http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 1 of 7  

CASE NO.: Appeal (crl.)  952-953 of 1998

PETITIONER: State of Uttar Pradesh

RESPONDENT: Sheo Sanehi & Ors.  

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06/10/2004

BENCH: B.N.AGRAWAL & A.K.MATHUR  

JUDGMENT: J U D G M E N T  

B.N.AGRAWAL, J.  

       All the eight respondents were convicted by the trial court under  Sections 302/149 of the Penal Code and sentenced to undergo imprisonment  for life.  Ayodhya Prasad (respondent No. 2) was further convicted under  Section 147 of the Penal Code and sentenced to undergo rigorous  imprisonment for a period of six months  whereas the other respondents  under Section 148 of the Penal Code and each one of them was sentenced to  undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one and half years.  The  sentences, however, were ordered to run concurrently.  On appeals being  preferred by the respondents, the High Court of Allahabad acquitted them of  all the charges.  

       Prosecution case, in short, was that seven months prior to December,  1977, one Sant Saran, father of accused Santosh Kumar, was murdered in  which Debi Shanker and Rakesh @ Chhotey, both sons of Devi Din Pandey  were made accused in which case bail was granted to both the aforesaid  accused persons which infuriated Santosh Kumar. On 20th December, 1977,  in the morning, Sushil Kumar (PW 1) came to the house of his maternal  grandfather Devi Din Pandey for borrowing oxen to get his plots ploughed and  found that his maternal grandmother Smt. Gorha Devi (PW 4) and his  maternal grandfather’s brother, Promod Kumar (PW 3), were enjoying fire at  the door of Devi Din Pandey whereas Devi Din and his two sons, namely,  Debi Shanker and Rakesh @ Chhotey were cutting fodder and Vinod Kumar,  elder brother of Promod Kumar (PW 3) was milching the cow.  At 7.30 a.m.,  all the respondents, excepting Gur Bax,  who were related to each other,  came there armed with guns, country made pistols, farsa, barchhi and lathi.      Upon arrival, Ayodhya Prasad (respondent No. 2) exhorted other accused  person to kill the enemies, namely, Devi Din, Debi Shanker and Rakesh @  Chhotey.   Respondent No. 5 \026 Santosh Kumar, son of Sant Saran, fired at  Devi Din, respondent No. 1 \026 Sheo Sanehi fired at Debi Shanker and  respondent No. 8 \026 Bhagwati fired at Rakesh from their respective guns  whereas respondent No. 3 \026 Gur Bax fired at Debi Shanker.  Respondent      No. 4 \026 Santosh Kumar son of Govind Prasad fired at Rakesh from his  country made pistol.  Thereupon respondent No. 6 \026 Deo Narain assaulted  Devi Din Pandey and Debi Shanker by farsa and respondent No. 7 \026 Ram  Asray assaulted them with barchhi  whereas respondent No. 2 \026 Ayodhya  Prasad assaulted them with lathi.   All the three injured persons, namely, Devi  Din Pandey, Debi Shanker and Rakesh @ Chhotey fell down and succumbed  to their injures on the spot.  Upon halla being raised by Sushil Kumar (PW 1),  villagers Asharfi, Babbu and Hira Lal came to the place of occurrence and  when the accused persons were challenged, they went away giving  out  threats.  Thereupon, Sushil Kumar (PW 1), after covering a distance of five  miles, lodged the first information report on the same day at 11.30 a.m. at  Ghatampur police station stating the aforesaid facts disclosing therein names  of all the respondents.  

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 2 of 7  

       Police after registering the case took up investigation and upon  completion thereof submitted chargesheet, on receipt whereof the learned  magistrate took cognizance and committed all the eight respondents to the  court of Sessions to face trial.    

Defence of the accused persons was that they were innocent, no  occurrence, much less the occurrence alleged, had taken place and the three  deceased persons were done to death in the dead of night and nobody had  seen the occurrence, but the accused persons have been falsely roped in to  feed fat the old grudge.  Accused Sheo Sanehi and Santosh Kumar, son of  Govind Prasad, took the plea of alibi.    

       During trial, the prosecution examined seven witnesses, out of whom,  informant Sushil Kumar (PW 1), Promod Kumar (PW 3) and Smt. Gorha Devi  (PW 4) claimed to be eyewitnesses of the alleged occurrence.   Ram Shankar  Shukla (PW 2) is the police officer who drew up the first information report,  Ratan Singh (PW 5) is the investigating officer and Devi Prasad Mishra (PW  6) is the constable who took the dead bodies for postmortem examination  whereas Dr. S.K.Govil (PW 7) is the doctor who conducted postmortem  examination on the dead bodies of all the three deceased persons.  Apart  from the witnesses, several documents were exhibited on behalf of the  prosecution.  Defence examined several  witnesses in support of the plea of  alibi of respondent No. 1 \026 Sheo Sanehi and respondent No. 4 - Santosh  Kumar son of Govind Prasad to the effect that they were taken into custody in  connection with different cases few days before the date of alleged  occurrence and on the date and at the time of occurrence, they were in jail.    Apart from the evidence of defence witnesses, the defence has adduced   documentary evidence as well.  Upon conclusion of trial, the learned  Additional Sessions Judge convicted the respondents, as stated above, but  on appeals being preferred by them, the High Court recorded their acquittal.   Hence, the present appeals by special leave by the State of Uttar Pradesh.  It  may be stated at this stage that during the pendency of these appeals,  respondent No. 2 \026 Ayodhya Prasad and respondent No. 3 \026 Gur Bax died, as  such appeals against them abated and this being the position,  we are  required to consider the same on merits in relation to the remaining six  respondents.  

       Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant State in support  of the appeals submitted that upon perusal of the order of acquittal rendered  by the High Court, it would appear that the same was perverse as it has  reversed the order of conviction recorded by the trial court only upon three  grounds, viz., (I) Three eyewitnesses, namely, Sushil Kumar (PW 1), Promod  Kumar (PW 3) and Smt. Gorha Devi (PW 4) were related to the members of  the prosecution party and inimical to the accused persons; (II) medical  evidence did not fit in with the time of occurrence disclosed by the prosecution  as stomach of the deceased  was found empty;  and (III) plea of alibi of  accused Sheo Sanehi and Santosh Kumar, son of Govind Prasad, was  substantiated.  On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondents  submitted that the view taken by the High Court was not only possible one but  the same was a reasonable view, as such no interference by this Court is  called for.  

       First we proceed to consider the medical evidence.  Dr. S.K.Govil         (PW 7) conducted the postmortem examination on the dead body of  deceased - Devi Din on 21st December, 1977 at 3.00 p.m. and found the  following injuries on his person :- 1.      Incised wound 1<" x  ?" x scalp deep on the upper  occipital region.  Margins were clean cut.  Hair were also  cut.  

2.      Incised wound 1" x <" x muscle deep on the right fore  head, about =" above the right eye brow.  Margins were  clean cut.  

3.      Three abraded contusions in the area of 3" x 2 " on back of

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 3 of 7  

right shoulder.  

4.      Gun short wound 1" x 1" x chest cavity deep on the left  side chest, lower axillary region in mid axillary line in 6th  inter costal space.  Margins were blackened.  It was wound  of entry.  

5.      Seven gun shot wounds in area of 5" x 3" chest cavity  deep all communicating with injury No. 4, each measuring  ?" x <".  

6.      Gun shot wound ?" x <" x bone deep on the upper part  right axilla.  

       On internal examination, the doctor found 6th, 7th and 8th ribs fractured  on the right side.  Both pleuras were punctured through and through.  Right  lung was punctured by gun shot through and through.  Left lung was also  punctured by gun shot through and through under injury No. 4.  Heart was  punctured by gun shot through and through.  Large and small intestines were  half full.  According to the doctor, death was caused due to shock and  haemorrhage as a result of gun shot injuries.  Doctor also recovered one  pellet from right axilla and one wadding piece from right lung.  

       Likewise, when PW 7 conducted the postmortem examination on the  same day at 4.00 p.m. on the dead body of Debi Shanker, aged 26 years, he  found following injuries on his person:- 1.      Gun shot wound 1" x >" x chest cavity deep on the left  side of chest interior to axilla line.  Margins were blackened.   It was a wound of entry.  

2.      Five gun-shot wounds in an area of 3" x 2" on the front of  left side chest communicating with injury No.1.  It was  wound of exit.  

3.      Stab wound 1" x ?" x abdominal cavity deep on the front  of epigastic  region.  Margins were clean cut.  

4.      Six abraded contusion in an area of 4" x 3" left side of  abdomen, 3" left to umbilicus.  

5.      Abraded contusion 1=" x <" on the right side of abdomen,  5" lateral to umbilicus.  

6.      Three abraded contusion in an area of 1" x =" on the left  side of chest just below injury No. 2.  

7.      Four gun-shot wound, in an area of 2"x1=" on front right  shoulder.  These injuries were chest cavity deep.  

8.      Five gun shot wounds on right side back upper part in an  area of 5" x 3".  They were exit wound of injury No. 7.  

9.      Incised wound =" x =" x muscle deep on right side face  below jaw.  

10.     Gun-shot wound of entry x >" x =" x shoulder deep on the  back left shoulder outer part.  

11.     Gunshot wound entry >" x ?" x left elbow.  

12.     Nine gun shot wound of exit in an area of 2" x 1=" on the  back of left elbow.  

13.     Incised wound =" x ?" x muscle deep on the chin.

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 4 of 7  

14.     Two abraded contusion =" x ?", =" x <" on the left thigh  upper part.  

On the internal examination, the doctor found 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th  ribs on the left fractured.   Both pleuras were punctured by gun shots.  Both  lungs were punctured through and through by pellets.  Pericardium and heart  were also punctured through and through by pellets.  Large and small  intestines were half full.   In the opinion of the doctor, the death was caused  due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of the aforesaid injuries.  Doctor  also recovered some wadding pieces and number of pellets from the body of  the deceased.  

Thereafter, PW 7 conducted postmortem examination on the dead  body of Rakesh @ Chhotey aged 23 years on the same day at 5.40 p.m. and  found the following injuries on his person : -  1.      Gun shot wound 2" x 1" x neck deep on left side of neck.   Margins were blackened and scorched.  It was wound of  entry.  

2.      Six gun shot wounds of entry each measuring ?" x ?" x  chest cavity deep on left side of chest.  8" below  axilla, in an area of 2" x 1=".  Margins were  blackened.  

3.      Four gun shot wounds of exit in an area of 2" x 1" each  measuring ?" x ?".  Injuries were communicating with  injury No. 2.  

4.      Gun shot wound of entry =" x ?" x bone deep on the right  fore arm.  

       On the internal examination, the doctor found right clavicle fractured.   5th, 6th ribs of the left side were also fractured.  Pleura and both lungs were  punctured by pellets.  Larynx, trachea were also punctured by pellets.   Stomach was empty.  The large and small intestines were half full.  In the  opinion of the doctor, the death had been caused due to shock and  haemorrhage, as a result of the aforesaid injuries.  The doctor also recovered  some pellets and two wadding pieces from the body.  

       In the opinion of the doctor, the injuries caused to the three deceased  persons were sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature and  death was caused within a period of 30 to 36 hours from the time of  postmortem examination.  Dr. S.K.Govil (PW 7) categorically stated in his  evidence that death might have been caused at about 7.30 a.m.  According to  the finding of doctor referred to above, as would appear from postmortem  report, stomach of deceased Rakesh @ Chhotey, aged 23 years, was empty.   In this connection, reference may be made to Modi’s Medical  Jurisprudence & Toxicology, 22nd Edition, at pages 246 and 247 wherein it  has been noted that the conditions producing changes vary so much in each  individual case that only a very approximate time of death can be given.    According to Modi, in addition to this, the time of death can be ascertained to  some extent from the contents of the stomach, bladder and the intestines and  rate of emptying of stomach varies in healthy persons which is dependent on  the consistency of food; motility of the stomach; osmotic pressure of the  stomach contents; quantity of food in the duodenum; surroundings in which  food is taken; emotional factors; and residual variations.   The learned author  opined thus that the time varies in a man from 2.5 \026 6 hours.  The aforesaid  opinion of the learned author in his famous treatise has been noticed by this  Court with approval in the case of Suresh Chandra Bahri Vs. State of Bihar,  1995 Suppl. (1) SCC 80, at pages 131 para 88 wherein it was observed that  as the deceased was a young boy of 12 years, his power of digestion must be  assumed to be quick and  strong, therefore, if the stomach at the time of  postmortem was found to be empty, it was but natural.

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 5 of 7  

       In the present case, it is the prosecution case and evidence that at  7.30 in the morning  when other members of prosecution party were warming  up near the fire and milching the cow, three deceased persons were cutting  the fodder for being given to the cattle in the morning and the possibility of  their taking the breakfast around 5.30  in the morning before starting the work  is  but natural and as Rakesh @ Chhotey, aged 23 years, was a healthy  young boy at the prime of his youth might have digested the food within two  hours as his power of digestion must be quick and strong due to which  stomach was found empty.  Thus, the finding of the doctor in the postmortem  report that the stomach of Rakesh @ Chhotey was found empty at the time of  postmortem examination was but natural and cannot create any doubt in  relation to the veracity of the prosecution case that occurrence had taken  place at 7.30 a.m. on 20th December, 1977 and consequently, the High Court  was not justified in throwing out the prosecution case and rejecting ocular  version of the occurrence disclosed by the witnesses, more so when the  medical evidence supports the prosecution case of assault by different  weapons.

       Apart from the medical evidence, the prosecution case is supported by  the objective findings of the police.  The investigating officer \026 Ratan Singh              (PW 5) when visited the place of occurrence found bloodstained earth inside  the bhusaura (a store room of cattle fodder) where all the three deceased  persons were working on the fodder cutting machine at the time of the alleged  occurrence.  He further found cut fodder in the said room with stains of blood  thereon, seized the same and sent it to the chemical examiner.  The  Serologist reported that the same contained human blood.  Apart from that,  the investigating officer found the signs of burning of fire at the door of  deceased Devi Din Pandey, as would appear from the site plan, Ex. Ka-22,    recovered four empty cartridges and three pellets from the place of  occurrence and prepared seizure memos therefor.  Thus, the objective  findings of the investigating officer fit in with the prosecution case that the  occurrence had taken place at the place where the three deceased persons  were working on fodder cutting machine at the time of the alleged occurrence.   

       As far as  motive for the  murder is concerned, from the evidence of  Sushil Kumar (PW 1), it would appear that all the accused persons, excepting  accused Gur Bax, were related to each other.  Accused Santosh Kumar is  son of Sant Saran who was murdered for which deceased Debi Shanker and  Rakesh @ Chhotey  were made accused and  were granted bail prior to the  date of the alleged occurrence.  Accused Ayodhya Prasad is grandfather of  accused Santosh Kumar, son of Sant Saran, and accused Ram Asray  whereas accused Sheo Sanehi and Deo Narain are sons of accused  Ayodhya Prasad.  Accused Bhagwati is cousin of aforesaid accused Santosh  Kumar as mothers of both of them are sisters.  Accused Santosh Kumar son  of Govind Prasad  is grandson of brother-in-law of accused Ayodhya Prasad.    Accused Gur Bax is friend of accused Ram Asray and was on visiting terms  with him.  PWs 1, 3 and 4 have categorically stated that as father of accused  Santosh Kumar was murdered for which deceased Debi Shanker and Rakesh  @ Chhotey were accused and before the date of the alleged occurrence, they  were granted bail, accused Santosh Kumar  was having a grudge with the  deceased persons which led to the commission of the present crime.   

Coming to the ocular version of the occurrence,  the prosecution has  relied upon the evidence of three eyewitnesses, viz., PWs 1, 3 and 4.  PW 1  has supported the prosecution case in all material particulars which is  consistent with his  subsequent statement made before the police. The  ground of attack to his evidence was that he was a resident of village which is  situated at a distance of 40 kilometers from the place of occurrence and he  had no occasion to be present at the place of occurrence.  He stated that his  mother was adopted by one Smt. Mahadei of village Siromanpur where the  occurrence had taken place, he was born in village Siromanpur and was  residing in the said village with his mother - Smt. Bishandei since his  childhood inasmuch as he was looking after  cultivation of her lands.  The fact  that his mother  was adopted by Smt. Mahadei would be apparent from the

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 6 of 7  

registered Will dated 11th August, 1977 (Ex. Ka 52) executed by Smt.  Mahadei in favour of his mother showing that she was her adopted daughter  and was residing with her.  Ex. Ka-50 and Ex.Ka-51 are the extracts of  khatauni and khasra in which name of Bishandei, mother of this witness, is  recorded along with Smt. Mahadei in relation to the agricultural lands.  That  apart, Exs. 13,14 and 15 are transfer certificates, high school certificate and  mark sheet in relation to this witness which show that he had passed out from  a school situated in village Siromanpur.  Apart from the aforesaid documents,  invitation card Ex. 16 has been filed to show that the sacred thread ceremony  of PW 1 as well as his younger brother - Subhendu Kumar was held in the  year 1975 in village Siromanpur.  Besides that, letters - Exs. 17 to 20 have  been filed to show that he  had received the same at his address in village  Siromanpur.  Ex. Ka-47 is gun licence in the name of PW 1 in which he was  shown to be a resident of village Siromanpur.  These facts clearly show that  PW 1 was resident of village Siromanpur, as such his presence at the place  of occurrence and time of occurrence cannot be doubted.  

       So far as PWs 3 and 4 are concerned, PW 3 is nephew of deceased  Devi Din whereas PW 4 is  widow of the said deceased, as such they are  natural witnesses and their presence at the alleged place of occurrence  cannot be doubted.   The names of these two witnesses were disclosed in the  first information report itself and they supported the prosecution case in all  material particulars in their statements made before the police as well as in  court and no infirmity could be pointed out in their evidence, excepting  that  they were related to the deceased persons and inimical to the accused.  It is  well settled that merely because a witness is related to the prosecution party  and inimical to the accused persons, his evidence cannot be discarded if the  same is otherwise trustworthy.  In the case on hand, we do not find any  infirmity whatsoever in the evidence of PWs 1, 3 and 4, as such it is not  possible to disbelieve them, especially in view of the fact that their evidence is  supported by medical evidence as well as objective findings of the  investigating officer, but the High Court has committed a serious error in  discarding their testimonies on this score.  

       In support of the plea of alibi of accused Sheo Sanehi and Santosh  Kumar, son of Govind Prasad,  the defence examined several witnesses. So  far as accused Santosh Kumar is concerned, the two Assistant Jailors,  namely, Mani Kant Singh (DW 1) and Ram Raj Tripathi  (DW 3) proved entry  of the jail register.  In their evidence, they admitted that when this accused  was taken to Unnao jail on 17th December, 1977 and released on 24th  December, 1977, his identification marks were noted down in the original gate  book and  register of the said jail, but most of the identification marks noted  down in the aforesaid registers of jail were not traceable on the person of this  accused.   They further stated that though prominent identifying marks were  visible on the body of this accused, but the same were not noted down in the  register.  That apart, this accused is said to have been arrested by Radhey  Shyam Gupta (DW 4) and Raj Kumar Pandey (DW 6) and entry to that effect  was made in the crime register duly maintained but the trial court, after  threadbare discussion of evidence and taking into consideration all the pros  and cons of the matter, has come to the conclusion that the entries therein  were fabricated.  Learned counsel for the respondents could not point out any  infirmity in findings of the trial court on this score.  This being the position, we  are of the view that the trial court was quite justified in holding that this  accused set up a false plea of alibi, but the High Court was not justified in  reversing the findings in this regard and that also without considering  discrepancies in the evidence adduced on behalf of the defence in relation to  the plea of alibi.  

       So far as the plea of alibi of accused Sheo Sanehi is concerned, the  prosecution examined Pyare Lal Gupta (DW 8) and Kanhya Lal (DW 10).   DW-8 is a constable who claimed to have arrested the accused on 19th  December, 1977 at 9.45 p.m. at Unnao railway station.  He deposed in court  that the only ground of arrest of accused Sheo Sanehi was that he was found  crossing the railway line.  This witness during the course of cross-examination  had accepted that, excepting this accused, nobody else was ever arrested for

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 7 of 7  

crossing the railway line.  DW-10 is a person who stated that DW-8 brought  this accused to the Government Railway Police Station at Unnao from where  Ramjas Yadav (DW 9) took him to jail.  DW-10 admitted in his evidence that  the person who was brought to the police station and taken therefrom by    DW-9 for being lodged into jail was not baldheaded whereas this accused  was baldheaded.  After taking into consideration these infirmities, the trial  court did not accept the plea of alibi of this accused, but the High Court,   without considering discrepancies in the evidence adduced by the defence in  this regard, reversed the finding and accepted the plea of alibi set up by the  accused.   We have no difficulty in holding that the trial court was quite  justified in rejecting the plea of alibi of the aforesaid two accused persons and  the High Court has committed error in accepting the same.   For the foregoing  reasons, we are of the view that the prosecution has succeeded in proving its  case beyond reasonable doubt and the High Court was not justified in  recording order of acquittal which suffers from the vice of perversity and is  consequently liable to be interfered with by this Court in exercise of powers  under Article 136 of the Constitution.  

       Accordingly, the appeals against respondent No. 2 \026 Ayodhya Prasad  and respondent No. 3 Gur Bax are held to have abated in view of the fact that  they died during the pendency of appeals whereas appeals filed in relation to  other respondents are allowed, the order of acquittal rendered by the High  Court in their favour is set aside and  convictions and sentences recorded by  the trial court against them are restored.   Bail bonds of respondent No. 1 \026  Sheo Sanehi, respondent No. 4 \026 Santosh Kumar, son of Govind Prasad,  respondent No. 5 \026 Santosh Kumar, son of Sant Saran, respondent No. 6 \026  Deo Narain, respondent No. 7 \026 Ram Asray and respondent No. 8 \026  Bhagwati, who are on bail, are cancelled and they are directed to be taken  into custody forthwith to serve out the remaining period of sentence for which  compliance report must be submitted to this Court within a period of one  month from the date of receipt of this order by the trial court.