Ram Prakash @ Prakash S/O Gopal B/C … vs State Of Rajasthan Through Pp on 16 April, 2026

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    Rajasthan High Court – Jaipur

    Ram Prakash @ Prakash S/O Gopal B/C … vs State Of Rajasthan Through Pp on 16 April, 2026

    [2026:RJ-JP:15879-DB]
    
            HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN
                        BENCH AT JAIPUR
    
                   D.B. Criminal Appeal (Db) No. 305/2018
    
    Ram Prakash @ Prakash S/o Gopal, R/o Khairali Police Station
    Baran Sadar Distt. Baran Raj. (At Present He Is Confined In
    Distt. Jail Baran)
                                                                  ---Accused-Appellant
                                           Versus
    State Of Rajasthan Through PP, Raj.
                                                                        ----Respondent

    For Appellant(s) : Mr. Girish Khandelwal with
    Ms. Swati Sharma and
    Mr. Khizer Iqbal Khan
    For Respondent(s) : Mr. Rajesh Choudhary, GA-cum-AAG
    with
    Mr. Aman Agarwal
    Mr. Vinod Sharma
    Ms. Neha Goyal
    Mr. Amit Kumar Punia, PP

    HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE MAHENDAR KUMAR GOYAL
    HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE BHUWAN GOYAL

    SPONSORED

    Judgment

    16/04/2026

    PER HON’BLE MAHENDAR KUMAR GOYAL, J.

    Learned Public Prosecutor has submitted the status report

    dated 14.04.2026 furnished by SHO, Police Station, Baran Sadar,

    District Baran which is taken on record.

    This criminal appeal is directed against the judgment dated

    04.08.2018 passed by learned Special Judge, SC/ST (Prevention

    of Atrocities) Cases, Baran (for short, ‘learned trial Court’) in

    Sessions Case No.304/2016 CIS No.293/2016 whereby, the

    accused-appellant (for short, ‘appellant’) has been convicted and

    sentenced as under:

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    Section 302 IPC:- Life imprisonment and
    fine of Rs.25,000/-; in default whereof, six months’
    additional simple imprisonment.

    Section 452 IPC:- Five years’ simple
    imprisonment and fine of Rs.5,000/-; in default
    whereof, two months’ additional simple
    imprisonment.

    Both the sentences to run concurrently.

    The relevant facts in nutshell are that based on the parcha

    bayan of Mukesh Kumar (PW14) made at about 12:30 pm on

    03.08.2013 in the emergency ward, Maharao Bhimsingh Hospital,

    Kota, an FIR No.217 dated 03.08.2013 came to be registered at

    Police Station Baran Sadar, District Baran for the offences under

    Sections 452, 308, 323/34 IPC. It was alleged therein that at

    about 8:00 pm on 02.08.2013, the appellant came with a sword

    and inflicted multiple blows on the person of his brother-Rajendra

    including his head. It was averred that upon hearing scuffle,

    Rakesh, Banshi Lal and Kanhaiya Lal, armed with lathies and

    gandasi- a sharp edged curved instrument, also came and they

    also inflicted injuries to Rajendra. It was further alleged that he

    was also hit with a lathi by Rakesh. During the course of

    investigation, Rajendra expired. After investigation, the appellant,

    along with co-accused Kanhaiya Lal and Banshi Lal, was charge-

    sheeted under Sections 452, 308, 302 and 323 read with Section

    34 IPC whereunder, charges were also framed. After trial, while,

    co-accused Kanhaiya Lal and Banshi Lal were acquitted of the

    charges framed against them, the appellant has been convicted

    and sentenced, as stated hereinabove.

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    Assailing the impugned judgement, learned counsel for the

    appellant, inviting attention of this Court towards the parcha

    bayan (Ex.P4) made by the injured eye witness-Mukesh Kumar,

    submitted that though, it contained allegations of infliction of

    multiple blows to the deceased by him as also by three other co-

    accused person; he, however, in his examination-in-chief as

    PW14, changing the story, stated that since he was wrongfully

    confined in a room by the accused, he was unaware as to who had

    beaten his brother after infliction of 2-3 injuries by the appellant.

    But, as per the postmortem report of the body of the deceased

    (Ex.P11), only four injuries were found. He contended that as per

    the medical opinion, cause of death was head injury but, Smt.

    Chhaya (PW3)- an eye witness and wife of the deceased, has

    attributed the head injury to the appellant with a sword as also to

    Kanhaiya Lal with the gandasi. He submitted that it is established

    from the evidence on record that in the scuffle, he has also

    received injuries turning out it to be a case of free fight. Learned

    counsel canvassed that from the prosecution evidence, it was not

    established that he had trespassed in the house of deceased

    Rajendra armed with a deadly weapon with an intention to cause

    his death; rather, the incident occurred on spur of the moment on

    account of falling of a common wall in between the houses of the

    parties. In the aforesaid factual backdrop, learned counsel would

    contend that the case would not travel beyond the scope of

    Section 304 Part-I IPC and therefore, his conviction is liable to be

    altered from Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part-I IPC and since,

    he has already served the sentence of more than 15 years

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    including remission, the substantive sentence may be reduced to

    the period already undergone.

    Per contra, learned Public Prosecutor, opposing the

    submissions, contended that since, the appellant has come armed

    with a sword and inflicted multiple blows on the person of the

    deceased, the learned trial Court did not err in recording his

    conviction under Section 302 IPC. He, therefore, prayed for

    dismissal of the appeal.

    Heard. Considered.

    As per the postmortem report of the body of the deceased

    (ExP11) and the testimony of Dr. Surendra Meena (PW10) who

    conducted the autopsy, four external injuries were found on the

    body of the deceased; a 3 cm long stitched wound on right

    forehead, a 3×2 cm bruise on right side of head, a 2.5 cm stitched

    wound on right cheek and a 10 cm long stitched wound below

    right ear. On dissection, the scalpel hematoma was found towards

    right side of scalp with fracture of right fronto parietal region,

    subdural and subarachnoid hematoma on both side of the scalp

    with contusion of brain. Cause of death was opined to be coma on

    account of the head injury.

    In view of the aforesaid, it is found to be an established case

    of homicidal death.

    Although, in his parcha bayan, Mukesh (PW14)- the injured

    eye witness and brother of the deceased, has stated that multiple

    blows were inflicted on the person of the deceased by the

    appellant with a sword and by the co-accused namely Rakesh,

    Banshi Lal and Kanhaiya Lal with lathies and gandasi; but,

    improving his statement, in his examination-in-chief, he stated

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    that after 2-3 injuries were inflicted by the appellant, he was

    wrongfully confined in a room by the accused and he was unaware

    who had beaten his brother thereafter. Smt. Chhaya (PW3)- the

    eye witness and wife of the deceased, has, in contradiction with

    the statement of PW14, stated that on the head of deceased, one

    injury with the sword was inflicted by the appellant and another

    by the co-accused Kanhaiya Lal with the gandasi. Since, as per

    medical opinion, cause of death was found to be the head injury, it

    is rendered doubtful as to whose blow was fatal and was, the

    cause of the death.

    Further, we find from the material available on record that in

    the scuffle, the appellant has also received injuries. In his arrest

    memo (Ex.P17), it is mentioned that there was swelling below his

    both eyes with white bandage on his head. It also shows that he

    was medically examined on 03.08.2013; however, no such medical

    report is part of the record. Although, Mukesh (PW14) denied the

    suggestion that he, along with his brother, has beaten the

    appellant but, in the same breath, admitted that he was facing a

    criminal case of physical altercation. The eye witness-Chhaya

    (PW3) has also admitted during her cross-examination that in the

    scuffle, the accused party also received injuries and his brother-in-

    law (Mukesh) was facing a criminal case on that count. In these

    circumstances, we are not convinced that the prosecution has

    come with clean hands with regard to true genesis of the case and

    it appears to be a case of free fight on account of a dispute

    between the parties due to falling of the common wall in between

    their houses as not denied by Mukesh (PW14) during his cross-

    examination.

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    It may also be worthy to note here that the prosecution has

    not projected any enmity between the parties. Although, Mukesh

    (PW14) has stated that after intoxication, the accused party had

    outraged the modesty of his sister-in-law (Chhaya) which led to

    scuffle but, his version was not corroborated by Chhaya herself as

    PW3. In these circumstances, a possibility cannot be denied that

    the incident occurred on spur of the moment without any

    premeditation in which both the parties received injuries.

    The Hon’ble Apex Court has, in the case Nandkumar @

    Nandu Manilal Mudaliar Vs. State of Gujarat IN Criminal

    Appeal No. 1266 of 2014, held as under:

    5.6 In Kesar Singh & Anr. v. State of Haryana, this Court
    observed thus,
    “The distinguishing feature is the mens rea.

    What is prerequisite in terms of clause (2) of
    Section 300 is the knowledge possessed by the
    offender in regard to the particular victim being
    in such a peculiar condition or state of health
    that the intentional harm caused to him is likely
    to be fatal. Intention to cause death is not an
    essential ingredient of clause (2). When there
    is an intention of causing a bodily injury
    coupled with knowledge of the offender as
    regards likelihood of such injury being sufficient
    to cause the death of a particular victim would
    be sufficient to bring the offence within the
    ambit of this clause.” (Para 10)
    5.6.1 For the above purpose, the exceptions contained
    in Section 300, IPC are taken into consideration. In the
    same judgment, the Court further explained the
    distinction between ‘culpable homicide amounting to

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    murder’ and ‘not amounting to murder’, stating,
    “Culpable homicide is genus, murder is its
    specie. The culpable homicide, excluding the
    special characteristics of murder, would amount
    to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
    The Code recognises three degrees of culpable
    homicide. When a culpable homicide is of the
    first degree, it comes within the purview of the
    definition of Section 300 and it will amount to
    murder. The second degree which becomes
    punishable in the first part of Section 304 is
    culpable homicide of the second degree. Then
    there is culpable homicide of third degree
    which is the least side of culpable homicide and
    the punishment provided for is also the lowest
    among the punishments for the three grades. It
    is punishable under the second part of Section

    304.” (Para 11)
    5.7 In other words, where the two ingredients namely
    that the infliction of bodily injury on deceased was
    caused intentionally and secondly that it was sufficient
    to cause death in the ordinary course of nature, are
    satisfied, the offence would amount to murder. There
    may be circumstances which may emerge from the
    facts and evidence of a given case that the offence
    becomes ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’.
    5.8 In Virsa Singh v. State of Punjab and further
    in Shankar Narayan Bhadolkar v. State of
    Maharashtra
    , this Court stated that divided into two
    Parts, Section 304, IPC deals with the situations where
    ‘culpable homicide’ would not be a murder. The
    conceptualisation of the ‘culpable homicide not
    amounting to murder’ were explained in the following
    way, as quoted in para 4 of the Kesar Singh ,
    “If an injury is inflicted with the knowledge and
    intention that it is likely to cause death, but

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    with no intention to cause death the offence
    would fall within the definition of Section 304
    Part I, however, if there is no intention to
    cause such an injury, but there is knowledge
    that such an injury can cause death, the
    offence would fall within the definition of
    Section 304 Part II. Thus, is intention. If
    intention to cause such an injury as is likely to
    cause death, is established, the offence would
    fall under Part I but where no such intention is
    established and only knowledge that the injury
    is likely to cause death, it would fall under Part
    II.”

    A co-ordinate Bench of this Court has, in the case of Ajay

    Ghos Vs State of Rajasthan in D.B. Criminal Appeal No.

    731/2017, held as under:

    10. Distinction between whether an offence is culpable
    homicide amounting to murder or culpable homicide
    not amounting to murder has been dealt by the
    Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Mohd. Rafiq v.

    State of Madhya Pradesh: (2021) 10 SCC 706 after
    taking into consideration earlier judgments on the
    point. The Court held that even though it is difficult to
    distinguish whether the punishment for offence would
    fall Under Section 302 or Section 304 of Indian Penal
    Code, there is a subtle distinction of degree of intention
    and knowledge involved in both the crimes. Relevant
    paragraphs of the judgment are reproduced below:

    “Para 11 – The question of whether in a given
    case, a homicide is murder, punishable Under
    Section 302 Indian Penal Code, or culpable
    homicide, of either description, punishable

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    under Section 304 Indian Penal Code has
    engaged the attention of courts in this country
    for over one and a half century, since the
    enactment of the Indian Penal Code; a welter
    of case law, on this aspect exists, including
    perhaps several hundred rulings by this Court.
    The use of the term “likely” in several places
    in respect of culpable homicide, highlights the
    element of uncertainty that the act of the
    Accused may or may not have killed the
    person. Section 300 Indian Penal Code which
    defines murder, however refrains from the use
    of the term likely, which reveals absence of
    ambiguity left on behalf of the accused. The
    Accused is for sure that his act will definitely
    cause death. It is often difficult to distinguish
    between culpable homicide and murder as
    both, involve death. Yet, there is a subtle
    distinction of intention and knowledge involved
    in both the crimes. This difference lies in the
    degree of the act. There is a very wide
    variance of degree of intention and knowledge
    among both the crimes.

    Para 12 – The decision in State of Andhra Pradesh v.
    Rayavarapu Punnayya and Anr.
    notes the important
    distinction between the two provisions, and their
    differing, but subtle distinction. The court pertinently
    pointed out that:

    12. In the scheme of the Penal Code, “culpable
    homicide”is genus and murder its specie. All
    murder is “culpable homicide” but not vice-

    versa. Speaking generally,”culpable homicide”

    sans “special characteristics of murder”, is
    “culpable homicide not amounting to
    murder”.For the purpose of fixing punishment,
    proportionate to the gravity of this generic

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    offence, the Code practically recognizes three
    degrees of culpable homicide. The first is,what
    may be called, “culpable homicide of the first
    degree”. This is the greatest form of culpable
    homicide,which is defined in Section 300 as
    “murder”. The second may be termed as
    “culpable homicide of the second degree”. This
    is punishable under the first part of
    Section304. Then, there is “culpable homicide
    of the third degree”. This is the lowest type of
    culpable homicide and the punishment
    provided for it is, also, the lowest among the
    punishments provided for the three grades.
    Culpable homicide of this degree is punishable
    under the second part of Section 304.

    13. The academic distinction between
    “murder” and”culpable homicide not
    amounting to murder” has vexed the courts
    for more than a century. The confusion is
    caused, if courts losing sight of the true scope
    and meaning of the terms used by the
    legislature in these sections, allow themselves
    to be drawn into minute abstractions. The
    safest way of approach to the interpretation
    and application of these provisions seems to
    be to keep in focus the keywords used in the
    various clauses of Sections 299 and 300;
    Para 13 – The considerations that should weigh with
    courts, in discerning whether an act is punishable as
    murder, or culpable homicide, not amounting to
    murder, were outlined in Pulicherla Nagaraju @
    Nagaraja Reddy v. State of Andhra Pradesh
    . This Court
    observed that:

    29. Therefore, the Court should proceed to
    decide the pivotal question of intention, with
    care and caution, as that will decide whether

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    the case falls Under Section 302 or 304Part I
    or 304 Part II. Many petty or insignificant
    matters-plucking of a fruit, straying of cattle,
    quarrel of children, utterance of a rude word
    or even an objectionable glance, may lead to
    altercations and group clashes culminating in
    deaths. Usual motives like revenge, greed,
    jealousy or suspicion may be totally absent in
    such cases. There may be no intention. There
    may be no premeditation. In fact, there may
    not even be criminality. At the other end of the
    spectrum, there may be cases of murder
    where the Accused attempts to avoid the
    penalty for murder by attempting to put forth
    a case that there was no intention to cause
    death. It is for the courts to ensure that the
    cases of murder punishable Under Section
    302
    , are not converted into offences
    punishable Under Section 304 Part I/II, or
    cases of culpable homicide not amounting to
    murder are treated as murder punishable
    Under Section 302. The intention to cause
    death can be gathered generally from a
    combination of a few or several of the
    following, among other, circumstances; (i)
    nature of the weapon used; (ii) whether the
    weapon was carried by the Accused or was
    picked up from the spot; (iii) whether the blow
    is aimed at a vital part of the body; (iv) the
    amount of force employed in causing injury;

    (v) whether the act was in the course of
    sudden quarrel or sudden fight or free for all
    fight; (vi) whether the incident occurs by
    chance or whether there was any
    premeditation; (vii) whether there was any
    prior enmity or whether the deceased was a

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    stranger; (viii) whether there was any grave
    and sudden provocation, and if so, the cause
    for such provocation; (ix) whether it was in
    the heat of passion; (x) whether the person
    inflicting the injury has taken undue
    advantage or has acted in a cruel and unusual
    manner; (xi) whether the Accused dealt a
    single blow or several blows. The above list of
    circumstances is, of course, not exhaustive
    and there may be several other special
    circumstances with reference to individual
    cases which may throw light on the question
    of intention.”

    Another co-ordinate Bench of this Court has, in the case of
    Hari Ram & Ors. Vs. State of Rajasthan IN D.B.
    Criminal Appeal No. 341/2007, held as under:

    The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Dayanand Vs.
    State of Haryana
    reported in 2008 Cri.L.J. 2975
    considering the identical issue that in absence of motive

    or intention and upon the fact that there was no repeated
    blow upon the vital part of the body, made following
    adjudication which reads as under:-

    “10. The crucial question is as to which was
    the appropriate provision to be applied. In the
    scheme of the IPC culpable homicide is genus
    and ‘murder’ its specie. All ‘murder’ is
    ‘culpable homicide’ but not vice-versa.
    Speaking generally, ‘culpable homicide’ sans
    ‘special characteristics of murder is culpable
    homicide not amounting to murder’. For the
    purpose of fixing punishment, proportionate to
    the gravity of the generic offence, the IPC
    practically recognizes three degrees of

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    culpable homicide. The first is, what may be
    called, ‘culpable homicide of the first degree’.
    This is the gravest form of culpable homicide,
    which is defined in Section 300 as ‘murder’.
    The second may be termed as ‘culpable
    homicide of the second degree’. This is
    punishable under the first part of Section 304.
    Then, there is ‘culpable homicide of the third
    degree’. This is the lowest type of culpable
    homicide and the punishment provided for it is
    also the lowest among the punishments
    provided for the three grades. Culpable
    homicide of this degree is punishable under
    the second part of Section 304.

    11. The academic distinction between ‘murder’
    and ‘culpable homicide not amounting to
    murder’ has always vexed the Courts. The
    confusion is caused, if Courts losing sight of
    the true scope and meaning of the terms used
    by the legislature in these sections, allow
    themselves to be drawn into minute
    abstractions. The safest way of approach to
    the interpretation and application of these
    provisions seems to be to keep in focus the
    keywords used in the various clauses of
    Sections 299 and 300. The following
    comparative table will be helpful in
    appreciating the points of distinction between
    the two offences.

    Section 299 Section 300
    A person commits Subject to certain exceptions
    culpable homicide if culpable homicide is murder if
    the act by which the the act by which the death is
    death is caused is caused is done –
    done
    INTENTION

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    (a) with the intention (1) with the intention of
    of causing death; or causing death; or

    (b) with the intention (2) with the intention of
    of causing such causing such bodily injury as
    bodily injury as is the offender knows to be
    likely to cause death; likely to cause the death of
    or the person to whom the harm
    is caused; or
    (3) With the intention of
    causing bodily injury to any
    person and the bodily injury
    intended to be inflicted is
    sufficient in the ordinary
    course of nature to cause
    death; or
    KNOWLEDGE

    (c) with the (4) with the knowledge that
    knowledge that the the act is so imminently
    act is likely to cause dangerous that it must in all
    death. probability cause death or
    such bodily injury as is likely
    to cause death, and without
    any excuse for incurring the
    risk of causing death or such
    injury as is mentioned above.

    12. Clause (b) of Section 299 corresponds with
    clauses (2) and (3) of Section 300. The
    distinguishing feature of the mens rea
    requisite under clause (2) is the knowledge
    possessed by the offender regarding the
    particular victim being in such a peculiar
    condition or state of health that the internal
    harm caused to him is likely to be fatal,
    notwithstanding the fact that such harm would
    not in the ordinary way of nature be sufficient
    to cause death of a person in normal health or
    condition. It is noteworthy that the ‘intention
    to cause death’ is not an essential requirement
    of clause (2). Only the intention of causing the
    bodily injury coupled with the offender’s
    knowledge of the likelihood of such injury
    causing the death of the particular victim, is
    sufficient to bring the killing within the ambit

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    of this clause. This aspect of clause (2) is
    borne out by illustration (b) appended to
    Section 300.

    13. Clause (b) of Section 299 does not
    postulate any such knowledge on the part of
    the offender. Instances of cases falling under
    clause (2) of Section 300 can be where the
    assailant causes death by a fist blow
    intentionally given knowing that the victim is
    suffering from an enlarged liver, or enlarged
    spleen or diseased heart and such blow is
    likely to cause death of that particular person
    as a result of the rupture of the liver, or
    spleen or the failure of the heart, as the case
    may be. If the assailant had no such
    knowledge about the disease or special frailty
    of the victim, nor an intention to cause death
    or bodily injury sufficient in the ordinary
    course of nature to cause death, the offence
    will not be murder, even if the injury which
    caused the death, was intentionally given. In
    clause (3) of Section 300, instead of the
    words ‘likely to cause death’ occurring in the
    corresponding clause (b) of Section 299, the
    words “sufficient in the ordinary course of
    nature to cause death” have been used.

    Obviously, the distinction lies between a
    bodily injury likely to cause death and a bodily
    injury sufficient in the ordinary course of
    nature to cause death. The distinction is fine
    but real and if overlooked, may result in
    miscarriage of justice. The difference between
    clause (b) of Section 299 and clause (3) of
    Section 300 is one of the degree of probability
    of death resulting from the intended bodily
    injury. To put it more broadly, it is the degree

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    of probability of death which determines
    whether a culpable homicide is of the gravest,
    medium or the lowest degree. The word
    ‘likely’ in clause (b) of Section 299 conveys
    the sense of probable as distinguished from a
    mere possibility. The words “bodily
    injury…….sufficie ufficient in the ordinary
    course of nature to cause death” mean that
    death will be the “most probable” result of the
    injury, having regard to the ordinary course of
    nature.”

    From the aforesaid authoritative pronouncements, it is

    apparent that whether an offence would fall under Section 302 IPC

    or, under Section 304 Part-I or, Part-II IPC, would depend on

    multiple factors including intention/knowledge of the accused,

    whether it was premeditated or the incident occurred on spur of

    the moment, the nature of weapon used, the intensity and gravity

    of the blow, the body part which received the injury, repetition of

    blows, his criminal antecedents etc.

    In the conspectus of aforesaid analysis of the material

    available on record, we are of the considered view that a

    possibility cannot be ruled out that the incident occurred on spur

    of the moment without any premeditation on account of falling of

    the common wall in between the houses of the parties, it was a

    case of free fight in which person from both the sides received

    injuries and the injuries on the person of the accused remained

    unexplained by the prosecution, there was no previous enmity

    between the parties and it is doubtful as to whose blow; whether

    that of appellant or that of Kanhaiya Lal, was fatal and in the

    backdrop of aforesaid precedential law, conviction of the appellant

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    deserves to be altered from Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part-I

    IPC.

    So far as sentence part is concerned, we find from the

    custody certificate submitted along with the status report dated

    14.04.2026 that the appellant has already served the actual

    sentence of 12 years 4 months and a day till 14.04.2026 and the

    total sentence, including remission, for a period of 15 years 1

    month and a day. It is also reflected that he has successfully

    availed the benefit of four paroles and in view of his satisfactory

    jail conduct, at present, he is in open air camp. From the report

    dated 14.04.2026 furnished by Gram Panchayat Kherali, District

    Baran, it is revealed that he has a wife and two sons and are living

    in the state of penury.

    Their Lordships have, in the case of Nawabuddin Vs. State

    of Uttarakhand: MANU/SC/0165/2022, held as under:

    “10.1.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    xxxxxxxxx
    However, the punishment provided for the offence
    under Section 6, as it stood prior to its amendment and at
    the time of commission of the offence in the instant case
    for aggravated penetrative sexual assault was rigours
    imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten
    years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and
    shall also be liable to fine. Now as per the amended Section
    6
    with effect from 16.08.2019, the minimum punishment
    provided is twenty years and which may extend to
    imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for
    the remainder of natural life of that person, and shall also
    be liable to fine, or with death. Therefore, at the relevant
    time the minimum punishment provided for the offence
    Under Section 6 of the POCSO Act,2012 was ten years RI
    and which may extend to imprisonment for life. It is
    reported that today the Accused is aged 70-75 years of age
    and it is also reported that he is suffering from Tuberculosis

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    (TB). Therefore, considering such mitigating circumstances
    we are of the opinion that if the life sentence is converted
    to fifteen years RI and the fine imposed by the Trial Court
    confirmed by the High Court to be maintained, it can be
    said to be an adequate punishment commensurate with the
    offence committed by the accused.”

    (emphasis supplied)

    In the aforesaid factual scenario as also in the backdrop of

    aforesaid precedential law, we think that ends of justice would be

    served if the substantive sentence awarded to the appellant is

    reduced to the period already undergone.

    Resultantly, this criminal appeal is partly allowed in following

    terms:

    1. The conviction of the appellant, recorded by
    the learned Special Judge, SC/St (Prevention of
    Atrocities) Cases, Baran vide judgement dated
    04.08.2018 in Sessions Case No.304/2016 CIS
    No.293/2016 under Section 302 IPC is altered
    to the conviction under Section 304 Part I IPC.

    2. The substantive sentence awarded to him is
    reduced to the period already undergone.

    Since, the appellant is in jail, he shall be set at
    liberty forthwith if not required to be detained
    in any other case.

    3. The appellant is granted three months’ time
    to deposit the fine, if not already deposited. In
    case of default, learned trial Court shall ensure
    that he serves the default sentence imposed
    vide impugned judgment dated 04.08.2018.

    In view of the provisions of Section 437-A CrPC (Section 481

    Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023), the appellant namely

    Ram Prakash @ Prakash S/o Gopal is directed to furnish a

    personal bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- and a surety in the like

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    amount within four weeks before the Registrar (Judl.) of this Court

    which shall be effective for a period of six months with the

    stipulation that in the event of Special Leave Petition being filed

    against the judgement or on grant of leave, the appellant

    aforesaid, on receipt of notice thereof, shall appear before the

    Hon’ble Supreme Court.

    Pending application(s), if any, also stands disposed of

    accordingly.

    (BHUWAN GOYAL),J (MAHENDAR KUMAR GOYAL),J

    DIKSHA /45

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