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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION  

CRIMINAL  APPEAL  NO. 2062    OF 2009 (Arising out of SLP(Crl.) No. 9091/2008)

MUMMIDI DURGAIAH APPELLANT(S)

:VERSUS:

STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH RESPONDENT(S)

O R D E R

Leave granted.

We have heard the learned counsel for the parties  

and perused the impugned judgment and other documents.

The allegation against the appellant is that he was  

spreading  rumours  that  PW-6  (Kapu  Usha)  was  having  

illicit  intimacy  with  one  painter  and  at  the  time  of  

commission  of  the  crime,  he  also  instigated  the  main  

accused for commission of the crime.  

It may be pertinent to mention that three other co-

accused  A-2,  A-3  and  A-6  had  also  filed  a  separate  

special  leave  petition  and  this  Court  after  granting  

leave, in Criminal Appeal No. 359/2007, converted their  

conviction from Section 302 I.P.C. to one under Section

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304  Part-II  of  the  I.P.C.  and  they  were  sentenced  to  

eight years' imprisonment. In the facts and circumstances  

of this case, we are of the considered view that the  

appellant also deserves the same treatment.  

Admittedly, the appellant was not having any arm at  

the time of the incident. Looking to the role of the  

appellant, in our considered view, the ends of justice  

would be met if his conviction is converted from Section  

302/149 I.P.C. to one under Section 304 Part-II read with  

Section 149 I.P.C.  

Accordingly the conviction of the appellant under  

Section  302  I.P.C.  is  set  aside  and  the  appellant  is  

convicted under Section 304 Part II read with Section 149  

I.P.C. and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for a period  

of eight years.

The  appeal  is  partly  allowed  and  disposed  of  

accordingly.

.....................J (DALVEER BHANDARI)

.....................J (DR. MUKUNDAKAM SHARMA)

New Delhi; November 9, 2009.