HC upholds punishment of 3-men for scuffle over 'beedi' price
Three men, convicted for grievously injuring the father of a vendor for charging 50 paise extra for "beedi" bundle, leading to his death two decades ago, got respite from Delhi HC, which refused to interfere with their three-and-a-half-year jail term. On March 28, 1998, the vendor demanded Rs 3 for a beedi bundle, while the accused claimed it cost Rs. 2.50. Here's more.
Trail court sentenced accused to 3-and-a-half years in jail
The three men were sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail by a trial court in 2001 for grievously injuring the victim and the police moved the Delhi High Court in 2003, seeking to hold them guilty for the offense of murder.
Accused beat vendor's father with sticks
The difference in rates caused a verbal altercation between three men and vendor that turned into a scuffle. Being assaulted by the men, the vendor raised an alarm, asking his father to save him. The accused beat up his father with sticks and the man died three days later, on March 31, 1998. Simple injuries were caused to his son.
Trial court didn't commit illegality in delivering conclusion: Delhi HC
A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel said the HC was unable to be persuaded to hold that the trial court committed any grave illegality in coming to the conclusion. "It may have been debatable, given the blunt force injuries on the head of the deceased, that the offense could be one punishable under section 304 Part II, IPC," the court added.
Accused had already served three-and-a-half years of imprisonment
"However, more than 20 years after the incident, the three accused had already undergone more than three-and-a-half years of imprisonment and were in fact sentenced for the offense punishable under section 326 IPC," the HC bench said.
