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2001 DIGILAW 1469 (SC)

Ochathevar: Ponnusamy v. State By Inspector Of Police, T. N: State Of T. N.

2001-09-05

K.T.THOMAS, S.N.VARIAVA

body2001
JUDGMENT :- Muthiah Thevar was a much married person. He and one of his wives along with one of his sons were murdered by a gang of assailants led by yet another son of Muthiah Thevar during the wee hours of 18-9-1985. The trial Court convicted four accused persons. Two among them were convicted for murder and the remaining two were convicted for the offence of murder read with S. 34 of the I.P.C. and all were sentenced to imprisonment for life each. The High Court confirmed the conviction and sentence and dismissed the appeals filed by them. 2. P.W. 1 and P.W. 4 are the daughters of Muthiah Thevar. They were also injured in the incident. They identified the accused as the real assailants, all of whom were armed with lethal weapons like Aruval and iron rod. 3. As the trial Court and the High Court concurrently found that the four accused persons have barged into the house of the deceased, killed the three and injured two others, there was little scope for this Court in an appeal under Art. 136 of the Constitution to interfere with. 4. However, Mr. R. Sunderavaradan, learned senior Advocate contended that want of light for the witnesses to identity the assailants was a serious point which has not received adequate consideration from the trial Court/High Court. We have perused the evidence for that purpose. P.W. 1 said that the house was electrified and there was a tube light also. According to her when she heard that some intruders were about to gate-crash into the house, she switched on the light and then saw all the accused. P.W. 4 Nirmala also identified all of them in the same light. P.W. 6 Ramamurthy saw all the accused running away from the house. P.W. 11 a neighbour said that the house of de-ceased-Muthiah Thevar was electrified and the electric energy was being supplied from a neighbouring house occupied by the son of the deceased. Though an attempt was made during the examination of the witness on the defence side (D.W. 3 brother of Muthiah Thevar) to show that there was no electric energy passing to the house of the deceased, we are not impressed by his evidence. The reason given by him for the electric energy not reaching the house of the deceased is far from satisfactory. 5. Mr. The reason given by him for the electric energy not reaching the house of the deceased is far from satisfactory. 5. Mr. R. Sunderavaradan, learned senior counsel made an alternative attempt to save the fourth accused-odathevar from conviction for the offence finder S. 302 with the aid of S. 34. The premise adopted by him is the admitted prosecution case that he inflicted cut injury on the hand of one of the deceased-Pechammal. That aspect is not enough to save that accused from the penal liability envisaged under S. 34 of the I.P.C. He went along with rest of the accused armed with deadly weapons like chopper etc., and got inside the house and participated in the operation and he admittedly inflicted a cut injury on one of the deceased. This eloquently speaks of his sharing the common intention with the rest of the assailants. 6. We, therefore, decline to accede to the said contention of the learned senior counsel. 7. We dismiss these appeals. Appeals dismissed. FOR CITATION : AIR 2002 SC 2392