High Court of Punjab and HaryanaCRA-D/670/2003dismissed

State Of Punjab v. Gurcharan Singh And ORS.

2024-08-02Mr. Justice Sureshwar Thakur,Mrs. Justice Sudeepti Sharma14 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA

AT CHANDIGARH CRAD670DBA2003

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURESHWAR THAKUR HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SUDEEPTI SHARMA % & & '" ()*+

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,1 ) " 5 (+ %+ 2)) () )(2 ), " #%+)- 7 7 ) FACTUAL BACKGROUND 0)( +,--, ) 8#+2))9:),%86 ( 0) - 6- )- " () ;%<4=> ) - ) ) .3 ?

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@)2 " ()2))(2 INVESTIGATION PROCEEDINGS.

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+, ) +) - - + + # ) + ) :- )2 )++,- )8# ; >+,1) " 5 (+%+) -@)7 + +) 4 SUBMISSIONS OF THE LEARNED STATE COUNSEL.

0) )"+)-( ,- ,) )+ ) - ( 7 -( (-4 (- ) )( 0) +)( ))- ( ,7 ) ,1 ) ) ,)( 1))( (1 SUBMISSIONS OF THE LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

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(- 7 Circumstantial evidence based case.

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8)- 1P.W.9 Budh Ram@ 0)2 )(1( ) ', -4 () 0)2 , (( *)5', , (( 0)2 ) ( (2)"

@)2 " () 2) )) @2)2) )-*" () ))) ( )- P.W.9 had thus only recognised accused Baldev Singh and not the three other accused # )4:- )) ), (( )-, (8 # ! ??

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@)2 " ()) He did not disclose his meeting with

Baldev Singh to the police on that date 0)) )- (2)*" () 1) , 2 ) %B +% ,1 , ..

. Except Resham Singh he did not disclose the factum of his meeting with Baldev Singh to any person. - 1 )()

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)- 1P.W. 5 Resham Singh) )2 )no where stated that Budh Ram had disclosed to him his meeting with Baldev Singh % < 4= ) 4 :- )* )-2)22 ) 2 )2) )2)) 4,121 ( # ,2)1* )- )- (2)*" ())-" () 2) )) 8-))%< * )- 2)12 1 2) ) ), )( 8 # ( )- 0) ,) ) 2 - 4 # - - ) 2 ) - )- " () --1))) *" () )) )-"

@)2 " () ) ())- ) )2 1 1) ( )() ) As per P.W.13, statement of Budh Ram was recorded on 11.10.1999 whereas the occurrence had taken place in June, 1999 after a long delay. Resham Singh has no where stated that after 45 months of occurrence he had been informed by Budh Ram that he had seen Baldev Singh and others near the field of Sukhwinder Singh.::::

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!2 ) - 1 PW Sewa Singh @ 0)2 ))))( )2-) '

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@)2 " ()), - ) )-" () # )()- 1% < =)-" () ( The said witness P.W.5 has no where stated that he had been told by Sewa Singh that he had seen the accused near the fields of Sukhwinder Singh on the previous night. )-" () )4:- ) - ( @ 2, )- "

@)2 " ()+) (2)) ,)" () *)' " ()))2)) 4,121 ( "2" () *)' " ()) )2))4,121 ( (2)"2" () *)' " ()2 )2))4,1 21 ( 0)- ) , .% & "2 " )2 ) Had PW Sewa Singh actually seen the accused near the fields of Sukhwinder Singh deceased as alleged and had he narrated the said fact to Resham Singh,in normal circumstances the same would have been brought to the notice of the police especially when the police had arrived at the spot in the presence of Resham Singh and Sewa Singh.# )( ) ) 8 # - - 8 # 2 ( ),)- 1%<)-" () ) 8 # 9C %86 2)) 2

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@)2 " ()), - ,1 - @ 2 Had PW Sewa Singh narrated the incident of the night to PW Resham Singh, he would have mentioned in the statement, on the basis of which F.I.R. was recorded that he had a suspicion against the present accused. 2+ ) 8 # ) ( ) ) , - +"2" () , ,) - )-" () ) 1 )- ) 1 ) )

+ ) - - ) 2 ) --1 -)- ))) ) ) )-2) )2- ) ( )- The statement of this witness was for the first time recorded by D.S.P. Gursharan Singh Bedi on 11.10.1999 after a long delay. # 2) ,+)1 ()- %<"2" () ,() 0) +)- %<"2" () ,, 2)1

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) " () *" ()) ))1)--- 52 " () )-" () ) ) 1)--,,2 )- (2)4 5 " () " " () 2) )- " () - This witness has not given the name of the deceased correctly in his statement. The name of the deceased is Sukhwinder Singh and not Jaswinder Singh.

8-) )) ) - 1 - , )- )@ 2) -) < 5" () ))))@)-" ())) )--)-, )-" ()) ) ) 2 - + ) 2 7 -- He has not given any date as to when he had told Resham Singh regarding the confession made by the accused before him.0)- 1% < =)-" ()( - - , % < =)-" ()) 2) ) - )%<5" ())-)-)) 2 --)-)) ) )( ,)- P.W.13 deposed that he had recorded the statement of Jit Singh on 25.10.99.

recorded after a long delay.PW Jit Singh also could not tell the exact date or time when accused Baldev Singh and Gurcharan Singh had confessed their guilt before him.::::: :::::

The extra judicial confession alleged to have been made by accused Gurcharan Singh and Baldev Singh is vague because it is not clear from the testimony of PW Jit Singh as to whether both the accused had confessed before him together or separately and that what were the exact words used by each of the accused.

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-" () ()2)) The said witness in his cross examination deposed that Balkar Singh had reached the house at about 930/10 Ρ.Μ.At about 9 A.M. he came to know at his house regarding the murder of his son Sukhwinder Singh and thereafter on coming to know about the said fact he alongwith Didar Singh, Bhajan Singh and Sewa Singh reached the place where the deadbody was lying. 0) + ) - )- 1% < =)2))- @ 2( ()- ) <) ( )2 ,: P.W.5 deposed that the motive with regard to the murder was that they had repaid the mortgage money after delay to the accused. 0)+

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.333 # - 9C %8) ) ):( 2)1)-((- 1 2, ( ) 2)) ) , )- ) @) ) )1)()--,11 ()-(( - 1 The witness was confronted with his statement Ex.PF wherein the motive regarding murder was not stated. Ex. DA is another statement of Resham Singh recorded on 20.6.1999 wherein also the motive with regard to murder is not mentioned. 0)2 2 2))- 9: ,1) 2))-(( - )( :,1) - Thus, from all this it can be inferred that the complainant while appearing in the witness box for the first time attributed motive with regard to the murder. Apparently the motive attributed by the complainant is an after thought as he had failed to mention the same when his statements were recorded by the police on 20.6.1999.

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" )- ), +) ) ( ;>+ 1+ (SURESHWAR THAKUR) JUDGE 02.08.2024 (SUDEEPTI SHARMA) kavneet singh JUDGE Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes/No Whether reportable:

Yes/No