CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday, September 6, 2021, ordered for the immediate release of a person serving a life sentence for committing murder after finding that it was ‘a clear case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder’.
The Court of Sessions Judge, Keonjhar had sentenced Ranjan Juanga to life imprisonment after convicting him for killing his friend during a quarrel under Section 302 IPC on June 30, 2009. The incident had occurred at Talapada within Daitari police limits in the district on September 24, 2007. Ranjan had dealt fist blows to his friend in course of a quarrel which caused his fall on a hard surface and head injury to which he succumbed. Ranjan had faced trial taking the plea of false implication. He challenged the trial court verdict in the HC in 2009.
While setting aside the trial court judgment, the division bench of S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said, “The occurrence took place in the course of a quarrel between appellant Ranjan and the deceased. The quarrel appears to be a sudden one and nothing is there on record to show any cruel or unusual activity on the part of the appellant. Thus, in our considered opinion, the culpable action of the appellant was without any intention to cause death, which attracts the punishment under Section 304 the IPC and not Section 302,” the bench ruled. Police had arrested Ranjan on October 1, 2007. He has since been in jail.