PAL SINGH & ANR.versusSTATE OF PUNJAB

                     [2014] 3 S.C.R. 231


                     PAL SINGH & ANR.                           A
                              v.
                    STATE OF PUNJAB
       (Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No. 191 of 2014)

                    FEBRUARY 25, 2014
                                                                B
        [DR. 8.5. CHAUHAN AND A.K. SIKRI, JJ.]

        Penal Code, 1860: s.302 - Charge sheet filed against five
  accused including the petitioners ulss. 148, 3021149, 1208 -
  Trial court convicted all accused under the charged offences C
  - During pendency of appeal before High Court, one accused
  died - High Court acquitted two accused while upheld
  conviction of petitioners u/s. 302- Plea of petitioners that
  conviction uls.302 simpliciter for which no charge was ever
  framed was not proper - Held: Initially, the charges were o
  framed by trial court uls.302 rlw s.34 and s.120-8 against all
  the accused persons - Fresh charges were subsequently
  framed ulss.148, 302, 3021149 and 120-8 - Therefore, the
  ultimate situation remained that there was ,charge u/ss. 302,
  3021149 and 120-8 - It was also on, rec'otd that these two E
  petitioners had iron rods while tfle otlier three accused were
· empty handed - Evidence on record was that petitioner no. 1
  raised an exhortation that d~deased be caught hold and
  should not escape alive and 1gave two iron rod blows on his
  head - Petitioner no.2 gavfJ two iron rod blows on the person F
  of deceased put of which one hit his forehead - Version of
  prosecution apd injuries found on the person of deceased
  stood proved !by evidence of PWs as well as by deposition of
  the doctor- Conviction u/s.302 simpliciter is permissible if the
  court finds that injuries caused by accused were sufficient in G
  the ordinary course of nature to cause death - Applying this
  test, both the petitioners can be convicted uls. 302 simpliciter
  as both of them could be convicted u/ss. 302134 since both
  came fully armed with iron rods and gave two blows each on
                             231                                H
    232      SUPREME COURT REPORTS                [2014] 3 S.C.R.


A the vital part of the body i.e. head and forehead which proved
    fatal for the deceased - No interference called for.

        Nanak Chand v. State of Punjab AIR 1955 SC 27 4: 1955
    SCR 1201; Suraj Pal v. State of Uttar Pradesh AIR 1955 SC
    419 1955 SCR 1332; Willie (William) Slaney v. State of
8
    Madhya Pradesh AIR 1956 SC 116: 1955 SCR 1140; Dhari
    & Ors. v. State of Uttar Pradesh Al~ 2013 SC 308: 2012 (8)
    SCR 1219; Amar Singh v. State of Punjab AIR 1987 SC 826;
    Nagamalleswara Rao (K) v. State of A. P. AIR 1991 SC
    1075:1991 (1) SCR 87; Nethala Pothuraju v. State of A.P.
C   AIR 1991 SC 2214: 1991 .(1) Suppl. SCR 4; Mohd. Ankoos
    v. Pubic Prosecutor AIR 2010 SC 566: 2009 (15) SCR 616 ;
    Jivan Lal v. State of M.P. (1997) 9 SCC 119: 1996 (9) Suppl.
    SCR 537 ; Hamlet v. State of Kera/a AIR 2003 SC 3682;
    Fakhruddin v. State of M.P. AIR 1967 SC 1326; Gurpreet
D   Singh v. State of Punjab AIR 2006 SC 191: 2005 (5) Suppl.
    SCR 90; S. Ganesan v. Rama Raghuraman & Ors. AIR 2013
    SC 840: 2012 (7) SCR 541; Sanichar Sahni v. State of Bihar
    AIR 2010 SC 3786: 2009 (10) SCR 112; Darbara Singh v.
    State of Punjab AIR 2013 SC 840: 2012 (7) SCR 541 ;
E   Dhaneswar Mahakud & Ors. v. State of Orissa AIR 2006 SC
    1727: 2006 (3) SCR 849 - relied on.

                          Case Law Reference:
          1955 SCR 1201               relied on            Para 8
F
          1955 SCR 1332               relied on            Para 9
          1955 SCR 1140               relied on            Para 10
          2012 (8) SCR 1219           relied on            Para 11
G         AIR 1987 SC 826             relied on            Para 11
          1991 (1) SCR 87             relied on            Para 11
          1991 (1) Suppl. SCR 4       relied on            Para 11

H         2009 (15) SCR 616           relied on            Para 11
           PAL SINGH & ANR. v. STATE OF PUNJAB                   233


          1996 (9) Suppl. SCR 537 relied on               Para 11       A

          AIR 2003 SC 3682             relied on          Para 11

          AIR 1967 SC 1326              relied on         Para 11

          2005 (5) Suppl. SCR 90        relied on         Para 11       B
          212 (7) SCR 541               relied on         Para 11

          2009 (10) SCR 112             relied on         Para 12

          2012 (7) SCR 541              relied on         Para 13
                                                                        c
          2006 (3) SCR 849              relied on         Para 15

      CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Special Leave
 Petition (Criminal) No. 191 of 2014.

     From the Judgment and Order dated 04.07.2013 of the                D
 High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh in Criminal
 Appeal No. 14 of 2005.

     Pramod Swarup, Pareena Swarup, Syed Tabinda,
 Sushma Verma, Akshay Verma, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Satpal
                                                                        E
 Singh for the petitioners.

          The Order of the Court was delivered by

      DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J. 1. This special leave petition has
 been filed against the judgment and order dated 4.7.2013               F
 passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh
 in Criminal Appeal No. D-14-DB of 2005, maintaining the
 conviction and sentence of life imprisonment of the petitioners
 under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter
 referred to as the 'IPC').                                             G

          2. Facts and circumstances giving rise to this petition are
, that:

     A. As per the case of the prosecution, an FIR No. 69 dated ·
 14.4.2002 was lodged at 1.00 a.m. alleging that five accused H
    234       SUPREME COURT REPORTS              [2014] 3 S.C.R.


A   persons including the present two petitioners committed the
    murder of Sarabjit Singh @ Kala. Thus, on the basis of the
    complaint the case was registered under Sections 148, 302/
    149 IPC in P.S. Sadar, Phagwara, District Kapurthala.

8       B. In view thereof, the investigation ensued and after
  completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed
  against the five accused persons including the present two
  petitioners under Sections 148, 302/149 and 120-B IPC. The
  trial was concluded and the learned Sessions Court convicted
C all the five accused persons including these two petitioners vide
  judgment and order dated 16.11.2004 for the aforesaid offences
  and awarded different sentences including life imprisonment
  under Section 302 IPC.

       C. Aggrieved, all the five accused persons preferred
D Criminal Appeals before the High Court. Accused Pal Singh
  @ Amarjit Singh, appellant in Criminal Appeal No. D-14-DB
  of 2005 died during the pendency of the appeals. Thus, his
  appeal stood abated. Accused Sarabjit Singh and Gurdev
  Singh @ Manga had been acquitted of the charges. under
E Sections 148 and 302 r/w 149 IPC and the appeal of the
  present petitioners had been dismissed, and therefore their
  conviction under Section 302 IPC and the sentences awarded
  by the trial court remained intact.

          Hence, this petition.
F
        3. Shri Pramod Swarup, learned senior counsel appearing
  for the petitioners has vehemently submitted that as one of the
  accused has died and two have been acquitted by the trial
  court, the present petitioners had been convicted under Section
G 302 IPC simpliciter for which no charge had ever been framed.
  Therefore, the conviction of the petitioners deserves to be set
  aside. He has also taken us through the judgments of the trial
  court as well as of the High Court and the relevant evidence to
  show that none of the petitioners could be held exclusively
H responsible for the murder of Sarabjit Singh @ Kala. Thus, the
      PAL SINGH & ANR. v. STATE OF PUNJAB                   235
              [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
petition deserves to be allowed.                                    A

      4. Both the courts below had considered the evidence on
record and the relevant issue for us remains to consider the
consequences of not framing the charge properly and none
else.
                                                                    B
      Initially, the charges had been framed by the trial court
under Sections 302 r/w 34 IPC and Section 120-B IPC against
all the accused persons. Fresh charges were subsequently
framed under Sections 148, 302, 302/149 and 120-B IPC.
Therefore, the ultimate situation remained that there was charge    C
under Sections 302, 302/149 and 120-B IPC. The trial court
has convicted the present two petitioners and sentenced them
to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.
2,000/- each. In default of payment of fine to undergo further RI
for one month each for the offence punishable under Section         D
302 IPC. These petitioners also stood convicted and sentenced
to undergo RI for a period of two years each and fine of
Rs.1000/- each and in default of payment of fine, to undergo
further RI for a period of one month each for the offence
punishable under Section 148 IPC. However, they have been           E
acquitted of the charge under Section 120-B IPC. The High
Court has affirmed the conviction and sentence of the present
petitioners under Section 302 IPC, but set aside the conviction
under Section 148 IPC. The ultimate result remains that the
present two petitioners had been convicted under Section 302        F
IPC.

     5. Whether it is legally permissible in the facts and
circumstances of the case to convict these two petitioners under
Section 302 IPC simpliciter without altering the charges by the
High Court? In order to decide the limited issue it may be          G
necessary for us to go into some detail to the factual matrix of
the case.

     6. The post-mortem report revealed the following injuries
on the person of the deceased:                                      H
    236        SUPREME COURT REPORTS              [2014] 3 S.C.R.


A         1)    Diffuse swelling 4 cm x 5 cm on the left temporo
                parietal region. Clotted blood was present in both
                the nostrils. Underlying skull bones were fractured,
                laceration of the brain matter was present. Cranial
                cavity was full of blood.
B
          2)    Diffuse swelling 6 cm x 6 cm on the top of head.
                Skull bones were fractured.· Laceration of brain
                matter was present. Cranial cavity was full of blood.

          3)    Diffuse swelling 6 cm x 5 cm on the right side of
c               the fore-head. Underlying skull bones were
                fractured. The cranial cavity was full of blood.

          4)    Right eye was black. Underlying bone was normal.

        7. It is also on record that these two petitioners were having
D the iron rods while the other three accused named in the FIR
  were empty handed. The evidence on record had been that Pal
  Singh, petitioner no.1 raised an exhortation that Sarabjit Singh
                     •
  @ Kala be caught hold and should not escape alive and gave
  two iron rod blows on his head. Manjinder Singh, petitioner no.2
E gave two iron rod blows on the person of Sarabjit Singh, out of
  which one hit his forehead and other his right cheek. On hearing
  hue and cry, a large number of people gathered on the place -
  of occurrence and all the five accused persons ran away.
  Version of the prosecution and the injuries found on the person
F of the deceased stood proved by the evidence of Gurdev Singh
  (PW.6) and Amandeep Singh (PW.11) as well as by the
  deposition of Dr. Daljit Singh Bains (PW.1 ), Senior Medical
  Officer, Civil Hospital, Phagwara. The ocular evidence of the
  eye-witnesses corroborates with the medical evidence. As there
G are concurrent findings in this regard we have not been invited
  to determine the said issue.

       8. Shri Pramod Swarup, learned senior counsel has
  placed a heavy reliance on the judgment of this Court in Nanak
H Chand v. State of Punjab, AIR 1955 SC 274, wherein it has
     PAL SINGH & ANR. v. STATE OF PUNJAB                  237
             [DR. S.S. CHAUHAN, J.]

been held that Section 149 IPC creates a specific offence but     A
Section 34 IPC does not, and they both are separate and
distinguishable. Section 149 IPC creates an offence
punishable, but it depends on the offence of which the offender
is by that section made guilty. Therefore, for the appropriate
punishment section must be read with it. Section 34 does not,     B
however, create any specific offence and there is a clear
distinction between the provisions of Sections 34 and 149 IPC
and the said two sections are not to be confused. The principal
element in Section 34 IPC is the common intention to commit
a crime. In furtherance of the common intention several acts      c
may be done by several persons resulting in the commission
of that crime. In that situation, Section 34 provides that each
one of them would be liable for that crime in the same manner
as if all the acts resulting in that crime had been done by him
alone.                                                            D
    9. In Suraj Pal v. State of Uttar Pradesh, AIR 1955 SC
419, this Court examined a case where the charge had been
framed against the accused under Sections 147, 307/149 and
302/149 IPC, and there had been no direct and individual
charge against any of the accused for specific offence under      E
Sections 307 and 302 IPC, though the accused had been
convicted under Sections 307 and 302 1 IPC. The court had set
aside their conviction as no specific charge had been framed
against any of the accused for which they had been convicted.
     10. As there were doubts about the conflicUcorrectness of    F
these two judgments, the matter was decided by a Constitution
Bench in Willie (William) Slaney v. State of Madhya Pradesh,
Al R 1956 SC 116, and the court came to the following
conclusions:
                                                                  G
            "Sections 34, 114 and 149 of the Indian Penal
    Code provide for criminal liability viewed from different
    angles as regards actual participants, accessories and
    1mefl actuated by a common object or a common
    t'ntention; and the charge is a rolled-up one involving the   H
    238        SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  (2014] 3 S.C.R.


A         direct liability and the constructive liability without
          specifying who are directly liable and who are sought to
          be made constructively liable.

                In such a situation, the absence of a charge under
          one or other of the various heads of criminal liability for
B         the offence cannot be said to be fatal by itself, and before
          a conviction for the substantive offence; without a charge
          can be set aside, prejudice will have to be made out. In
          most of the cases of this kind, evidence is normally given
          from the outset as to who was primarily responsible for
c         the act which brought about the offence and such
          evidence is of course relevant.

                                     xx xx xx
                This judgment should not be understood by the
D         subordinate courts as sanctioning a deliberate
          disobedience to the mandatory requirements of the
          Code, or as giving any license to proceed with trials
          without an appropriate charge. The omission to frame a
          charge is a grave defect and should be vigilantly guarded
E         against. In some cases, it may be so serious that by itself
          it would vitiate a trial and render it illegal, prejudice to the
          accused being taken for granted.
                In the main, the provisions of section 535 would
          apply to cases of inadvertence to frame a charge induced
F         by the belief that the matter on record is sufficient to
          warrant the conviction for a particular offence without
          express specification, and where the facts proved by the
          prosecution constitute a separate and distinct offence but
          closely relevant to and springing out of the same set of
G         facts connected with the one charged."
      11. In Dhari & Ors. v. State of Uttar Pradesh, AIR 2013
  SC 308, this Court re-considered the issue whether the
  appellants therein could be convicted under Sections 302 r/w
  149 IPC, in the event that the High Court had convicted three
H persons among the accused and the number of convicts has
      PAL SINGH & ANR. v. STATE OF PUNJAB                     239
              [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
thus remained less than 5 which is in fact necessary to form         A
an unlawful assembly as described under Section 141 IPC. This
Court considered the earlier judgments in Amar Singh v. State
of Punjab, AIR 1987 SC 826; Nagamal/eswara Rao (K) v.
State of A.P., AIR 1991 SC 1075, 'Nethala Pothuraju v. State
of A.P., AIR 1991 SC 2214; and Mohd. Ankoos v. Pubic                 B
Prosecutor, AIR 2010 SC 566, and came to the conclusion that
in a case where the prosecution fails to prove that the number
of members of an unlawful assembly are 5 or more, the court
can simply convict the guilty person with the aid of Section 34
IPC, provided that there is adequate evidence on record to           C
show that such accused shared a common intention to commit
the crime in question. (See also: Jivan Lal v. State of
M.P.,(1997) 9 SCC 119; Hamlet v. State of Kera/a, AIR 2003
SC 3682; Fakhruddin v. State of M.P., AIR 1967 SC 1326;
Gurpreet Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 2006 SC 191; and S.
Ganesan v. Rama Raghuraman & Ors., AIR 2013 SC 840).                 D
    12. In Sanichar Sahni v. State of Bihar, AIR 2010 SC
3786, this Court considered the issue and held:
    "Therefore, ... unless the convict is able to establish that
    defect in framing the charges has caused real prejudice          E
    to him and that he was not informed as to what was the
    real case against him and that he could not defend
    himself properly, no interference is required on mere
    technicalities. Conviction order in fact is to be tested on
    the touchstone of prejudice theory."                             F
     13. In Darbara Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 2013 SC
840, this Court considered the similar issue and came to the
conclusion that the accused has to satisfy the court that if there
is any defect in framing the charge it has prejudiced the cause
of the accused resulting in failure of justice. It is only in that   G
eventuality the court may interfere. The Court elaborated the law
as under:
          "The defect in framing of the charges must be so
    serious that it cannot be covered under Sections 4641465
                                                                     H
    240       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2014] 3 S.C.R.


A         CrPC, which provide that, an order of sentence or
          conviction shall not be deemed to be invalid only on the
          ground that no charge was framed, or that there was some
          irregularity or omission or misjoinder of charges, unless
          the court comes to the conclusion that there was also, as
B         a consequence, a failure of justice. In determining
          whether any error, omission or irregularity in framing the
          relevant charges, has led to a failure of justice, the court
          must have regard to whether an objection could have
          been raised at an earlier stage during the proceedings
          or not. While judging the question of prejudice or guilt,
c         the court must bear in mind that every accused has a
          right to a fair trial, where he is aware of what he is being
          tried for and where the facts sought to be established
          against him, are explained to him fairly and clearly, and
          further, where he is given a full and fair chance to defend
D         himself against the said charge(s).
                 "Failure of justice" is an extremely pliable or facile
          expression, which can be made to fit into any situation
          in any case. The court must endeavour to find the truth.
          There would be "failure of justice"; not only by unjust
E         conviction, but also by acquittal of the guilty, as a result
          of unjust failure to produce requisite evidence. Of course,
          the rights of the accused have to be kept in mind and also
          safeguarded, but they should not be overemphasised to
          the extent of forgetting that the victims also have rights.
F         It has to be shown that the accused has suffered some
          disability or detriment in respect of the protections
          available to him under the Indian criminal jurisprudence.
          "Prejudice" is incapable of being interpreted in its generic
          sense and applied to criminal jurisprudence. The plea
G         of prejudice has to be in relation to investigation or trial,
          and not with respect to matters falling outside their scope.
          Once the accused is able to show that there has been
          serious prejudice caused to him, with respect to either of
          these aspects, and that the same has defeated the rights
H         available to him under criminal jurisprudence, then the
       PAL SINGH & ANR. v. STATE OF PUNJAB                     241
               [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
    accused can seek benefit under the orders of the court.            A
    (Vide: Rafiq Ahmed@ Rafi v. State of U:P., AIR 2011                    •
    SC 3114; Rattiram v. State of M.P., AIR 2012 SC 1485;
    and Bhimanna v. State of Karnataka, AIR 2012 SC
    3026)".
    14. In view of the above, we do not find any force in the          B
submissions advanced on behalf of the petitioners on this
count.
     15. Shri Pramod Swarup has also placed reliance on the
judgment of this Court in Dhaneswar Mahakud & Ors. v. State            C
ofOrissa, AIR 2006 SC 1727, wherein though the charge had
been framed, this Court held that even if the accused has not
been charged with the aid of Section 34 IPC and instead
charged with the aid of Section 149 IPC, he can be convicted
with the aid of Section 34 IPC when evidence shows that there
was common intention to commit the crime and no prejudice              D
or injustice has been caused to the accused therein. Even the
conviction of the accused under Section 302 IPC simpliciter is
 permissible if the court reaches the conclusion on the basis of
 material placed before it that injuries caused by the accused
were sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death        E
 and nature of the injuries was homicidal.
      16. If the test laid down in this case is applied to the facts
of the instant case both the petitioners can be convicted under
Section 302 IPC simpliciter as both of them could be convicted
under Section 302/34 IPC as both of them came fully armed              F
with. iron rods and both of them gave two blows each on the
vital part of the body i.e. head and forehead which proved fatal
for the deceased. More so, no question had been put to Dr.
Daljit Singh Bains (PW.1) as to whether the injuries caused by
each of the petitioners was sufficient to cause death                  G
                            a
independently. It is not fit case where this court should
examine the issue any further or grant any indulgence. The
special leave petition is dismissed accordingly.
D.G.                                             SLP dismissed.
                                                                       H