Manjhala @ Laxmi Prasad v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
CRA No.459 of 2005, High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, decided 07/01/2025 by Smt. Justice Rajani Dubey. Manjhala @ Laxmi Prasad v. State of Chhattisgarh. Axe assault on complainant Dhanesh Patel on 15.11.2004; trial court acquitted appellant under Sections 294, 506-B and 307 IPC but convicted him under Section 325 IPC (Session Trial No.72/2005, judgment dated 13.05.2005). High Court maintained the Section 325 conviction on the strength of the complainant's statement and medical evidence despite eye-witness PW-3 turning hostile, and reduced the 1-year RI sentence to the period already undergone (about 2 months) considering the 2004 incident, pendency since 2005 and the appellant's present middle age. Appeal partly allowed.
What did the court decide?
Conviction under Section 325 IPC maintained; sentence reduced to the period already undergone (about 2 months); appellant, who is in jail, to be released forthwith if not required to be detained in any other offence.