In Brief
Baidhu was convicted of murdering two men (Ram Dutt and Narain Deen) along with four others. The Court found that while he participated in the assault and was armed with a Lathi (wooden staff), the evidence did not establish that he intended to kill—only to cause harm. The injuries on the deceased were not necessarily caused by the Lathi, and his youth (16 at the time) weighed against attributing murderous intent. The Court set aside the murder conviction and substituted it with a conviction for causing death without intention under Section 304 Part II IPC, reducing his sentence to time already served (12 years, 4 months), resulting in his immediate release."
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