In Brief
In this criminal appeal, the Supreme Court reversed the High Court's order that had downgraded the conviction of two accused from murder (Section 302 IPC) to grievous hurt (Section 326 IPC) in a fatal beating case. The deceased died six days after injuries inflicted by four armed men who attacked him in his field. The High Court had relied on the absence of a head fracture to justify the downgrade. The Supreme Court held that internal injuries (subdural hematoma), not just fractures, can be fatal and sufficient for murder conviction. Since the post-mortem established that a serious head injury caused death, and weapons were used on this vital part, the murder conviction was proper. The appeal was allowed and the trial court's conviction restored.
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