Full Judgment Text
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.1340 OF 2008
ASHOKKUMAR MAGABHAI VANKAR APPELLANT
VERSUS
STATE OF GUJARAT RESPONDENT
O R D E R
The High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad in Criminal Appeal
No.301 of 1998 has affirmed the judgment and order passed by the
Additional Sessions Judge, Sabarkantha at Himatnagar in Sessions
Case No.32 of 1996. Being aggrieved by these judgments and orders,
the appellant is before us in this appeal. The learned counsel
appearing for the appellant, initially, would submit that the
conviction and sentence awarded by the Trial Court under Section 302
of the Indian Penal Code (for short 'I.P.C.') requires to be
converted into an offence under Section 304 Part II of I.P.C. In
support of that submission, learned counsel has taken us through a
portion of the evidence and the conclusions reached by both the
Trial Court and the High Court. In our view, it would be suffice to
refer only to para 31 of the judgment of the High Court to find out
whether the submission of the learned counsel for the appellant
requires to be accepted. Para 31 of the judgment of the High Court
reads as under :
: 2 :
“31. Viewed in the light of the aforesaid decision, in the
instant case it is true that the respondent had dealt one
single blow on the head of the deceased with a wooden
pestle. The said wooden pestle was 39½ inches in length
and was thick at the lower end and narrow at the upper
end. The circumference of the upper end (handle) of the
pestle was about 4½ inches. There was a steel ring fitted
on it at the lower end. The act of the respondent, though
solitary in number had caused multiple fractures on the
skull of the deceased leading to almost instantaneous
death. Any reasonable person with any stretch of
imagination can come to the conclusion that such injury on
such a vital part of the body with such a weapon would
cause death. The injury sustained by the deceased not
only exhibits the intention of the accused in causing the
death of the victim but also the knowledge of the accused
as to the likely consequence of such attack which could be
none other than causing the death of the victim. In the
circumstance, the contention raised by the learned
Advocate for the accused that this was a case of a
solitary blow and therefore, intention to kill was not
established so as to bring the accused within the scope of
exception to Section 300 IPC cannot be accepted.
Accordingly, there being no question of taking any other
view, the decisions relied upon by the learned counsel for
the appellant in support of the proposition that when two
views are possible, the view that favours the accused
ought to be considered do not render any assistance to the
case of the appellant....”
It is the case of the Prosecution that P.W.4, with the
help of a bamboo stick had meddled with a live wire and thereby, had
caused the disappearance of the electricity supply to the house of
the accused. It is further the case of the Prosecution that the
accused came out of his house with a long pestle and was quarreling
with P.W.4. At this juncture, Maganbhai Khemabhai (since
deceased) appeared in the scene and tried to pacify P.W.4
: 3 :
and the accused. The accused was not happy because of the
intervention of Maganbhai Khemabhai (since deceased), therefore, he
had pushed him. Further, the accused caught hold of the pestle,
which had fallen down and he used it with such force that the head
of the deceased person was broken into pieces. These aspects of the
matter have been taken note of by both the Sessions Court as well as
by the High Court to convict and sentence the accused person for an
offence under Section 302 of the I.P.C. In our opinion, we do not
see any error or legal infirmity in the findings and conclusions
reached by both the Courts. Therefore, no interference in the said
orders and judgments is called for. Accordingly, while affirming
the conviction and the sentence awarded by the Trial Court, we
reject this appeal. Ordered accordingly.
......................J.
(H.L. DATTU)
.......................J.
(CHANDRAMAULI KR. PRASAD)
NEW DELHI;
NOVEMBER 03, 2011