there is also no explanation as to why the confessional statements of Biral Roy<\/p>\n<p>and Vimlesh Kumar Gupta were recorded at the Police Station at 11 A.M. after the<\/p>\n<p>recovery of the dead body and not prior thereto when they had allegedly confessed of<\/p>\n<p>their guilty on the previous evening and were in custody throughout the night.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_41\">21.                  The defence with reference to the postmortem report (Ext.3) and<\/p>\n<p>the testimony of Dr.Ashok Bardhan Sahay ( P.W.9 ) who conducted the postmortem<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_10\">                                        12<\/span><\/p>\n<p>on the dead body of Nand Kumar Thakur submitted that no external ante mortem<\/p>\n<p>injury was found on the dead body which was swollen and putrefied and the face of<\/p>\n<p>the dead body was moth-eaten and full of maggots . The cause of death was attributed<\/p>\n<p>to asphyxia due to drowning and the time since death was given as 10 to 14 days.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_42\">22.                    From the prosecution evidence and the impugned judgment it<\/p>\n<p>appears that the conviction is based primarily on the &#8220;last seen together&#8221; theory<\/p>\n<p>ignoring the defence case as also the postmortem report and the evidence of the<\/p>\n<p>doctor conducting postmortem examination as also the defence case. It is necessary to<\/p>\n<p>mention that although the confessional statements of the two accused have been taken<\/p>\n<p>into account, Vimlesh Kumar Gupta was not examined since he was shot to death<\/p>\n<p>allegedly by the son of the informant. The other accused who confessed has been<\/p>\n<p>convicted. A co-accused who confesses is naturally an accomplice and the danger of<\/p>\n<p>using such extra-judicial confession is not far to appreciate. The danger is in no way<\/p>\n<p>lessened when such confession is not on oath and cannot be tested by cross<\/p>\n<p>examination. Prudence will dictate the same rule of caution in case of a witness who<\/p>\n<p>though not an accomplice is regarded by the Judge as having no greater probative<\/p>\n<p>value. That apart the Investigating Officer never sought to get the confessional<\/p>\n<p>statement recorded under <a href=\"\/doc\/497457\/\" id=\"a_35\">Section 164<\/a> Cr.P.C. In the circumstances no reliance can be<\/p>\n<p>placed on the confessional statement and the corroboration thereof by P.Ws 2, 4 and<\/p>\n<p>10 to the giving of the confessional statement becomes the evidence of hearsay<\/p>\n<p>witnesses. Accordingly, the guilt of <a href=\"\/doc\/1560742\/\" id=\"a_36\">Section 302<\/a> and <a href=\"\/doc\/386021\/\" id=\"a_37\">201<\/a> I.P.C. has not been<\/p>\n<p>established beyond all reasonable doubts.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_43\">23 .                      It appears that the conviction has been based entirely on<\/p>\n<p>circumstantial evidence mainly the deceased being last seen with the accused and<\/p>\n<p>apparent story of animosity between the deceased and Raghubar Rai on refusal by<\/p>\n<p>the deceased to give the cattle mart on contract basis to accused Raghubar Rai. The<\/p>\n<p>conviction purely on the basis of circumstantial evidence can be sustained only if the<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_11\">                                         13<\/span><\/p>\n<p>circumstantial evidence is such that leads to an irresistible conclusion that in all<\/p>\n<p>human probabilities the murder of the deceased was committed by the accused. In a<\/p>\n<p>situation where the motive for the occurrence remains in doubt and except for the<\/p>\n<p>deceased being last seen with the accused it is rather hazardous to come to a<\/p>\n<p>conclusion that the chain is complete to exclude all reasonable hypothesis consistent<\/p>\n<p>with the innocence of the accused. The informant not informing anyone about the<\/p>\n<p>missing of her husband for almost eight days till the recovery of the dead body is a<\/p>\n<p>point which goes against the prosecution. Even otherwise, apart from seeing the<\/p>\n<p>deceased being taken by boat, no one saw him thereafter till the dead body was<\/p>\n<p>recovered eight days later does not by itself lead to a conclusion that it were the<\/p>\n<p>accused persons who had committed the murder of the deceased. Even the guilt of<\/p>\n<p>conspiracy cannot be fastened on the accused persons merely on vague<\/p>\n<p>circumstances. No reason has been assigned why the boatman Biral Roy would enter<\/p>\n<p>into conspiracy. Under <a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_38\">Section 120B<\/a> I.P.C. there must be an agreement between two<\/p>\n<p>or more persons to commit an offence . It is manifest that a conspiracy is always<\/p>\n<p>hatched in secrecy and it is impossible to adduce direct evidence of the same. The<\/p>\n<p>offence can be only proved largely from inferences drawn from acts of illegal<\/p>\n<p>omissions committed by the conspirators in pursuance of a common design. Nothing<\/p>\n<p>has been brought on record to make any such inference. The allegation of offence<\/p>\n<p>under <a href=\"\/doc\/1897847\/\" id=\"a_39\">Section 120B<\/a> I.P.C. is also not proved beyond all reasonable doubts. Even<\/p>\n<p>otherwise the prosecution evidence far from being of a compulsive nature is not free<\/p>\n<p>from infirmities and doubt goes against the prosecution.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_44\">24.                     Having given my anxious thoughts to the evidence on record<\/p>\n<p>and the submissions advanced by the learned counsels for the parties I am of the<\/p>\n<p>opinion that the judgment of conviction and order of sentence recorded by the learned<\/p>\n<p>Presiding Judge, Fast Track Court no.5, Samastipur, cannot be sustained and has to<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\" id=\"span_12\">                                         14<\/span><\/p>\n<p>be set aside and, accordingly , I do hereby set aside the impugned judgment and<\/p>\n<p>order.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_45\"> 25.                Accordingly, the Death Reference is answered in the negative and<\/p>\n<p>the Appeals are allowed.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"p_46\">26.                 Accused Biral Roy was enlarged on bail by order dated 4.12.2006<\/p>\n<p>of this Court. He is discharged from the liabilities of his bail bonds. The prayer for<\/p>\n<p>bail of accused Raghubar Rai was rejected by this Court and he remains incarcerated.<\/p>\n<p>In view of the acquittal, he is directed to be released from custody forthwith provided<\/p>\n<p>he is not required to be in custody in connection with any other case.<\/p>\n<pre id=\"pre_1\">\n\n\n\n                                                  (Abhijit Sinha, J)\n\n\n\nShiva Kirti Singh, J :     I agree.\n\n                                                (Shiva Kirti Singh, J)\n\n\n\n\nPatna High Court,Patna\nDated: The 11th December, 2008\nPradeep Srivastava\/ A.F.R.\n <\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patna High Court Raghubar Roy vs State Of Bihar on 11 December, 2008 Author: Abhijit Sinha DEATH REFERENCE No.8 OF 2006 WITH CR. APP. (DB) NO.1177 OF 2006 WITH CR. APP. (DB) NO.1185 OF 2006 &#8230;&#8230;.. Reference made by Sri Diwakar Mishra, Presiding Judge, Fast Track Court No.V, Samastipur, through Letter No.10072 dated 6.11.2006 and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-250840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-high-court","category-patna-high-court"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Raghubar Roy vs State Of Bihar on 11 December, 2008 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/raghubar-roy-vs-state-of-bihar-on-11-december-2008\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Raghubar Roy vs State Of Bihar on 11 December, 2008 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; 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