{"id":52425,"date":"2010-04-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/kuldip-pandit-vs-state-of-bihar-on-20-april-2010"},"modified":"2014-07-31T03:45:34","modified_gmt":"2014-07-30T22:15:34","slug":"kuldip-pandit-vs-state-of-bihar-on-20-april-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/kuldip-pandit-vs-state-of-bihar-on-20-april-2010","title":{"rendered":"Kuldip Pandit vs State Of Bihar on 20 April, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Patna High Court<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Kuldip Pandit vs State Of Bihar on 20 April, 2010<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: Birendra Prasad Verma<\/div>\n<pre>                           CRIMINAL APPEAL(DB) No.82 OF 2003\n                                             With\n                           CRIMINAL APPEAL(DB) No. 159 of 2003\n                                         -----------\n<\/pre>\n<p>                   Against the Judgment of conviction dated 13.2.2003and order of<br \/>\n                   sentence dated 14th February 2003, passed by the IInd Additional<br \/>\n                   Sessions Judge, Banka in Sessions Case No. 481 of 2000\n<\/p>\n<p>                                          &#8212;&#8212;-\n<\/p>\n<p>                                   In Criminal Appeal No. 82 of 2003\n<\/p>\n<p>                  1. BHOLA PANDIT\n<\/p>\n<p>                  2.KHUSHI LAL PANDIT\n<\/p>\n<p>                  3. GITA DEVI&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;Appellants<br \/>\n                                                  Versus<br \/>\n                    STATE OF BIHAR&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;Respondent<\/p>\n<p>                           In Cr.. APP (DB) No.159 oF 2003<br \/>\n                  KULDIP PANDIT&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;Appellant<br \/>\n                                               Versus<br \/>\n                   STATE OF BIHAR&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;Respondent\n<\/p>\n<p>                                       &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-\n<\/p>\n<p>                  For the Appellants :                Shri Jagdish Prasad Bhagat,<br \/>\n                                                      Sri D.N. TiwaryAdvocates.\n<\/p>\n<p>                  For the Respondent:                  Sushri Shashi Bala Verma,<br \/>\n                                                                      Additional P.P.\n<\/p>\n<p>                                       PRESENT<\/p>\n<p>                    THE HOB&#8217;BLE SHRI JUSTICE DHARNIDHAR JHA<br \/>\n                 THE HON&#8217;BLE SHRI JUSTICE BIRENDRA PRASAD VERMA<\/p>\n<p>B.P. Verma, J                 The appellants of the above two appeals have been<\/p>\n<p>                convicted under section 302\/34 of the Indian Penal Code by the<\/p>\n<p>                impugned judgment of conviction dated 13.2.2003 passed in<\/p>\n<p>                Session Case No. 481 of 2000 by the learned 2nd Additional<\/p>\n<p>                Sessions Judge, Banka and they have been accordingly sentenced<\/p>\n<p>                to undergo R.I. for life by the impugned order of sentence dated<\/p>\n<p>                14.2.2003. Appellants, being aggrieved by the impugned judgment<\/p>\n<p>                of conviction and order of sentence, have preferred the aforesaid<\/p>\n<p>                two criminal appeals.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                       -2-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>             2.   The prosecution case, as         unfolded by the<\/p>\n<p>Fardbeyan (Ext.2) of P.W.6 Jaldhar Pandit, in short, is that the<\/p>\n<p>informant and appellant Kuldip Pandit are agnates and they are<\/p>\n<p>having their houses adjacent to each other. Appellant Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit had put up wooden beam (Bareri) of his house on the wall<\/p>\n<p>of the informant. House of appellant Kuldip Pandit had started<\/p>\n<p>falling because of rain and due to its old construction, as a result of<\/p>\n<p>which the house of the informant was also being damaged.<\/p>\n<p>Deceased Guru Dayal Pandit, father of the informant, in order to<\/p>\n<p>save his own wall cut some part of wooden beam of the accused<\/p>\n<p>persons on 13.9.1999 at about 10 A.M. in the day, where-after<\/p>\n<p>appellant Geeta Devi, armed with sickle, came over there and<\/p>\n<p>protested.   On hearing altercation appellants        namely Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit armed with Garasa, Bhola Pandit armed with sword and<\/p>\n<p>Khushi Lal Pandit armed with Lathi came over there and asked<\/p>\n<p>as to who had cut the aforesaid wooden beam ? Deceased Guru<\/p>\n<p>Dayal Pandit admitted to have cut the aforesaid wooden beam<\/p>\n<p>,where-after appellant Kuldip Pandit uttered that he would be also<\/p>\n<p>cut in the same manner and rushed towards the father of the<\/p>\n<p>informant with Garasa and other appellants were following him.<\/p>\n<p>Deceased father of the informant could flee to a distance of 60 to<\/p>\n<p>70 yards, but he was apprehended by the accused persons, where-<\/p>\n<p>after appellant Kuldip Pandit cut the neck of deceased Gurudayal<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -3-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Pandit as a result of which he died on the spot. Thereafter all the<\/p>\n<p>accused persons rushed towards the house of the informant.<\/p>\n<p>While Maniya Devi, mother of the informant, had come over<\/p>\n<p>Darwaja to flee from there, she was caught hold by all the four<\/p>\n<p>accused persons and appellant Kuldip Pandit again killed her at<\/p>\n<p>her Darwaja itself by using Garasa.\n<\/p>\n<p>            3.      Aforesaid fardbeyan (Ext.2) of P.W.6 was<\/p>\n<p>recorded by P.W.7 Chandrika Rajak, S.I. of Belhar P.S., giving<\/p>\n<p>rise to Belhar P.S. case No. 85 of 1999 dated 30.9.1999 under<\/p>\n<p>section 302\/34 of the Indian Penal Code. P.W.7 has not conducted<\/p>\n<p>the investigation of the present case. He has simply recorded the<\/p>\n<p>fardbeyan of P.W.6 and seized the blood stained Garasa, and,<\/p>\n<p>thereafter investigation was taken up by P.W.9 Jaipal Yadav.<\/p>\n<p>During the course of investigation, the witnesses supported the<\/p>\n<p>factum of    death of deceased Gurudayal Pandit (father of the<\/p>\n<p>informant-P.W.6) and deceased Maniya Devi (mother of the<\/p>\n<p>informant-P.W.6).    Witnesses also supported about       the role<\/p>\n<p>played by appellant Kuldip Pandit for committing the murder of<\/p>\n<p>deceased persons. But the independent witnesses did not support<\/p>\n<p>the prosecution allegation about participation of other three<\/p>\n<p>appellants namely Bhola Pandit, Khusi Lal Pandit and Geeta Devi.<\/p>\n<p>In the aforesaid back ground, on close of investigation charge<\/p>\n<p>sheet no. 93\/99 dated 30.12.1999 under section 302 of the Indian<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -4-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Penal Code was submitted only against appellant Kuldip Pandit.<\/p>\n<p>The other three appellants were not sent up for trial. However, by<\/p>\n<p>order dated 3.1.2000, learned C.J.M disagreed with the police<\/p>\n<p>report and took cognizance against all the accused persons under<\/p>\n<p>section 302\/34 of the Indian penal Code and the case was<\/p>\n<p>committed to the court of session for trial.\n<\/p>\n<p>            4.     Charge was framed against all the appellants<\/p>\n<p>under section 302\/34 of the Indian Penal Code on 4.1.2001. The<\/p>\n<p>appellants denied the charge and claimed to be innocent and their<\/p>\n<p>false   implication in the present case. According to them no<\/p>\n<p>occurrence in the manner, as alleged, has ever taken place and the<\/p>\n<p>entire prosecution version is full of concoction and fabrication.<\/p>\n<p>            5.    In order to prove its case, the prosecution has<\/p>\n<p>examined 9 witnesses , out of them P.W.1 Binay Kumar Pandit ,<\/p>\n<p>son of the deceased persons and brother of the informant, P.W.2<\/p>\n<p>Rina Devi, wife of the informant , P.W.4 Janardan Pandit , P.W.5<\/p>\n<p>Bhagwatia Devi as also P.W.6         Jaldhar Pandit ,the informant,<\/p>\n<p>claimed to be eye witnesses of the occurrence in question. P.W.3<\/p>\n<p>Baldeo Pandit is a hear say witness. P.W.8 Dr. Shiva Narayan<\/p>\n<p>Singh is Civil Assistant Surgeon, who was posted at Banka Sadar<\/p>\n<p>Hospital at the relevant time and had conducted postmortem<\/p>\n<p>examination on the dead body of the deceased Gurudayal Pandit as<\/p>\n<p>also of Maniya Devi and aforesaid postmortem reports have been<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -5-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>marked as Ext.6 and 6\/1 respectively. As stated earlier P.W.7<\/p>\n<p>Chandrika Rajak was S.I. of Police, who recorded fardbeyan<\/p>\n<p>(Ext.2) of P.W.6 and seized blood stained Garasa of the accused<\/p>\n<p>Kuldip Pandit. P.W.9 Jaipal Yadav is the I.O. of the case.<\/p>\n<p>            6.    From the side of appellants neither any defence<\/p>\n<p>witness nor any documentary evidence was produced in support of<\/p>\n<p>their defence version.\n<\/p>\n<p>            7.    Shri Jagdish Prasad Bhagat, Learned        counsel<\/p>\n<p>appearing on behalf of the appellants took us to the evidence of<\/p>\n<p>witnesses and submitted that the prosecution has not been able to<\/p>\n<p>prove the entire manner of occurrence and further P.O. has not<\/p>\n<p>been conclusively proved and, therefore, the appellants are entitled<\/p>\n<p>to have a benefit of doubt and are entitled to be acquitted by this<\/p>\n<p>Court. Alternatively, it was submitted that even according to the<\/p>\n<p>eye witness account of P.Ws.4 and 5, who are the independent<\/p>\n<p>witnesses in the present case, the participation of appellant Bhola<\/p>\n<p>Pandit, Khushi Lal Pandit and Geeta Devi in the occurrence in<\/p>\n<p>question is not established and only Kuldip Pandit can be said to<\/p>\n<p>have committed the crime in question. By referring to postmortem<\/p>\n<p>report of deceased persons vide Ext.6 and 6\/1, it was submitted<\/p>\n<p>that though appellant Khushilal Pandit and Geeta Devi are alleged<\/p>\n<p>to have assaulted on chest of deceased Gurudayal Pandit , but no<\/p>\n<p>corresponding injuries were found on his body and this creates<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -6-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>grave doubt about the manner of occurrence as also about the eye<\/p>\n<p>witness account of the prosecution witnesses.<\/p>\n<p>             8.    Sushri Shashi Bala Verma, Learned Addl. P.P.<\/p>\n<p>appearing on behalf of the State, submitted that the prosecution<\/p>\n<p>has been able to prove its case beyond all reasonable shadow of<\/p>\n<p>doubts and on the basis of some minor contradictions either in<\/p>\n<p>ocular evidence of the prosecution witnesses or in the medical<\/p>\n<p>evidence of doctor the accused persons cannot be acquitted.<\/p>\n<p>           9.         In order to appreciate the rival submissions<\/p>\n<p>made on behalf of the parties, it is necessary to examine the<\/p>\n<p>evidence of the witnesses available on record.<\/p>\n<p>           10.       It is relevant to mention here that though the<\/p>\n<p>case was instituted under section 302\/34 of the Indian Penal Code<\/p>\n<p>and all the four appellants were named in the FIR as accused, but<\/p>\n<p>on close of investigation accusations against the appellants Bhola<\/p>\n<p>Pandit, Khushi Lal Pandit and Geeta Devi were found to be false<\/p>\n<p>and they were not sent up for trial. Charge sheet was submitted<\/p>\n<p>only against the appellant Kuldip Pandit under section 302 of the<\/p>\n<p>Indian Penal Code.\n<\/p>\n<p>           11.    In the Fardbeyan (Ext.2) of P.W.6 the allegations<\/p>\n<p>of killing the deceased Gurudayal pandit and deceased Maniya<\/p>\n<p>Devi are mainly against the appellant Kuldip Pandit. According<\/p>\n<p>to the prosecution case murder of deceased Gurudayal Pandit had<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                     -7-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>taken place in the field of one Sachidanand Lal. P.W.9 Jaipal<\/p>\n<p>Yadav (I.O.) in paragraph 2 of his deposition has given a<\/p>\n<p>description of aforesaid P.O. According to which one Lalu Pandit,<\/p>\n<p>father of P.W.4 and husband of P.W.5, was having his house<\/p>\n<p>adjacent west to the aforesaid P.O. Therefore, p.w.4 and 5, who<\/p>\n<p>are the eye witnesses of the alleged occurrence and are having<\/p>\n<p>their house just west of the alleged P.O., are most competent<\/p>\n<p>witnesses to say about the manner of assault upon the deceased<\/p>\n<p>Gurudayal Pandit. P.W.4 Janardan Pandit in paragraph -1 of his<\/p>\n<p>deposition has stated that appellant Kuldip Pandit had alone cut<\/p>\n<p>the neck of deceased Gurudayal Pandit in the field of Sachidanand<\/p>\n<p>and thereafter he alone committed the murder of deceased Maniya<\/p>\n<p>Devi.   In paragraph -7 at page 18 of the paper book he has<\/p>\n<p>categorically deposed that appellant Kuldip Pandit was alone     at<\/p>\n<p>the P.O. and other appellants were not present there. Similarly<\/p>\n<p>P.W.5 Bhagwatia Devi, wife of Lalu Pandit and mother of P.W.4,<\/p>\n<p>has deposed in paragraph 1 of her deposition that appellant Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit cut the neck of the deceased Gurudayal Pandit,as a result of<\/p>\n<p>which he died and thereafter appellant Kuldip Pandit went to the<\/p>\n<p>house of P.W.6 and killed the deceased Maniya Devi there. In her<\/p>\n<p>cross-examination in paragraph-6 of her deposition, she has stated<\/p>\n<p>that it was the appellant Kuldip Pandit alone responsible for the<\/p>\n<p>killing of deceased Gurudayal Pandit and his wife deceased<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -8-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Maniya Devi and other appellants did not participate in the<\/p>\n<p>commission of the crime in question.\n<\/p>\n<p>            12.            P.W.1 Binay Kumar Pandit, son of the<\/p>\n<p>deceased, has tried to support the entire prosecution case, but in<\/p>\n<p>paragraph -1 of his deposition he has stated that appellant Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit cut the neck of his father by sword , which is contrary to the<\/p>\n<p>consistant case of the prosecution that the appellant Kuldip Pandit<\/p>\n<p>assaulted the deceased Gurudayal Pandit by Garasa and not by<\/p>\n<p>sword. P.W.2 Rina Devi, wife of the informant, has also tried to<\/p>\n<p>support the prosecution version. Admittedly P.W.3 Baldeo Pandit<\/p>\n<p>is a hear say witness having heard about the killing of deceased<\/p>\n<p>persons by Kuldip Pandit from one Lalu Pandit . In absence of<\/p>\n<p>examination of Lalu Pandit, the evidence of P.W.3 cannot be<\/p>\n<p>relied upon. P.W.6 Jaldhar Pandit, the informant, has not only<\/p>\n<p>tried to support rather tried to   improve the prosecution version<\/p>\n<p>by stating that appellant Khushilal Pandit was armed with Khanti<\/p>\n<p>fitted Lathi, though in the fardbeyan he had stated that he was<\/p>\n<p>armed with Lathi only. According to him apart from Kuldip Pandit<\/p>\n<p>appellant Khushi Lal Pandit and appellant Geeta Devi also<\/p>\n<p>assaulted the deceased Gurudayal Pandit by their respective<\/p>\n<p>weapons on his chest. However, according to him primal role for<\/p>\n<p>committing the murder of the deceased persons was played by<\/p>\n<p>appellant Kuldip Pandit.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                      -9-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            13.       The statements of the aforesaid     witnesses<\/p>\n<p>have been contradicted and falsified by the deposition of I.O.<\/p>\n<p>namely P.W.9 Jaipal Yadav . In his cross-examination, on his<\/p>\n<p>attention being drawn, P.W.9 in paragraph 4 stated that P.W.1<\/p>\n<p>Binay Kumar Pandit had disclosed the name of appellant Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit alone as the person who had killed the deceased, and P.W.1<\/p>\n<p>had not disclosed the name of other accused persons to have<\/p>\n<p>participated in the assault. In paragraph 5 of his deposition, P.W.9<\/p>\n<p>has stated that P.W.2 Rina Devi had not stated before him that all<\/p>\n<p>the accused persons had assaulted the deceased Gurudayal Pandit.<\/p>\n<p>In paragraph 7 of his cross-examination, P.W.9 has deposed that<\/p>\n<p>P.W.5 Bhagwatia Devi had named only appellant Kuldip Pandit as<\/p>\n<p>assailant of the deceased and she had claimed to have seen the<\/p>\n<p>occurrence by her own eyes. Similarly in paragraph 8 of his<\/p>\n<p>deposition, P.W.9 at page 47 of the paper book has deposed that<\/p>\n<p>P.W.6 had disclosed the name of appellant Kuldip Pandit alone to<\/p>\n<p>have killed the deceased persons. He had not disclosed the name<\/p>\n<p>of other appellants to have assaulted the deceased Gurudayal<\/p>\n<p>Pandit by their respective weapons.\n<\/p>\n<p>            14.      From the discussion of the ocular evidence of<\/p>\n<p>the eye witnesses, referred to above, it is apparent that witnesses<\/p>\n<p>have consistently stated about the role of Kuldip Pandit for killing<\/p>\n<p>the deceased Gurudayal Pandit and Maniya Devi. P.W.1, P.W.2,\n<\/p>\n<p>                        &#8211; 10 &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>P.W.4, P.W.5 and P.W.6 all have consistently stated that appellant<\/p>\n<p>Kuldip Pandit firstly killed the deceased Gurudayal Pandit in the<\/p>\n<p>field of Sachidanand Lal and thereafter killed Maniya Devi at the<\/p>\n<p>Darwaja of the informant, while she was attempting to flee away<\/p>\n<p>from there. However, about participation of other three appellants<\/p>\n<p>in the crime in question, there are contradictory evidence. P.Ws 4<\/p>\n<p>and 5 have clearly stated that other three appellants namely Bhola<\/p>\n<p>Pandit, Khushi Lal Pandit and Geeta Devi had not participated in<\/p>\n<p>the crime in question. Though P.Ws 1, 2 and 6 have tried to<\/p>\n<p>support the prosecution case that        even these    appellants had<\/p>\n<p>played some role for committing the crime in question, but their<\/p>\n<p>evidence stands falsified and contradicted by the evidence of I.O.<\/p>\n<p>(P.W.9), as according to him the aforesaid witnesses had not<\/p>\n<p>disclosed     before him about the role played by these three<\/p>\n<p>appellants for committing the crime in question.<\/p>\n<p>              15.        P.W.8 Dr. Shiva Narayan Singh had held<\/p>\n<p>autopsy on 30.9.1999 on the dead body of the deceased Gurudayal<\/p>\n<p>Pandit and deceased Maniya Devi . Post mortem reports have<\/p>\n<p>been marked as Ext.6 and 6\/1 respectively.            The postmortem<\/p>\n<p>report of deceased Gurudyal Pandit is quoted herein below :<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>            (a) Incised wound of size 2&#8243; x \u00bd&#8221; x \u00bd&#8221; on the<br \/>\n            occipital area.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            (b)Incised wound of size 2.1\/2&#8243; x \u00bd&#8221; x \u00bd&#8221; on the<br \/>\n            left parietal area of the scalp.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                      &#8211; 11 &#8211;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         (c)Incised wound on the neck cutting of the<br \/>\n         structures of the neck causing amputation of the<br \/>\n         head from the neck.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         (d) Incised wound 2&#8243;x \u00bd&#8221; x \u00bd&#8221; on the left<br \/>\n         scapular area.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         (e)Little finger of left hand amputated from its<br \/>\n         proximal phalanx.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         Cause of death;- shock and haemorrhage due to<br \/>\n         above mentioned injuries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>         The postmortem report of deceased       Maniya Devi was<\/p>\n<p>as follows:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>         (i)Incised wound of size 3&#8243;x 1\u00bd&#8221; x deep to<br \/>\n         survical vertebra cutting the skin , blood vessels ,<br \/>\n         nerves, muscles on the left side of the neck.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         (ii)Incised wound of the size 2&#8243; x 1&#8243; x deep to<br \/>\n         baccal cavity cutting the left chunk with<br \/>\n         mandible.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         (iii)Incised wound size 1\u00bd&#8221; x 2&#8243; x \u00bd&#8221; on the right<br \/>\n         palm.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>         Cause of death;- shock due to above mentioned<br \/>\n         injuries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>              16.    According to the prosecution case appellant<\/p>\n<p>Khushi Lal Pandit is alleged to have assaulted deceased Gurudayal<\/p>\n<p>Pandit    on his chest either by lathi or by Khanti fitted lathi.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly appellant Geeta Devi is said to have assaulted the<\/p>\n<p>deceased Gurudaual Pandit on his chest by sickle. On scrutiny of<\/p>\n<p>the postmortem report of deceased Gurudayal Pandit, it is apparent\n<\/p>\n<p>                     &#8211; 12 &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>that there was no injury found on his chest.          However, the<\/p>\n<p>allegation of assault against the appellant Kuldip Pandit of cutting<\/p>\n<p>the neck of the deceased persons by Garasa has been fully<\/p>\n<p>supported. Thus it is apparent that the allegation of assault against<\/p>\n<p>the appellant Khushi Lal Pandit and appellant Geeta Devi by their<\/p>\n<p>respective weapons does not find support even from the<\/p>\n<p>postmortem report of the deceased.\n<\/p>\n<p>             17.     Thus on examination of ocular evidence of<\/p>\n<p>witnesses and medical evidence of doctor, it is apparent that the<\/p>\n<p>prosecution has succeeded in establishing beyond all reasonable<\/p>\n<p>shadow of doubt that appellant Kuldip Pandit killed the deceased<\/p>\n<p>Gurudayal Pandit and his wife deceased Maniya Devi and,<\/p>\n<p>therefore, no interference in the judgment of conviction and order<\/p>\n<p>of sentence, so far appellant Kuldip Pandit is concerned, is at all<\/p>\n<p>warranted.\n<\/p>\n<p>             18.       For the reasons stated above judgment of<\/p>\n<p>conviction and order of sentence passed against appellant Kuldip<\/p>\n<p>Pandit , are hereby affirmed and the appeal filed on his behalf is<\/p>\n<p>dismissed.\n<\/p>\n<p>             19.     However, on examination of ocular evidence<\/p>\n<p>of witnesses and medical evidence of doctor participation of other<\/p>\n<p>three appellants namely Bhola Pandit, Khushi Lal Pandit and Gita<\/p>\n<p>Devi appears to be doubtful and they are entitled to have the\n<\/p>\n<p>                                             &#8211; 13 &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>                      benefit of doubt. Admittedly P.W. 4 and 5, both independent eye-<\/p>\n<p>                      witnesses, have completely ruled out the participation of these<\/p>\n<p>                      three appellants in the murder of the deceased persons.        Other<\/p>\n<p>                      three eyewitnesses namely P.W.1, 2 and 6, though tried to support<\/p>\n<p>                      the prosecution allegation against these three appellants also, but<\/p>\n<p>                      their evidence stands contradicted and falsified by the evidence of<\/p>\n<p>                      P.W.9 (I.O.) Further more the postmortem report-Ext. 6 does not<\/p>\n<p>                      support the manner of assault as attributed to the appellant Khushi<\/p>\n<p>                      Lal Pandit and Geeta Devi. In view of the aforesaid contradictory<\/p>\n<p>                      ocular and medical evidence available on record, these three<\/p>\n<p>                      appellants are entitled to have the benefit of doubt and are entitled<\/p>\n<p>                      to be acquitted from the charge levelled against them on that<\/p>\n<p>                      ground. Therefore, judgment of conviction and order of sentence<\/p>\n<p>                      passed against them are hereby set aside. They are acquitted from<\/p>\n<p>                      the charge levelled against them. The appeal filed on their behalf<\/p>\n<p>                      is allowed. They are on bail, therefore, they are discharged from<\/p>\n<p>                      the liabilities of their bail bonds.<\/p>\n<pre>\n\n\n\n                                             (Birendra Prasad Verma, J)\n\n\n\n                      Dharnidhar Jha, J.      I      agree.\n\n                                                        (Dharnidhar Jha, J)\nPatna High Court\nThe 20th April,2010\nRahman(NAFR)\n - 14 -\n <\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patna High Court Kuldip Pandit vs State Of Bihar on 20 April, 2010 Author: Birendra Prasad Verma CRIMINAL APPEAL(DB) No.82 OF 2003 With CRIMINAL APPEAL(DB) No. 159 of 2003 &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211; Against the Judgment of conviction dated 13.2.2003and order of sentence dated 14th February 2003, passed by the IInd Additional Sessions Judge, Banka in Sessions Case [&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-52425","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>Kuldip Pandit vs State Of Bihar on 20 April, 2010 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; 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