MANU/SC/0170/2005

Equivalent/Neutral Citation: 2005(1)AC R964(SC ), 2005(28)AIC 65, AIR2005SC 2989, 2005(2)ALD(C ri)330, 2005 (52) AC C 59,
2005(2)ALT27(SC ), I(2005)C C R242(SC ), 2005(2)C LJ(SC )91, 2005C riLJ2199, 2005(2)C rimes7(SC ), JT2005(3)SC 233, 2005-2-LW(C rl)561,
(2005)9SC C 195, [2005]2SC R450, 2005(1)UJ671

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

Criminal Appeal No. 370 of 2005 (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 3526 of 2004)
Decided On: 01.03.2005
Harbans Kaur and Ors. Vs. State of Haryana
Hon'ble Judges/Coram:
Dr. Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia, JJ.
Counsels:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: Salil Bali, Rajesh K. Sharma and Shalu Sharma, Advs
For Respondents/Defendant: D.P. Singh, Avneet Toor and Vinay Kumar Garg, Advs.
Case Note:
Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 323, 325 and 326, read with Section 34--
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons--Conviction and
sentence--Whether sustainable?--Held, "yes"--No proposition of law that
relatives to be treated as untruthful witnesses--Delay in lodging F.I.R.
properly explained--Ingredients of Section 34--Section 34 rightly applied--
However, sentence reduced to 4 years from 7 years.
There is no proposition in law that relatives are to be treated as untruthful
witnesses. On the contrary, reason has to be shown when a plea of partiality
is raised to show that the witnesses had reason to shield actual culprit and
falsely implicate the accused. There cannot be any generalization that
whenever there is a delay in lodging the F.I.R., the prosecution case becomes
suspect. Whether delay, is so long as to throw a cloud of suspicion on the
seeds of the prosecution case, would depend upon the facts of each case.
Even a long delay can be condoned if the witnesses have no motive of
implicating the accused and have given a plausible reason as to why the
report was lodged belatedly.
In order to bring home the charge of common intention, the prosecution has
to establish by evidence, whether direct or circumstantial, that there was plan
or meeting of mind of all the accused persons to commit the offence for which
they are charged with the aid of Section 34, I.P.C. be it pre-arranged or on
the spur of moment ; but it must necessarily be before the commission of the
crime. It is not necessary that the acts of the several persons charged with
commission of an offence jointly must be the same or identically similar. The
acts may be different in character, but must have been actuated by one and
the same common intention in order to attract the provision.
The provision is intended to meet a case in which it may be difficult to
distinguish between acts of individual members of a party who act in
furtherance of the common intention of all or to prove exactly what part was
taken by each of them.
JUDGMENT

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Arijit Pasayat, J.
1. Leave granted.
2. Appellants call in question legality of the judgment rendered by a Division Bench of
the Punjab and Haryana High Court upholding conviction of the appellants (hereinafter
referred to as the 'accused') under Sections 323, 325 and 326 read with Section 34 of
the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short the 'IPC') and sentence as imposed by the trial
Court which had sentenced each to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three months,
two years and seven years respectively with separate fines for each of the alleged
offences with default stipulations.
3. Background facts leading to the trial of the accused appellants are as follows:
The case was registered on the basis of information lodged by Piara Singh (PW-
6), which was recorded on 10.11.1989 at about 2.00 a.m. According to the
informant, he and his son Sham Singh's wife Sito (PW- 7) were sitting in the
courtyard of the house of Sham Singh (hereinafter referred to as the
'deceased'). It was about 11.00 a.m. on 9.11.1989 when deceased was coming
from the village after purchasing vegetables. When he reached near the house
of Janta Singh, son of Dharam Singh, Harbans Kaur (A-1) armed with a Gandasi
and Mitta Singh (A-2) armed with a lathi were present there. Mitta made an
obscene gesture. At this Mitta Singh and the deceased exchanged hot words
and abused each other. Harbans Kaur gave a Gandasi blow on the right hand of
the deceased, which caused a grievous injury. Mitta Singh gave a lathi blow on
the left foot of the deceased and also gave a thrust blow of lathi on the left side
of his head. Deceased fell down on the ground. The occurrence was witnessed
by Piara Singh (PW-6) and Sito (PW-7). Both of them took Sham Singh injured
to their house. When Piara Singh and Sito raised alarm, both the accused
persons ran away from the spot. Since the condition of Sham Singh became
serious during the night time, he was taken to the Primary Health center, Ratia.
On 10.11.1989 at night at about 0.15 a.m. Dr. O.P. Kakkar examined Sham
Singh. He found injury No. 1 which was an incised wound in the middle
phalanx of the index finger of right hand. The second injury was an abrasion on
the lateral side of upper 1/3rd part of left leg and the patient complained of
pain on different parts of the body. Dr. O.P. Kakkar sent information to the
Police Station, Ratia. ASI Ram Rattan reached the Primary Health center and
recorded the statement of Piara Singh which is the FIR. On the basis of this
statement, FIR was recorded by ASI Bharat Singh. Sham Singh expired at about
1.50 a.m. on 10.11.1989. Hence, information to this effect was sent.
4 . The accused persons were charged for alleged commission of offences punishable
under Section 304 Part-I read with Section 34 IPC. The accused persons pleaded
innocence and claimed trial. Eight persons were examined to further the prosecution
case. Piara Singh (PW-6) was the complainant and claimed to be an eye-witness. Smt.
Sito (PW-7) wife of the deceased also claimed to be an eye-witness. Placing reliance on
their evidence, the learned Additional Session Judge, Hissar found the accused persons
guilty and sentenced them to undergo sentences as noted above. In appeal, the High
Court confirmed the conviction and the sentences.
5. In support of the appeal, learned counsel for the accused appellants submitted that
the prosecution version was based on testimonies of relatives and, therefore, does not
inspire confidence. Section 34 IPC has no application to the facts of the case. Further

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there was delay in lodging the FIR. Additionally, it was submitted that the sentences
imposed were high.
6. In response, learned counsel for the State submitted that after analysing the factual
position the Courts below have found the accused persons guilty and no interference is
called for. The sentences imposed are also not in any manner on the higher side.
7. There is no proposition in law that relatives are to be treated as untruthful witnesses.
On the contrary, reason has to be shown when a plea of partiality is raised to show that
the witnesses had reason to shield actual culprit and falsely implicate the accused.
No evidence has been led in this regard. So far as the delay in lodging the FIR is
concerned, the witnesses have clearly stated that after seeing the deceased in an injured
condition immediate effort was to get him hospitalized and get him treated. There
cannot be any generalization that whenever there is a delay in lodging the FIR, the
prosecution case becomes suspect. Whether delay is so long as to throw a cloud of
suspicion on the seeds of the prosecution case, would depend upon the facts of each
case. Even a long delay can be condoned if the witnesses have no motive of implicating
the accused and have given a plausible reason as to why the report was lodged
belatedly. In the instant case, this has been done. It is to be noted that though there
was cross- examination at length no infirmity was noticed in their evidence. Therefore,
the trial Court and the High Court were right in relying on the evidence of the
prosecution witnesses.
8 . Section 34 has been enacted on the principle of joint liability in the doing of a
criminal act. The Section is only a rule of evidence and does not create a substantive
offence. The distinctive feature of the Section is the element of participation in action.
The liability of one person for an offence committed by another in the course of criminal
act perpetrated by several persons arises under Section 34 if such criminal act is done
in furtherance of a common intention of the persons who join in committing the crime.
Direct proof of common intention is seldom available and, therefore, such intention can
only be inferred from the circumstances appearing from the proved facts of the case and
the proved circumstances. In order to bring home the charge of common intention, the
prosecution has to establish by evidence, whether direct or circumstantial, that there
was plan or meeting of mind of all the accused persons to commit the offence for which
they are charged with the aid of Section 34, be it pre-arranged or on the spur of
moment; but it must necessarily be before the commission of the crime. The true
contents of the Section are that if two or more persons intentionally do an act jointly,
the position in law is just the same as if each of them has done it individually by
himself. As observed in Ashok Kumar v. State of Punjab MANU/SC/0089/1976 :
1977CriL J164, the existence of a common intention amongst the participants in a crime
is the essential element for application of this Section. It is not necessary that the acts
of the several persons charged with commission of an offence jointly must be the same
or identically similar. The acts may be different in character, but must have been
actuated by one and the same common intention in order to attract the provision.
9. As it originally stood the Section 34 was in the following terms:
"When a criminal act is done by several persons, each of such persons is liable
for that act in the same manner as if the act was done by him alone."
1 0 . In 1870, it was amended by the insertion of the words "in furtherance of the
common intention of all" after the word "persons" and before the word "each", so as to
make the object of Section 34 clear. This position was noted in Mahbub Shah v.

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Emperor MANU/PR/0013/1945.
1 1 . The Section does not say "the common intention of all", nor does it say "and
intention common to all". Under the provisions of Section 34 the essence of the liability
is to be found in the existence of a common intention animating the accused leading to
the doing of a criminal act in furtherance of such intention. As a result of the application
of principles enunciated in Section 34, when an accused is convicted under Section 302
read with Section 34, in law it means that the accused is liable for the act which caused
death of the deceased in the same manner as if it was done by him alone. The provision
is intended to meet a case in which it may be difficult to distinguish between acts of
individual members of a party who act in furtherance of the common intention of all or
to prove exactly what part was taken by each of them. As was observed in Ch. Pulla
Reddy and Ors. v. State of Andhra Pradesh MANU/SC/0717/1993 : 1993CriL J2246,
Section 34 is applicable even if no injury has been caused by the particular accused
himself. For applying Section 34 it is not necessary to show some overt act on the part
of the accused.
1 2 . The above position was highlighted recently Anil Sharma and Ors. v. State of
Jharkhand MANU/SC/0433/2004 : 2004CriLJ2527 .
1 3 . If the factual scenario as noted above is considered in the background of legal
principles set out above, the inevitable conclusion is that Section 34 has been rightly
applied.
14. The residual question is whether any interference is called for on the quantum of
sentence. Looking into the background facts as noted above, we are of the view that
custodial sentence of 4 years in place of 7 years as recorded by the Courts below for the
offence relatable to Section 326 read with Section 34 IPC would meet the ends of
justice. The other sentences imposed remain unaltered. With the aforesaid modification,
the appeal is disposed of.
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