In Brief
On 3 March 2001, in the Barnala Court Complex, Manjit Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, armed with weapons, led an armed assault on Beant Singh and companions. The attack was motivated by revenge for the rape and murder of a village girl, in which relatives of the victims were accused. Multiple blows from kirpans and ghops to vital body parts resulted in serious injuries; one victim, Dalip Singh, died. The appellants challenged their conviction for murder and rioting under IPC Sections 302/149 and 148, raising an alibi plea for Manjit Singh. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding the plea of alibi was improperly raised and unsuitable for acceptance, evidence of unlawful assembly with common object was compelling, and the injury-witnesses' testimony was reliable and truthful.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.