The High Court examined a criminal appeal challenging a murder conviction. Finding the prosecution's circumstantial evidence insufficient and the witnesses' testimony unreliable, particularly regarding alleged gestures of confession, the court acquitted the appellant.
Conviction and sentence set aside; appellant acquitted and set at liberty forthwith.
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.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD
MONDAY, THE SIXTH DAY OF AUGUST, TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V.RAMANA AND
THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE P.DURGA PRASAD
CRL. A. NO. 1050 OF 2008
Between:
Nakka Babu Rao
..... Appellant
AND
The State of Andhra Pradesh, Rep.by Public Prosecutor, A.P. High Court, Hyderabad
..... Respondent
The Court made the following:
JUDGMENT: (per the Hon’ble Sri Justice N.V. Ramana)
The sole accused who faced trial for the offences under Sections 302 and 309 IPC in Sessions Case No.417 of 2001 before the learned I Additional District & Sessions Judge, West Godavari at Eluru, and convicted for the said offences, has preferred the present appeal.
The case of the prosecution in brief is that the accused married the deceased Smt. Nakka Brahmamma about 18 years prior to the incident and they were blessed with one son and two daughters. It is stated that ever since the date of marriage, the accused was harassing the deceased mentally and physically suspecting her fidelity inspite of advice by the elders. Three days prior to the incident, the accused is said to have beaten the deceased severally suspecting her character for which his mother admonished the accused and on 30.1.2000 after his mother left to Parampeta village, both the accused and the deceased slept on the same cot inside the house and in the mid-night the accused murdered his wife by hacking her with a knife on throat and also attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat with the same knife. On hearing the voice of groaning, his son who also slept in the same room, went and informed the same to his parental uncles, who on coming to the house of the
accused, noticed that the accused was lying by the side of the dead body of his wife on the same cot with a bleeding injury on his throat. When they questioned, the accused by gestures, is said to have expressed that he has hacked the deceased to death with the knife and with the same knife attempted to commit suicide. PW-1, Village Administrative Officer, Tirumaladevipeta Group, lodged a complaint with the T.Narasapuram police and PW-13, Sub-Inspector of Police, registered a case in Cr. No. 7 of 2000 for the offences under Sec.302 and 309 IPC and PW-14, Inspector of Police took up investigation.
During the course of investigation, he examined the scene of offence, seized blood stained lungi, blood stained earth and controlled earth and got the scene of offence photographed, held inquest over the dead body of the deceased, sent the dead body for post mortem examination to Government Hospital, Chintalapudi and the doctor, who conducted autopsy over the dead body of the deceased, has opined that the deceased might have died due to haemorrhage and shock. The accused was also sent to the Government Hospital, Chintalapudi for treatment and the doctor who treated him, issued the wound certificate, opining that the injury sustained by the accused is grievous in nature. The seized material objects were sent to Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Vijayawada and after completion of investigation, the Inspector of Police filed the charge sheet against the
accused.
The learned Sessions Judge framed charges under Secs.302 and 309 IPC, to which the accused pleaded not guilty.
To bring home guilt of the accused, the prosecution has examined PWs. 1 to 14 and marked Exs. P-1 to P-16 apart from marking M.Os. 1 to 8. The accused did not examine any body in his defence and no documents were marked.
The Trial Judge, mainly believing the evidence of PWs. 4 and also PW-5 and observing that it amounts to extra judicial confession on the part of the accused, found the accused guilty for the offences under Secs.302 and 309 IPC, convicted and sentenced him to suffer imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.2,000/- in default to suffer simple imprisonment for six months for the offence under Sec.302 IPC and to suffer simple imprisonment for six months for the offence under Sec.309 IPC. Hence, the present appeal by the accused.
Learned Legal Aid Counsel appearing for the appellant contended that the evidence adduced on behalf of the prosecution is not satisfactory to convict the accused. He contends that the observation of the trial court that the evidence of PW-5 amounts to extra judicial confession and that his evidence is supported by
surrounding circumstances is untenable and, therefore, conviction cannot be sustained on such appreciation of the evidence and, as such, the conviction recorded by the court below cannot be sustained.
On the other hand, learned Public Prosecutor submits that there is sufficient evidence in the form of extra judicial confession made by the accused before PW5 and the evidence of PW-4 also lends supports to the prosecution case and, therefore, it cannot be said that the conviction and sentence is unsustainable.
There is ample evidence on record to show that the deceased died a homicidal death. The evidence of PW10, the doctor who conducted post mortem examination over the dead body of the deceased has opined that the deceased might have died due to haemorrhage and shock due to the injury caused with sharp edged weapon with force. Therefore, we hold that the deceased died a homicidal death.
Having held that the deceased died a homicidal death, it has to be examined whether the accused is responsible for the death of the deceased or not.
PW-1 is the Village Administrative Officer, who has given the complaint, Ex.P-1. PWs. 2 and 3 are the son and daughter of the accused and the deceased. PW-4 is a neighbour and PW-5 is elder brother of the accused.
PW-6 is elder brother of the deceased and also PW-7. PW-8 is a neighbour and PW-9 is a witness to the extra judicial confession said to have been made by the accused. PW-10 is the doctor who conducted autopsy and PW-11 is the doctor who treated the accused and PW-12 is the Village Servant, who is a mediator for arrest of the accused under Ex.P-12 report. PW-13 is the SubInspector of Police who registered FIR and PW-14 is the Inspector of Police, who conducted investigation and filed charge sheet.
Admittedly, there are no eyewitnesses to the incident. The prosecution seeks to rely on circumstantial evidence to establish the guilt of the accused.
PW-1, who is complainant, has stated that on the information given by Pedapati Krishnaiah that the accused killed his wife and also stabbed himself on the neck and was not in a position to talk, he went to the house of the accused and saw the dead body of the deceased on a cot and the accused was lying on the same cot and was not in a position to speak and blood was oozing from the throat injury. As such he drafted the complaint, Ex.P-1 and sent to the Police Station through the said Krishnaiah. He further stated that the police seized blood stained clothes of the accused and the deceased and he drafted Ex.P-2 mediators report for the observation of the scene of offence. He also identified
M.Os. 1 to 4 seized by the police.
PWs.2 and 3 who are son and daughter of the deceased and the accused, stated that they do not know how the deceased died and do not anything about the case. They were declared hostile by the prosecution.
PW-4, a neighbour, stated that PW-5 came to him and informed that the accused has cut the throat of his wife and also further stated that he saw the accused with a bleeding injury on his neck and was unable to speak but he gave a paper in writing to the police admitting that he has killed his wife. However, in the cross-examination he has admitted that he did not state to the police about the accused admitting his guilt on paper, in writing. He further admitted that the accused used to supply labourers for agricultural operations, as a mestry and used to quarrel with the workers in sharing of money. He admitted that he did not witness the commission of offence by the accused.
PW-5, elder brother of the accused, stated that the deceased died on account of cut injury to the throat. He further stated that by gestures, the accused informed him about killing of his wife. In the cross-examination, he deposed that by the time he reached the scene of offence, already 20 to 30 people gathered there and none of the persons including him, made an attempt to take the accused to the hospital. He also stated that he did not
give any report to the police. However, he denied the suggestion that the accused was not in a position either to talk or to communicate anything by way of gestures and that he did not inform him by gestures that he killed his wife.
PW-6 and PW-7 are the elder brothers of the deceased. They stated that they do not know anything about the incident. They were declared hostile by the prosecution.
PW-8 was examined to prove the extra-judicial confession said to have been made by the accused. According to him, the accused did not tell anything to him about the death of his wife or about the injury. He further stated that the accused did not communicate anything to him either orally or by gestures. However, he stated that sometime prior to the death of the incident, there was a panchayat in connection with the disputes between the accused and the deceased and he advised both of them to live amicably. This witness was treated hostile by the prosecution and nothing favoruable to the prosecution could be elicited from his cross-examination.
PW-9 is examined to prove the panchayat conducted in connection with the disputes between the accused and the deceased, but however he deposed that he never conducted any panchayat and that the accused did not tell anything to him about the death of his wife by
making any gestures. He further admitted that he did not go near the scene of offence on the date of incident.
PW-10 is the doctor who conducted post mortem examination over the dead body of the deceased on 31.1.2000. He stated that on examination, he found reddish black external cut injury of 6½ inches x 1½ inches, which was bone deep on front lower 1/3rd of the neck. He opined that the deceased might have died due to haemorrhage and shock and that the injury is possible with the knife like MO-1.
PW-11 is the doctor, who treated the accused on his being brought to the hospital and found an injury measuring 4” X ½” extending from one side to the other side on the anterior aspect of the neck and blood was oozing out from the wound slightly. He opined that the said injury was grievous in nature and issued Ex.P-11 wound certificate. In the cross-examination he admitted that the said injury might cause the injured to become unconscious.
PW-12, Village Servant, is the mediator for arrest of the accused. According to him, the accused was arrested on 12.2.2000 at 5.00 p.m. at Government Hospital, Eluru and at the time of arrest, he was examined by the police and he made confession, Ex.P-12.
PW-13, Sub-Inspector of Police, stated that on
receipt of complaint, Ex.P-1 from PW-1, he registered a case in Cr. No. 7 of 2000 for the offences under Sec.302 and 309 IPC and issued FIR, Ex.P-13 and informed the Inspector of Police, PW-14, who took up investigation. It is the evidence of PW-14 that on 31.1.2000 at 11.00 a.m., he reached the scene of offence, prepared rough sketch, seized the material objects, including the knife MO-1, in the presence of PW-1, held inquest over the dead body of the deceased, sent the accused to the Government Hospital for treatment. However, in the cross-examination, he admitted that after reaching to the scene of offence, he found the accused in a precarious condition but denied the suggestion that he did not send the accused to the hospital until completion of the inquest.
In the background of this evidence, we shall not proceed to scrutinize whether it is the accused who has caused death of the deceased.
The court below, in recording the finding of conviction, has basically relied up the evidence of PW-4 and 5 and came to the conclusion that it is the accused who killed his wife and attempted to commit suicide by inflicting injury on his neck and thus, convicted him for the offences under Secs.302 and 309 IPC. As stated earlier, the material witnesses turned hostile and nothing favourable to the prosecution could be elicited from out of their cross examination. The evidence of PW-4 is to the
effect that himself and PW-5 went to the house of the accused and found him with a bleeding injury on his neck. He further stated that though the accused was unable to speak, he gave a paper in writing to the police admitting that he has killed his wife, but he did not state before the police that the accused admitted his guilt on paper in writing. Further more the said paper is not produced by the prosecution. Hence, the very evidence of PW-4 that the accused gave a paper admitting his guilt in writing cannot be believed.
The evidence of PW-5 shows that the accused gestured to him that he has killed the deceased. In the cross-examination, he admitted that by the time he reached the scene of offence about 20 to 30 people gathered there and none of them including him tried to take the accused to the hospital. That apart, none of them have given complaint to the police. The suggestion that the accused was not in a position either to speak or communicate anything by gestures is denied. PW-11, the doctor who treated the accused, has found a grievous injury on the throat of the deceased, which is sufficient to cause him unconscious.
Apart from that, PWs. 8 and 9 though declared hostile, emphatically stated that the accused has not communicated anything to them by gestures either with regard to the death of his wife or about the injury inflicted
on him. This apart, the conduct of PW-5, who is elder brother of the accused, in not taking the accused to the hospital, who suffered a cutthroat injury extending from one side to the other, appears to be unnatural. Thus, it is not safe to rely upon the evidence of PW-5 before whom, the accused is said to have made gestures about his killing the deceased, without any supporting evidence.
It is the case of the prosecution that the accused suspected fidelity of the deceased and in that connection there were disputes between them, which constituted motive for the accused to kill the deceased. To establish the motive, the prosecution has examined PW-8 to speak with regard to his conducting panchayat to resolve the disputes wherein he is said to have advised them to live amicably. The evidence of this witness is conspicuously silent as to the nature of disputes between the accused and the deceased. This witness is cited to speak to the factum of the accused eloping with one Kumari and conducting panchayat in that regard. Thus, the panchayat, even if believed to have been conducted by PW-8, has nothing to do with the alleged fidelity of the deceased. That apart, PW-9 who is also cited to speak to the factum of panchayat, has emphatically stated that he never conducted any panchayat with regard to any dispute between the accused and his wife.
The examination of the accused under Sec. 313 Cr.
P.C. shows that after the injury was inflicted on him, he became unconscious and he was informed that somebody has killed his wife. Simply because the deceased and the accused, who also sustained a cut throat injury, slept in the room on the same cot, by itself does not lead to an inference that it is accused who has caused injury to his wife.
Viewed from any angle, we are of the opinion that the evidence adduced by the prosecution is not sufficient t o clinchingly establish that it is the accused and the accused alone, who has committed the offence.
In the result, the Criminal Appeal is allowed. The conviction and sentence passed in SC No. 417 of 2001 on 25.01.2008 by the I Additional District & Sessions Judge, West Godavari at Eluru, against the appellant/Accused for the offences punishable under Section 302 and 309 IPC is hereby set aside. The appellant-accused is acquitted for the said charges and he shall be set at liberty forthwith if he is not required in any other case.
Justice N.V. Ramana
___________________ Justice P.Durga Prasad
August 06, 2012 MAS.
3 issues framed by the court
Whether the circumstantial evidence adduced by the prosecution was sufficient to conclusively establish the guilt of the accused.
Whether the evidence of the elder brother witnessing gestures constituting an extra-judicial confession could be relied upon without supporting corroboration.
Whether the prosecution had proven the accused inflicted fatal injuries on his wife and attempted suicide on himself.
2 provisions across 1 enactments
Nakka Babu Rao
The State of Andhra Pradesh
N.V. Ramana
P. Durga Prasad
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
