In Brief
The State of Madhya Pradesh challenged a High Court order that downgraded the conviction of two accused from murder (Section 302 IPC) to culpable homicide (Section 304-I IPC). The deceased was attacked by five accused armed with weapons; the second respondent hurled a country bomb at him, and multiple sharp-edged weapons inflicted incised wounds on his body causing death by excessive haemorrhage. The High Court erroneously held that no vital organ injury established intent to murder. The Supreme Court reversed the High Court, holding that when multiple intentional injuries are cumulatively sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature, murder is established even without injury to vital organs or explicit intent to kill. The appeal was allowed and the murder conviction restored.
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