In Brief
On 19 January 1991, Askari, the nephew of the informant, was killed by bomb explosions at his grocery shop, allegedly thrown by the appellants who were standing outside with firearms. The appellants were convicted by the trial court and the High Court upheld their convictions and sentence under Sections 302/149 IPC and related offences, but commuted death sentences to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals, holding that the appellants' active participation as members of an unlawful assembly with common object to assault—evidenced by their role in facilitating the bomb attack and preventing rescue—established criminal liability. The Court found the prosecution witnesses reliable and corroborated, rejecting arguments based on prior enmity and absence of direct participation in throwing bombs.
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