SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Pappu
Vs
State of Madhya Pradesh
Appeal (Crl.) 751 of 2006(Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 5706 of 2005)
(Arijit Pasayat and S. H. Kapadia, JJ)
11.07.2006
ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.
Leave granted.
Challenge in this appeal is to the correctness of judgment rendered by a
Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Indore Bench. By the impugned
judgment conviction of the appellant for offence punishable under Section 302
of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short 'IPC') and
sentence of RI for life and fine of Rs.500/- imposed by the trial Court were
maintained.
Background facts in a nutshell are as follows:
On 26.5.2004 in village Teki marriage function of the daughter of one Rama was
going on. In the said marriage function, Rama invited complainant Madhu Singh
(PW-2) and his family members. In the afternoon between 3 to 4 p.m. father and
mother of the complainant i.e. Mal Singh (hereinafter referred to as the
'deceased') and Sajan Bai, went to the house of Rama for taking meals. At that
time the complainant Madhu Singh was sitting and taking his meal and his father
was going to another room for taking meal. At that juncture accused Bondar, his
son accused Pappu i.e. the present appellant and Munna reached there, abused
Mal Singh and asked him as to who had invited him. There was exchange of hot
words and altercations took place. Suddenly, appellant Pappu dealt a lathi blow
on the left side of the head of the deceased Mal Singh. Accused Munna also
caused injury on left shoulder and left hand of Mal Singh. Because of blow by
lathi, Mal Singh fell down on the ground. At that moment Madhu, Ban Singh and
Sajjan Bai witnesses rushed to save deceased Mal Singh. The deceased fell down
unconscious because of the injuries. The appellant and other accused persons
threatened the complainant and others and fled away from the scene of the
occurrence. The incident was witnessed by Ban Singh (PW-5), Sajjan Bai (PW-3),
Madhu (PW-2) and Kamlabai. PW-2 lodged the report (Exhibit P-2) on the same day
in the night about 8 p.m. at Police Station Baag. His report, (Exhibit P-2),
was recorded by Inspector K.C. Pathak (PW-7). On the basis of the report Crime
No.90/04 under Sections 307 and 294/34 IPC was registered. Injured Mal Singh
was sent for medical examination to Primary Health Centre Baag, where he was
attended by Dr. H.S. Muvel (PW-6). Dr. Muvel found only three external injuries
on the person of the deceased vide his medical report (Exhibit P-12). Injured
Mal Singh was immediately referred by letter, Exhibit P-13, for further
treatment to District Hospital, Barwani because at that time he was in coma.
Further investigation was done by S.P. Singh Sisodiya (PW-10), and the Station
House Officer. He prepared spot map, (Exhibit P-3) and effected seizure of
Terricot Kurta, Dhoti and Shawl from the house of the deceased Mal Singh. The
injured died in the District Hospital, Barwani on 27.5.2004. Intimation to this
effect was sent to the police. Thereafter, the police prepared inquest report
and sent the deceased for postmortem examination. Postmortem was performed by
Dr. Deepak Mayeriya (PW-9). On completion of investigation, the charge-sheet
was filed indicating commission of offences punishable under Sections 302,
294/34 and 506(2)/34 of the IPC against the appellant and other accused
persons.
The accused persons denied the charges and pleaded their innocence. Therefore,
they were put to trial. They examined Laxman (DW-1), Ram Singh (DW-2) in their
defence. The learned Court convicted and sentenced the appellant and other
co-accused for commission of offence punishable under Section 302 read with
Section 34 IPC.
Before the High Court it was pleaded that the incident had occurred all of a
sudden without any pre-mediation over a very trivial issue and some
misunderstanding of the appellant, other accused persons and the complainant
Madhu Singh and his father Mal Singh. During the course of verbal altercation,
the present appellant picked up a lathi and gave a blow. The prosecution witnesses
PW-2, PW-5 and others tried to assault the appellant. It was submitted that
against accused Neelabai the prosecution had changed its stand from time to
time. Name of accused Govind and Leelabai were not mentioned in the first
information report lodged by Madhu (PW-2).
So far as the accused Bonder is concerned, it was stated that he had abused the
prosecution witness who claimed to be eye-witnesses. The fatal blow was
attributed to the appellant, while rest of the injuries found on the person of
the deceased, in the opinion of the doctor (PW-9), were simple in nature and
the same did not contribute to the cause of death of the deceased. Therefore,
it was submitted that a case under Section 302 IPC was not made out.
Stand of the State on the other hand was that looking to the number of injuries
and the nature thereof i.e. on the head and other parts of the body, conviction
has been rightly recorded. Because of the acts of the accused persons, deceased
had died on the next day in the hospital. High Court after analyzing the
evidence came to hold that conviction of accused Munna under Section 302 read
with Section 34 IPC was not maintainable and he was instead of convicted under
Section 323 IPC. Conviction of accused Bondar, Govind and Leelabai under Section
302 read with Section 34 IPC was set aside and they were acquitted. Conviction
of present appellant was altered from Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC to
Section 302 IPC.
In support of the appeal learned counsel for the appellant submitted that the
background facts projected by the prosecution clearly show that the assault was
given in the course of a sudden quarrel. There was no pre-mediation and the
accused did not take advantage and had also not acted in a cruel manner. Only
one blow by lathi was allegedly given by picking up a lathi. Prior to that he
was not armed. In any event only one blow was given. In essence it was
submitted that Section 302 IPC has no application and in essence Fourth
Exception of Section 300 IPC applies.
Per contra, learned counsel for the respondent-State supported the judgment of
the High Court.
The pivotal plea relates to the applicability of Exception 4 of Section 300
IPC.
For bringing in its operation it has to be established that the act was
committed without premeditation, in a sudden fight in the heat of passion upon
a sudden quarrel without the offender having taken undue advantage and not
having acted in a cruel or unusual manner.
The Fourth Exception of Section 300 IPC covers acts done in a sudden fight. The
said exception deals with a case of prosecution not covered by the first
exception, after which its place would have been more appropriate. The
exception is founded upon the same principle, for in both there is absence of
premeditation. But, while in the case of Exception 1 there is total deprivation
of self-control, in case of Exception 4, there is only that heat of passion
which clouds men's sober reason and urges them to deeds which they would not
otherwise do. There is provocation in Exception 4 as in Exception 1; but the
injury done is not the direct consequence of that provocation. In fact
Exception 4 deals with cases in which notwithstanding that a blow may have been
struck, or some provocation given in the origin of the dispute or in whatever
way the quarrel may have originated, yet the subsequent conduct of both parties
puts them in respect of guilt upon equal footing. A 'sudden fight' implies
mutual provocation and blows on each side. The homicide committed is then
clearly not traceable to unilateral provocation, nor in such cases could the
whole blame be placed on one side. For if it were so, the Exception more
appropriately applicable would be Exception 1. There is no previous
deliberation or determination to fight. A fight suddenly takes place, for which
both parties are more or less to be blamed. It may be that one of them starts
it, but if the other had not aggravated it by his own conduct it would not have
taken the serious turn it did. There is then mutual provocation and
aggravation, and it is difficult to apportion the share of blame which attaches
to each fighter. The help of Exception 4 can be invoked if death is caused (a)
without premeditation, (b) in a sudden fight; (c) without the offender's having
taken undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual manner; and (d) the fight
must have been with the person killed. To bring a case within Exception 4 all
the ingredients mentioned in it must be found. It is to be noted that the
'fight' occurring in Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC is not defined in the IPC.
It takes two to make a fight. Heat of passion requires that there must be no
time for the passions to cool down and in this case, the parties have worked
themselves into a fury on account of the verbal altercation in the beginning. A
fight is a combat between two and more persons whether with or without weapons.
It is not possible to enunciate any general rule as to what shall be deemed to
be a sudden quarrel. It is a question of fact and whether a quarrel is sudden
or not must necessarily depend upon the proved facts of each case. For the
application of Exception 4, it is not sufficient to show that there was a
sudden quarrel and there was no premeditation. It must further be shown that
the offender has not taken undue advantage or acted in cruel or unusual manner.
The expression 'undue advantage' as used in the provision means 'unfair
advantage'.
It cannot be laid down as a rule of universal application that whenever one
blow is given, Section 302 IPC is ruled out. It would depend upon the weapon
used, the size of it in some cases, force with which the blow was given, part
of the body it was given and several such relevant factors.
Considering the factual background in the case at hand it will be appropriate to
convict the appellant under Section 304 Part II IPC, instead of Section 302 IPC
as has been done by the trial court and affirmed by the High Court. Custodial
sentence of eight years would meet the ends of justice.
The appeal is allowed to the aforesaid extent.