In Brief
At his son's wedding in 2007, the appellant fired celebratory gunshots from his licensed firearm, striking five people in the courtyard and killing two of them. Initially convicted of murder and attempt to murder under Sections 302 and 307 IPC, the Supreme Court partially allowed his appeal. The Court held that although death resulted, the absence of specific intention to kill meant the offence was culpable homicide under Section 304 Part-2, not murder. The appellant had knowledge that firing a loaded gun at a crowded gathering was likely to cause death, but lacked the intent required for murder. His sentence was reduced from life imprisonment to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, and Section 307 convictions were modified to Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).
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