Ram Dhiraj v. State of Uttarakhand

25.2.1999 P.W.1 Smt. Kalawati lodged an oral report in the police station stating that she and her husband Ram Dhiraj (the appellant herein) lives at Dilaram Bazar in Dehradun. Her husband had taken her to Dakpathar in the house of his cousin brother Vishwanath (co-accused) on Monday. Yesterday evening her husband and co-accused Vishwanath taken her to Kali Mandir at Kalsi and thereafter on the pretext of taking her to Baba for medicines, they took her in the forest and at a distance of about 2 miles from the temple they first throttled her neck and thereafter with intention to kill her they pushed her down from the road. She had become unconscious. In the night when she came in her senses then she came near the side of Jamuna River by crawling. In the morning three fishermen reached there. She told the entire incident to them and requested for help. Then those fishermen took her to police Station. She further averted that she has received number of injuries. With the same averments, P.W.1 Smt. Kalawati lodged an oral report at P.S. Kalsi, District Dehradun on

25.2.1999 at 09:05 AM, i.e. Ext.Ka-1. On the basis of this FIR, Head Mohirror Rajveer Singh prepared the Chik FIR of the case. Necessary entries in this regard were also made in the G.D., carbon copy of which is Ext.Ka-6. The investigation of this case was entrusted to Sub Inspector Chandra Pal Singh. On the same day at 09:30 AM Smt. Kalawati was medically examined by P.W.3 Dr. Viraj Sah, Medical Officer, P.H.C., Kalsi, who after the medical examination prepared the medical report Ext.Ka-2. Thereafter supplementary report of the victim was also prepared by P.W.4 Dr. P.K. Nautiyal, Radiologist, Doon Hospital, Dehradun, i.e. Ext.Ka-3. 3 During the course of investigation, the Investigating Officer recorded the statement of the witnesses and prepared the site-plan Ext.Ka-4 of the place of occurrence and after completing the investigation filed the charge sheet against the accused/appellant and co- accused, i.e. Ext.Ka-5.

#4. On receipt of charge sheet, learned A.C.J.M IIIrd, Dehradun committed the case to the court of Sessions on 13.5.1999, after giving necessary copies to the accused/appellant and co-accused as required u/s 207 Cr.P.C.

#5. It seems from record that the case was then transferred to Additional Sessions Judge, Dehradun for hearing and disposal according to law.

#6. On 21.6.1999, learned Additional Sessions Judge, Uttarakhand Matters, Dehradun framed the charge against the accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj and co-accused Vishwanath u/s 307 r/w 34 of IPC. The charge was read over and explained accused/appellant and the co-accused who pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried.

#7. In order to prove its case, the prosecution has examined P.W.1 Kalawati, victim and complainant of the case, P.W.2 Ram Pal, brother of the victim, P.W.3 Dr. Viraj Sah, Medical Officer, who medically examined the victim and prepared the injury report Ext.Ka-2, P.W.4 Dr. P.K. Nautiyal, Radiologist, who prepared the supplementary report Ext.Ka-3 of the victim, P.W.5 4 Munna, fisherman, who had taken the victim from the place of occurrence to the police station and P.W.6 S.I. Chandar Singh Pal, Investigating Officer of the case.

#8. Thereafter, statement accused/appellant and co-accused were recorded u/s 313 Cr.P.C. The oral and documentary evidence were put to each of them in question form, who have denied the allegations made against them. However, they have not produced any oral or documentary evidence in their defence.

#9. After appreciating the entire evidence on record and hearing learned counsel for the parties, learned Addl. Sessions Judge, Dehradun vide his judgment and order dated 15/16.11.1999 convicted and sentenced the accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj and co-accused Vishwanath as mentioned above. Feeling aggrieved by the said judgment and order dated 15/16.11.1999, the accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj has preferred this appeal.

#10. Before further discussion, it is pertinent to mention here the injury report (Ex.Ka-2) of the victim Smt. Kalawati (P.W.1) who was examined on 25.2.1999 at 09:30 AM by P.W.3 Dr. Virah Sah, which is as under: -

#1. (i) L.W. 2.5 cm x 0.5 cm (ii) L.W. 2.0 cm x 0.5 cm on fore head (i) 4.0 cm above right eyebrow having severe swelling and clotted blood around (ii) 2.0 cm above left eyebrow having swelling and clotted around it. 5

#2. L.W. on scalp left side 3 in number 2.0 cm x 0.5,

2.5 cm x 0.5 cm and 1.0 cm x 0.5 cm about 10.0 cm above left tragus, having severe swelling and clotted blood around it.

#3. Huge swelling on left and right mandibullar side and face and lips.

#4. Bruise and swelling left shoulder also tenderness present.

#5. Multiple abrasions on left knee having swelling and tenderness.

#6. Huge swelling and tenderness over right elbow region. Opinion:- Above injuries are grievous in nature and caused by blunt object and impact over hand surface and duration is about 12-24 hours and for further opinion referred to Doon Hospital for expert opinion and treatment.

#11. To prove the above-noted injury report, the prosecution has examined P.W.3 Dr. Viraj Sah, who has proved the injury report Ext.Ka-2 prepared by him. He opined that the above noted injuries could possibly be caused if the injured would have push down from the hill. These injuries were possible to come on

24.2.1999 at the time of sunset and death was also possible due to these injuries.

#12. Thereafter supplementary report Ext.Ka-3 of the victim was also prepared by Dr. P.K. Nautiyal, which is as under:- - No evidence of fracture skull and face bones 6 - No evidence of fracture of shoulder bones

#13. To prove the medical report Ext.Ka-3, the prosecution has examined P.W.4 Dr. P.K. Nautiyal, who has stated that on 27.02.1999 x-ray of Smt. Kalawati was conducted under his supervision. He has proved the X-ray plates Ext.1 to 4. He further stated that on the basis of X-ray plates he has prepared the report Ext.Ka-3 and no fracture was found on the bones of skull, face and left shoulder. However, fracture was found in humerus bone.

#14. To prove its case further, the prosecution has examined P.W.1 Smt. Kalawati, who has reiterated the contents of the First Information Report. She has proved the report Ext.Ka-1 lodged by her in the police station. Apart from above, she has also deposed that her husband wanted to do another marriage and therefore he tried to kill her. Before this incident also, her husband used to beat her because of another woman. In the cross-examination, she has stated that she was married to accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj one year before.

#15. P.W.2 Rampal has stated that Smt. Kalawati is his sister and accused/appellant Ramdhiraj is husband of his sister. The accused/appellant used to beat his sister. He had come to know that the accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj has illicit relations with a woman. He further deposed that his sister had told him that accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj and the co- accused Vishwanath thrown her in river and have 7 caused injuries to her with intention to kill her. He further deposed that now his sister is living with him. She got medical treatment and she remained in hospital for about six days.

#16. P.W.5 Munna has stated that on the date of incident at about 5-6 AM he alongwith two other fishermen had gone to catch fishes in Jamuna River. There they found a woman drenched in blood who requested them for help. On being asked, she told them that her husband and cousin brother of her husband first throttled her neck and then thrown her down from the road. He further deposed that he alongwith other fishermen took her to Kalsi Police Station.

#17. P.W.6 Sub Inspector Chandar Pal Singh has stated that on 25.2.1999 he was posted as Station Officer at P.S. Kalsi. The investigation of this case was conducted by him. During the course of investigation, he recorded the statement of the witnesses and prepared the site-plan Ext.Ka-4 of the place of occurrence and after completing the investigation, he charge sheet Ext.Ka-5 against accused/appellant and the co-accused. He further stated that Chik FIR Ext.Ka-1 of the case was prepared by H.M. Rajveer Singh and entries in the G.D. were also made by him, i.e. Ext.Ka-6.

#18. Thereafter, statement accused/appellant and co-accused were recorded u/s 313 Cr.P.C. The oral and documentary evidence were put to each of them in question form, who have denied the allegations made against them. However, they have 8 not produced any oral or documentary evidence in their defence.

#19. Sri K.S. Verma, learned counsel for the accused/appellant Ram Dhiraj has argued that the prosecution has not proved its case against the accused/appellant beyond reasonable doubt. I do not find any force in the argument of learned counsel for the appellant/accused for the reason that P.W.1 Smt. Kalawati, who is the victim of the case, has deposed in her evidence that her husband had taken her to Dakpathar in the house of his cousin brother. On

24.2.1999 her husband and co-accused taken her to Kali Mandir at Kalsi and thereafter on the pretext of taking her to some Baba for medicines, they took her in the forest and at a distance of about 2 miles from the temple at the time of sunset, they first throttled her neck and thereafter thrown her in the river. She had become unconscious. She came in her senses in the morning. Then she saw three fishermen. She narrated the entire incident to them and requested for help. Then they took her in the police station where she lodged an oral report. The evidence of this witness is reliable, believable and inspires implicit confidence against the appellant/accused Ram Dhiraj only and the same also gets full corroboration from the oral evidence of P.W.5 Munna, who is an independent witness of the case and who had taken her from the place of occurrence to the police station. Apart from above, her evidence further gets corroboration from the medical report Ex.Ka-2 and the supplementary medical report Ex.Ka-3 as well as from medical evidence of P.W.3 Dr. Viraj Sah and P.W.4 Dr. P.K. Nautiyal. All 9 these facts and circumstances give support and, therefore, corroborate the statement of the prosecutrix. I am, therefore, of the considered view that the appellant-accused Ram Dhiraj is liable to be convicted u/s 307 IPC.

#20. For the foregoing reasons, the appeal is devoid of any merits and is accordingly dismissed. The appellant/accused Ram Dhiraj is convicted u/s 307 IPC and is sentenced to seven years’ R.I. with fine of Rs.10,000 and in default of payment of fine further two years R.I. is awarded. The judgment and order dated 15/16.11.1999 passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Uttarakhand matters, Dehradun in Sessions Trial No.54 of 1999, State Vs. Ram Dhiraj & another, stands modified accordingly. However, the period already served out in jail by the appellant-accused Ram Dhiraj during investigation, trial or appeal shall be set off after being verified from records.

#21. A copy of this order along with the record shall be sent back to the trial court concerned for compliance forthwith. (Dharam Veer, J.) 01.04.2010 RG