NETHALA POTHURAJU AND ORS.· v. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Citation: [1991] SUPP. 1 S.C.R. 4

Court: Supreme Court of India

Bench: KULDIP SINGH, M.M. PUNCHHI

Case summary

The appellants being only three in number, there was no question of their forming an unlawful assembly within the meaning of Section 141 1. This Court granted leave tQ appeal on the limited question of applicability ofSection 149 I.

Judgment text

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by KULDIP SINGH, J, Nethala Pothuraju, Nethala Dhananjaya, I Nethala Remudu and four others (hereinafter referred to as 'A-1 to A-7') were tried for the offences under Sections 147, 148, 323, 379 and 302 read with Section 149 I. P. C. on the allegations that they caused the death of Madda Lakshamandas of village Ramaraogudem on November 1, 1980 near the Tobacco garden of A-1. The Trial Court acquitted A-7 of all the charges A-1. to A-6 were, however, found guilty for the offences punishable under Sections 148 and 302 read with section 149 I. P. C. They were sent~nced to imprisonment for life. On appeal, the High Court confirmed the '... -·,--'. _ conviction and sentence of A-1 to A-3. The conviction and sentence of A-4 ·to A-6 was set aside by the High Court and-they were acquitted on the following reasoning: "............. We feel that it would be safe to accept the evidence of P. Ws.

1 and 2 to the extent it is corroborated by the evidence of P. W. 3 in so far as the presence and participation of the a~used in the attack on the deceased is concerned. Accepting· -- -have formed an unlawful assembly within the definition' of Section 141 I. P. C. In our view, there is force in the contention of the learned counsel for the appeliants. The appellants being only three in number, there was no question of their forming an unlawful assembly within the meaning of Section 141 1. P. C. It is not the prosecution case that apart from the seven accused persons there were some other unidentified persons who were involved in the crime. The High Court clearly fell into error in confirming the conviction and sentence of the appellants under Sections 148 and on applying 149 I. 'P. C. en the ground that they formed an unlawful assembfy alongwith some unidentified persons. The prosecution case from the very beginning was that Al to A7, the named persons, formed the unlawful assembly.

A-4 to A-7 having been acquitted, the remaining three appellants cannot be convicted under Sections 148 and on applying 149 I. P. C. We, therefore, set aside the conviction of the appellants under the said sections. · The question still remains as to whether the appellants can be con- \rieted under Section 302 read with Section 34 I. P. C. Both Sections 149 and 34 I. P. C. deal with a combination of persons who become liable to be punished as sharers in the commission of offences. The non applicability of Section 149 I. P. C. is, therefore, no bar in convicting the appellants under POTIIURAJU v. SfATE [ KULDIP SINGH, J. ] 7 Section 302 re. ad with section 34 LP. C. if the evidence discloses commission -t-· of an offence in furtherance of the common intention of them all. PW-1, the wife of the deceased, PW-2, the daughter of the deceased and PW-3, an adjoining land-owner, are the three eye-witnesses to the occurrence.

1J is in evidence that the complainant and the accused belonged to opposite fac~ions and there was long standing enmity between the parties. During the last 30 years, there had been murders and rioting between the two factions. The deceased Madda Lakshamandas was under- ... going life imprisonment for the murder of one of the persons beloriging to the group of the aecused. He had come on parole. On the day of occurrence at about 7. 00 A. M. when he was passing near the field of A-1 he was attacked by the accused party. According to the eye-witnesses, A-1 and A-3 were armed with spears, A-2, A-4, A-5 and A-6 with knives and A-7 was armed with a stick. All of them way-laid the deceased and dragged him into the Tobacco garden of A-1. It is in evidence that all the accused indiscriminately inflicted injuries on the deceased with their respective weapons. When the deceased fell down the accused kept on giving him spear, knife and stick blows.

The deceased was crying for water and when -\ his daughter brought water A-2 caught hold of her and pushed her aside. She was also given beating by fists. Thereafter, A-1 left the spear and took a stick and gave beating to the deceased on his heals and chest and A-3 chopped of the fingers of left hand of the deceased with the knife. A-2 further gave blows to the deceased on his head. The deceased died instantaneously on the spot. Thereafter, . at the asking of A-1, A-2 and A-3 dragged the dead body from the field of A-1 and placed the same on the road. There were as many as 18 injuries on the person of the deceased. Seven of those were deep penetrating wounds, 8 lacerated wounds and remaining were abrasions. The injuries caused fracture on the right perietal bone resulting in the opening of the skull. The fourth rib was broken and there was an injury to the lung. There were injuries all over the body.

Keeping in view the manner of attack as disdosed by the eye-witnesses and the number and nature of injuries, we have no hesitation in holding that the appellants made the murderous attack on the deceased ---' and caused his instantaneous death. We are satisfied that the appellants acted in furtherance of their common intention of murdering the deceased. We, therefore, hold the appellants guilty under Section 302 read wit~ Section 34 I. P. C. - A Accordingly, we convert the conviction of the appellants to one under Section 302 read with section 34 I. P. C. and keep them sentenced to -'. life imprisonment. Appellants A-1 and A-3 are on bail under orders of this Court. We cancel the bail order. These appellants shall surrender to their bail-bonds to undergo the sentence ofimprisonment. T. N. A Appeal disposed of.