The High Court at Jodhpur dismissed the criminal appeal filed by the State of Rajasthan challenging the acquittal of accused persons for kidnapping for ransom. The Court held that the trial court did not err in dismissing the appeal due to lack of identification and chain of evidence.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
S. B. CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 169 / 1994
The State of Rajasthan
----Appellant
Versus
----Respondents
For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Arjun Singh Rathore, PP
For Respondent(s) : None present.
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAY BISHNOI
JUDGMENT
08.06.2017
Heard.
Learned Public Prosecutor has informed this Court that accused respondents No.1 – Vijay Kumar and No.3 – Prakash @ Pappu have died.
A factual report of this effect prepared by the SHO, Police Station Mahamandir, Distt. Jodhpur dated 20.6.2016 has been produced on record. Along with the aforesaid report, a photo stat copy of the death certificate of respondent No.1 – Vijay Kumar is
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also enclosed and the statements of son and mother of the respondent No.3 – Prakash @ Pappu have also been produced, wherein, they have stated that respondent No.3 Prakash @ Pappu had died around two years back and they have not obtained his death certificate.
Taking into consideration the factual report submitted by the learned Public Prosecutor, the present appeal is abated qua the respondents No.1 – Vijay Kumar and No.3 – Prakash @ Pappu.
The factual report be taken on record.
This criminal appeal has been preferred on behalf of the appellant – State being aggrieved with the judgment dated 27.7.1993 passed by the Judge, Special Court, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Cases, Jodhpur (for short ‘the trial court’) in Sessions Case No.130/92, whereby the trial court has acquitted the accused respondents for the offences punishable under Sections 363, 364, 365 and 120-B IPC.
Brief facts of the case are that Gautam Chand (PW-1) has submitted a written report at the Police Station Mahamandir stating that his son Manish is residing in Mahaveer Colony, Jodhpur for the purpose of study. It is alleged that on 10.9.1988, when his son Manish along with his neighbour’s son Veer Bahadur went to purchase kite in the evening at about 6:30 to 7:00 PM, then, one person came on bicycle and asked Manish to accompany him and he will give him a kite. On this, Manish and Veer Bahadur went along with that person on the bicycle, however, later on the said person left Veer Bahadur near Hanuman Ji Ka Temple, Lal
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Maidan, Jodhpur and took away Manish with him. The complainant has further stated that when his son Manish has not reached till late night, then, he has got the news published in the daily news paper ‘Jalte-deep’. It is alleged that next morning, when his brother Paras has opened his shop at Tinwari, he found a letter there wherein, it was written that if he want his son Manish alive, then make arrangement of Rs.2,20,000/-, otherwise, dead body of Manish will be sent to them. It is further alleged by the complainant that his son Manish is not missing and he has been kidnapped.
On receiving this report, the Police Station Mahamandir has registered an FIR No.169/88 on 11.9.1988 for the offences punishable under Sections 363, 364, 365 and 120-B IPC. After thorough investigation, the police has filed charge-sheet against the accused respondents for the offences punishable under Sections 363, 364, 365 and 120-B IPC and the trial court has framed charges against them for the aforesaid offences.
To prove the charges against the accused respondents, the prosecution has produced as many as 27 witnesses and has got exhibited several documents. The statements of the accused respondents were recorded under Section 313 Cr.P.C. and two witnesses were produced in defence.
The trial court after taking into consideration the prosecution as well as the defence evidence has acquitted the accused respondents from the offences, for which, they have been charged. Hence, this criminal appeal.
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Learned Public Prosecutor has argued that the trial court has grossly erred in acquitting the accused respondents from the offence, for which, they have been charged because the prosecution has proved the charges against the accused respondents by producing cogent and reliable evidence. It is submitted that from the statements of Manish (PW-4) and Veer Bahadur (PW-6), it is clear that the accused respondents hatched a conspiracy and thereafter abducted complainant’s son Manish for the purpose of ransom.
Learned Public Prosecutor has further argued that the trial court has not taken into consideration the said piece of evidence in right perspective and has illegally disbelieved the same. It is thus prayed that the impugned judgment passed by the trial court be set aside and the accused respondents be convicted for the offences, for which, they have been charged and be punished suitably.
Heard learned Public Prosecutor, perused the impugned judgment and carefully scrutinized the record.
The trial court has discussed the prosecution evidence in detail and has come to the conclusion that it is an admitted position that after apprehending the accused respondents, the Investigating Agency has not conducted the test identification parade of the accused persons who have allegedly abducted Manish (PW-4). The trial court has observed that Manish (PW-4) in his court statement has stated that he was taken on bicycle by accused respondent Prakash @ Pappu and later on accused
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respondent Khinya Ram has joined him and thereafter both of them took him to a house, where two ladies were also present. The trial court has also observed that Manish (PW-4) has failed to identify the accused respondents, particularly accused respondents Prakash and Khinya Ram during recording of his statement and has identified two other persons as above named persons. After taking into consideration this aspect of the matter, the trial court is of the opinion that when no test identification parade was conducted by the Investigating Agency and Manish (PW-4) has failed to identify the accused respondents in the court and has identified some other persons in place of the accused respondents, his testimony to the effect that the accused respondents had abducted him, cannot be relied upon.
The trial court has also taken into consideration the statement of Veer Bahadur (PW-6) and has observed that during the course of investigation, no test identification parade of the accused respondents was done by Veer Bahadur (PW-6), however, before the court, he has identified respondent Khinya Ram and has stated that the said respondent took away Manish on his bicycle. However, his statement is contradictory from the statement of Manish (PW-4) because he in his statement has stated that he was taken away on bicycle by accused respondent Prakash and he came to know his name when on the way, a person called the respondent Prakash by his name. The trial court has held that as per Manish (PW-4), he was taken away on bicycle by respondent Prakash and Khinya Ram had joined them later on,
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then, the statement of Veer Bahadur (PW-6) cannot be relied that Manish (PW-4) was taken away on bicycle by respondent Khinya Ram.
The trial court has also taken into consideration the letters said to have been written by the accused respondents Exs.P/66, P/67 and P/71 and held that from the writings of the said letters, it is not proved that the said letters were written by the respondents for ransom. The trial court is of the opinion that though the letters Exs.P/66, P/67 and P/71 and other documents were sent for chemical examination to the FSL for the purpose of identifying the hand writings, but the prosecution has failed to prove that after recovery of the said letters, till they were sent to the FSL, they were kept intact in a sealed condition. The trial court has therefore not relied upon the said documentary evidence.
Having regard to the overall facts and circumstances of the case, this Court is of the opinion that the prosecution has failed to prove the charges against the accused respondents, for which, they have been charged beyond reasonable doubt and, therefore, the trial court has not committed any illegality in acquitting the accused respondents from the charges levelled against them.
Resultantly, this criminal appeal being bereft of force is hereby dismissed.
(VIJAY BISHNOI), J.
ms rathore/5
1 issue framed by the court
Whether the High Court should allow the criminal appeal by the State against the acquittal of the accused in kidnapping and extortion charges.
The State of Rajasthan
Vijay Kumar
Megh Singh
Prakash @ Pappu
Khinya Ram
Vijay Bishnoi
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
