Sanjay Singh and Ors. v. the State of C.G.
Case brief
What is this about?
Chhattisgarh High Court (Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, J.), decision dated 25/06/2024, allowed Criminal Appeals Nos. 879 and 878 of 2002 and set aside the 12/08/2002 judgment of the Special Court (Atrocities Act), Bilaspur in S.T. No. 67/1996 convicting the appellants under Sections 363 and 376(2)(g) IPC (RI 3 years + fine Rs.100 each; RI 8 years + fine Rs.300 each). Key grounds: (i) date of birth of prosecutrix not proved — register entry (Ex.P-21) recorded post-incident on 30/09/1991 without basis, relying on Manak Chand v. State of Haryana (2023 SCC OnLine SC 1397), Birad Mal Singhvi v. Anand Purohit ((1988) Supp SCC 604 : AIR 1988 SC 1796), Alamelu v. State ((2011) 2 SCC 385), Babloo Pasi v. State of Jharkhand ((2008) 13 SCC 133) and Sunil v. State of Haryana ((2010) 1 SCC 742); (ii) medical evidence inconclusive, no chemical examination, no spot map; (iii) contradictions among prosecutrix's statements, Ex.P-1 and Ex.D-1; (iv) 17-day unexplained delay in FIR; (v) doubt whether exam/prize function existed on incident date per Ex.D-3. Appellants acquitted with benefit of doubt and ordered released on personal bond with surety under Section 437 CrPC valid six months.