Criminal Appeal No. 1574 of 2003 · Gujarat High Court

All these appeals preferred by the appellants under Section 374 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure are heard and disposed of by the common judgment. The appellants, who are aggrieved by the judgment and order passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Himatnagar dated 18-10-2003 in Sessions Case No. 51 of 2002, imposing rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and fine of Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Thousand Only), in default simple imprisonment for 2 years under Section 395 of Indian Penal Code, 1860, have preferred the present appeals.

The short facts are stated as under: The complainant, Chhanabhai Narandas Rana and another person, namely, Shailendrasinh boarded luxury bus from Jaipur on 23-11-2001 at about 3 AM along with 20 Gold-biscuits as per the instructions given by the owner of the company. When they reached near Shamlaji, while travelling on National Highway No. 8, the appellants started beating Shailendrasinh CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT and took 20 Gold-biscuits and, thereafter, robbed Chhanabhai Narandas Rana and took 34 Gold-biscuits worth Rs. 28,51,200/- and, thus, all the appellants aided and abetted each other in committing dacoity and, thereby, they have committed offence punishable under Section 395 IPC. The complaint was given by Chhanabhai Narandas Rana on 25-11-2001 to the Prantij Police Station, and on the strength of the complaint given by Chhanabhai, offence was registered against the appellants punishable under Section 395 IPC. The place where the incident took place was visited and the panchnama of the place of incident was prepared in the presence of panch-witnesses. The panchnama of the recovery of the Gold-biscuits was also prepared in the presence of panch-witnesses. The statement of the witnesses were recorded. The Gold-biscuits, which were recovered, were sent to FSL for the purpose of detailed analysis. Identification parade of the appellants was carried out. On receipt of the report from FSL and other materials on the record of the case, the appellants were charge-sheeted and produced before the Judicial

Magistrate (First Class) at Bhiloda, who in turn, committed the case to the Sessions Court under Section 209 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as the case was exclusively triable by the Sessions Court. The charge against the appellants was framed at Exh. 6 and all the appellants pleaded not guilty to the charge levelled against them. Therefore, the CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT matter was set down for full-fledged trial before the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Himmatnagar. The prosecution has, in order to establish the guilt of the appellants, examined the following witnesses:- (i) (ii) PW-1 Complainant Chhanadas Rana at Exh. 14. PW-2 Witness Shailendrakumar Rampyare Pande at Exh. 16. (iii) PW-3 Witness Ajaykumar Shamjibhai Parekh at Exh. 24. (iv) PW-4 Panch-witness Lalsinh Magansinh Parmar at Exh. 25. (v) PW-5 Panch-witness Devusinh Vakhatsinh Chauhan at Exh. 27. (vi) PW-6 Panch-witness Vasantlal Jivram Modi at Exh.

29. (vii) PW-7 Panch-witness Ajitbhai Jivabhai Kharadi at Exh. 33. (viii) PW-8 Panch-witness Jivaji Adheraji Kharadi at Exh. 35. (ix) PW-9 Panch-witness Ibrahimbhai Ismailbhai Dodiya at Exh. 36. (x) PW-10 Panch-witness Valibhai Amdabhai Patel at Exh. 37. (xi) PW-11 Panch-witness Kantibhai Kalabhai Rathod at Exh. 39. (xii) PW-12 Panch-witness Vinodbhai Jivabhai Lata at Exh. 41. (xiii) PW-13 Panch-witness Dhulabhai Somabhai Ninama at Exh. 42. CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT (xiv) PW-14 Panch-witness Pravinbhai Vidhasagar Ninama at Exh. 44. (xv) PW-15 Panch-witness Chandusinh Kansinh Zala at Exh. 45. (xvi) PW-16 Panch-witness Pramodgiri Kishangiri Goswami at Exh. 47. (xvii) PW-17 Panch-witness Manojpuri Kishangiri Goswami at Exh. 49. (xviii) PW-18 Panch-witness Papusinh Harjitsinh Raval at Exh. 50. (xix) PW-19 Panch-witness Gulabsinh Bhavarsinh Marot at Exh. 52. (xx) PW-20 Panch-witness Anil Satyanarayan Parikh at Exh. 53. (xxi) PW-21 Panch-witness Motilal Rameshwarlal Sharma at Exh.

55. (xxii) PW-22 Witness Prakashchandra Shriram Agrawal at Exh. 56. (xxiii) PW-23 Witness Dharmendrakumar Harishkumar Choksi at Exh. 58. (xxiv) PW-24 Panch-witness Savjibhai Harjibhai Patel at Exh. 62. (xxv) PW-25 Panch-witness Sudhirkumar Amrutlal Raval at Exh. 63. (xxvi) PW-26 Panch-witness Shaileshkumar Bababhai Nayee at Exh. 66. (xxvii) PW-27 Witness Shivpal Ramavtar Sharma at Exh. 67. (xxviii) PW-28 Panch-witness Sikandarali Niyamatali Shaikh at Exh. 68. (xxix) PW-29 Witness Rajendra Chiranjilal Sharma at Exh. 70. (xxx) PW-30 Witness Shrigopal Chiranjilal Sharma CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT at Exh. 71. (xxxi) PW-31 Witness Nathulal Ramgopal at Exh. 72. (xxxii) PW-32 Witness Nandasinh Bhavarsinh Ravat at Exh. 73. (xxxiii) PW-33 Witness Amitbhai Indrakumar Goyal at Exh. 75. (xxxiv) PW-34 Executive Magistrate Shri Narendrakumar Chamanlal Mankad at Exh. 77. (xxxv) PW-35 PSO Savitaben Valjibhai Pandore at Exh. 82. (xxxvi) PW-36 PSO Mavjibhai Nanjibhai at Exh.

84. (xxxvii) PW-37 Investigating Officer PSI Dilipsinh Jadeja at Exh. 86. (xxxviii) PW-38 Investigating Officer CPI Ramsinh Chavda at Exh. 87. (xxxix) PW-39 Investigating Officer PSO Kantibhai Patel at Exh. 88. (xl) PW-40 Witness Scientific Officer Dr. Nirmalaben at Exh. 92. (xli) PW-41 Investigating Officer PSI Indrasinh Rana at Exh. 99. (xlii) PW-42 Witness Medical Officer Shri Ganshyam Goyal at Exh. 100. (xliii) PW-43 Investigating Officer PI Natvarlal Parmar at Exh. 102. The prosecution has also produced the following documentary evidence:- (i) (ii) Complaint at Exh. 15. Ticket book of bus-travel at Exh. 18. (iii) Yadi for treating injured witness Shailendra at Exh. 19. CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT (iv) Certificate issued by the Corporation Bank regarding transfer of Gold-biscuits at Exh.

(v) Copy of Customer Slip issued by the Corporation Bank and the Acccounts of Balaji Company at Exh. 21. (vi) Copy of order directing Corporation Bank, Jaipur to deliver 200 Gold-biscuits as well as the copy with the Bank seal at Exh. 22. (vii) Copy of the Accounts of Balaji Bullion Company relating to transactions of Gold- biscuits at Exh. 23. (viii) Panchnama with regard to Identification Parade of accused Kailashsinh at Exh. 26. (ix) Panchnama with regard to Identification Parade of accused Rajeshbhai @ Pinto at Exh.

(x) Panchnama with regard to Identification Parade of accused Chhotu @ Chunilal Shiv Mayur at Exh. 30. (xi) (xii) Panchnama of place of incident at Exh. 32. Panchnama of luxury bus No. RJ-14-1-P-0299 at Exh. 34. (xiii) Panchnama of Identification Parade of accused Anandilal @ Anandkumar at Exh. 38. (xiv) Panchnama of person of accused Kailashsinh Chhagansinh at Exh. 40. (xv) Panchnama of place of incident shown by accused Kailashsinh Chhagansinh at Exh. 43. (xvi) Panchnama of seizure of jackets submitted by complainant Chhanabhai and witness Shailendra at Exh. 46. (xvii) Panchnama of person of accused Anandilal @ CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT Anandkumar at Exh. 47. (xviii) Panchnama with regard to seizure of Gold- biscuits hidden by accused Kailashsinh in Witness Nandasinh's house in Bhojpura Biyarvar at Exh. 51. (xix) Panchnama with regard with regard to 12 Gold-biscuits produced at Sikar by Servant Shivpal of Sikar Jewellers at Exh. 54. (xx) Certificate of weight and valuation of Gold- biscuits issued by Witness Prakashchandra at Exh. 57. (xxi) Certificate of weight of Gold-biscuits issued by Tirupati Jewellers at Exhs. 59 and

(xxii) Panchnama of weighing of 12 Gold-biscuits by Tirupati Jewellers at Exh. 64. (xxiii) Pachnama of seizure of 6 Gold-biscuits produced by Rajendra Sharma at Sikar at Exh.

(xxiv) Pachnama of seizure of 7 Gold-biscuits produced by Rajendra Sharma at Sikar at Exh.

(xxv) Tourist Permit Chart at Exh. 76. (xxvi) Police Yadi regarding Identification Parade of accused Kailashsinh at Exh. 78. (xxvii) Police Yadi regarding Identification Parade of accused Anandilal at Exh. 79. (xxviii) Police Yadi regarding Identification Parade of accused Badridan Charan and Rajendra at Exh. 80. (xxix) Police Yadi regarding Identification Parade of accused Chhotulal at Exh. 81. (xxx) Extract of complaint entered in Station CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT Diary at Prantij Police Station at Exh. 83. (xxxi) Extract of entries in Station Diary at Shamlaji Police Station for registering the offence at Exh. 85. (xxxii) Certificate issued by Swarnmala Jewellers at Exh. 89. (xxxiii) Police Yadi for conducting lie-detector test at Exh. 93. (xxxiv) Lie-detect / Polygragh and writings of accused Kailashsinh at Exh. 94. (xxxv) Lie-detect / Polygragh and writings of accused Anandilal at Exh. 95. (xxxvi) Lie-detect / Polygragh and writings of accused Chhanabhai Narandas at Exh. 97. (xxxvii) Lie-detect / Polygragh and writings of witness Shailendra at Exh. 96. (xxxviii) Forwarding letter and analysis of Lie- detective Test at Exh. 98. (xxxix) Injury Certificate of Witness Shailendra at Exh. 101. (xl) Letter addressed to the In-charge Police Station regarding Gold-biscuits at Exh. 103.

At the conclusion of trial, statement of all the appellants were recorded under Section 313 of the Code, and all the appellants stated in their further statement that a false case was foisted on them and they were falsely implicated in the case.

The learned Additional Sessions Judge considered the oral deposition and the documentary evidence adduced by the prosecution and held that the prosecution has established that the complainant – CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT Chhanabhai and another person Shailendrasinh boarded the bus from Jaipur to Surat and when the bus reached near Shamlaji on National Highway No. 8, the appellants, who were also travelling along with the complainant and Shailendrasinh, robbed them of Gold- biscuits and, thus, the prosecution has established involvement of the appellants in the commission of offence under Section 395 IPC. The learned Judge held that the deposition adduced by the complainant Shailendra Kumar Rampyare at Exh. 6 and Chhanabhai Narandas at Exh. 14 makes it abundantly clear that the appellants robbed them of the Gold-biscuits near Shamlaji on National Highway No. 8. The deposition gets necessary corroboration from the complaint which was given by Chhanabhai Narandas vide Exh. 15. In the complaint given by Chhanabhai Narandas, he has narrated the incident wherein the appellants committed dacoity near Shamlaji on Highway No. 8. How the dacoity was committed by the appellants is also elaborately narrated by him in his complaint. The learned Judge further held that the panchnama with regard to the recovery of the Gold-biscuits, the panchnama in respect of identification parade carried out by the Executive Magistrate further corroborates the prosecution case with regard to the dacoity committed by the appellants. The learned Judge also considered the report submitted by the FSL and held that the report given by FSL provides necessary link connecting the appellants with the commission of offence. Thus, the learned Judge, on the basis of the evidence on record of the case, held that the prosecution has established the entire link connecting the appellants with the commission of CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT crime under Section 395 IPC and imposed sentence of 10 years' RI and fine of Rs. 25,000/-, in default further SI of 2 years, on the appellants.

The learned Advocates representing the appellants made the following submissions:- (a) The sentence of RI of 10 years and fine of Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand Only), in default further SI of 2 years, imposed on the appellants is bad and arbitrary and contrary to the oral and documentary evidence on record of the case. (b) The Trial Court ought to have held that there are many contradictions in the deposition adduced by the prosecution and when the basic ingredients of Section 395 were not proved by the prosecution, the appellants were required to be acquitted. (c) The Trial Court has not appreciated the evidence on record of the case in proper perspective. The complaint was filed against the unknown persons and the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the identification of the appellants and, therefore, the appellants were liable to be acquitted. (d) The panch-witnesses, who were examined by the prosecution, have also not supported either the panchnama or the identification CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT panchnama prepared by the prosecution and, therefore, benefit of doubt is also required to be given to the appellants. (e) The investigation was carried out by the Investigating Officer in a slip-shod manner. He had not recorded the statements of the co-passengers who were present in the bus at the time of the alleged incident. Therefore, no independent witnesses were examined by the prosecution with a view to prove the involvement of the appellant in the commission of offence under Section 395 IPC. (f) Thus, as there are many loopholes in the oral deposition and the documentary evidence relied upon by the prosecution, the benefit of same is required to be given to the appellants.

5. Mr. L. R. Poojari, learned Additional Public Prosecutor representing the State, has submitted that the charge was framed against the appellants on 23- 11-2001. The complainant, who was travelling along with Shailendrasinh in a luxury bus from Jaipur to Surat, was robbed near Shamlaji on National Highway No. 8 by the appellants. The complainant and Shailendrasinh were having 100 Gold-biscuits each. As per the instructions given by the owner of the Company, they were taking the Gold-biscuits from Jaipur to Surat. The appellants, who were travelling in the same bus, gave threat and intimidation to the CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT complainant and Shailendrasinh and robbed them of 54 Gold-biscuits and, thus, the appellants have committed dacoity within the meaning of Section 395 IPC. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that the deposition given by PW-1 Chhanabhai at Exh. 14 is supported by PW-2 Shailendrakumar at Exh.

16. Both the witnesses have deposed in their testimony as to how the appellants robbed them of Gold-biscuits when they were travelling in a bus from Jaipur to Surat. The deposition adduced by Chhanabhai and Shailendrakumar is supported by the complaint given by Chhanabhai vide Exh. 15. Chhanabhai has narrated in his complaint about the manner in which the dacoity was committed by the appellants on National Highway No. 8 near Shamlaji when they were travelling in a luxury- bus from Jaipur to Surat with Gold-biscuits. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that the prosecution has also produced the documentary evidence such as the panchnama of the seizure of the Gold-biscuits vide Exh. 54, the panchnama of the place of the incident at Exh. 43, the panchnama with regard to the identification parade vide Exhs. 38, 40, 78, 79, 81, etc. in order to establish the link connecting the appellants with the commission of offence.

The prosecution has also placed reliance on the polygraph test and the Report of the FSL to further corroborate the prosecution story with regard to the involvement of the appellants in the commission of offence. Thus, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that the prosecution has, on the basis of oral deposition and the documentary evidence established the entire link connecting the CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT appellants with the commission of offence, and as such, the prosecution has proved the involvement of appellants in the commission of offence beyond reasonable doubt. The learned Judge has rightly convicted the appellants for the offence punishable under Section 395 IPC and imposed the sentence of RI for 10 years and fine of Rs. 25,000/-, in default further SI for 2 years, and the sentence imposed by the learned Judge requires to be upheld.

This Court has heard the learned Advocates for the appellants, and Mr. L. R. Poojari, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State, at length and in great detail. This Court has also undertaken a complete and comprehensive appreciation of all vital features of the case as well as the entire evidence on record of the case.

The charge against the appellants is framed vide Exh. 6 for the offence punishable under Section 395 IPC. As per the prosecution case on 23-11-2001, at about 3.00 AM, complainant Chhanabhai Narandas Rana along with Shailendrasinh boarded the bus from Jaipur. They wanted to go to Surat and each of them was in possession of 100 Gold-biscuits. When they reached Ashirvad Hotel near Shamlaji on National Highway No. 8, they were robbed by the appellants who were also travelling in the said bus. The complaint was given by Chhanabhai Narandas Rana on 25-11-2001 to the Prantij Police Station wherein he has narrated as to how he along with Shailendra Kumar were returning from Jaipur in a bus with Gold-biscuits and in what manner they were confronted by the appellants CR.A/1574/2003 JUDGMENT who were also travelling in the bus. The appellants, after giving threats and intimidation to the complainant and Shailendra, robbed them of 54 Gold- biscuits worth Rs.

On perusal of the entire oral deposition and the documentary evidence, the prosecution, in our view, has established the case against the appellants for the offence punishable under Section 395 IPC.

As the prosecution has established the entire link connecting the appellants with the commission of offence under Section 395 IPC, we do not see any reason to upset the finding with regard to the involvement of the appellants in the commission of offence under Section 395 IPC. However, the appellants are convicted on 18-10-2003 by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court, Himatnagar, and as on date, they have undergone approximately sentence of 7 years' RI. The expected date of their release is 17-12-2009. Considering the overall deposition in the present case, we feel that it would be just and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case, if we impose the sentence on the appellants which they have already undergone uptil now.