In Brief
Two criminal appeals arose from a politically motivated clash between BJP and CPM sympathisers. The appellant-Mani was convicted of murdering Soman by knife blow to the chest. The Supreme Court held that in a sudden, unpremeditated fight where death occurred in heat of passion upon sudden quarrel, murder conviction was not warranted. The Court reduced the conviction to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part I IPC. There was no common intention under Section 34 IPC among the accused; the fatal stabbing was a spontaneous act. The appellant, having already served over seven years imprisonment, had his sentence modified to time served with a fine of Rs. 20,000.
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