In Brief
In this 2017 appeal against conviction for murder, the Supreme Court examined whether three men who assaulted a mine operator were all guilty of murder under Section 302 IPC with common intention. One appellant (Vijay Pal) used an iron rod to strike the victim's head and was convicted of murder. Two others (Ram Rattan and Kishan Pal) used lathis on non-vital areas. The Court held the delay in registering the FIR was not fatal, and disclosure statements were reliable. However, finding no unmistakable evidence of shared common intention to commit murder, the Court reduced the convictions of the latter two from Section 302 to Section 304 Part II IPC and set their sentence at time served. Vijay Pal's conviction and life sentence were maintained.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.