The Orissa High Court has upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of several men found guilty of murdering a villager in Khurda nearly three decades ago. The judgment, delivered by Justice S.K. Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash, reaffirmed that even a minor quarrel can snowball into grave violence when not handled wisely.
Background
The case dates back to August 1994, when a village video show in Tandalo, under Begunia police limits, turned into tragedy. According to the prosecution, one of the accused passed lewd comments at a girl, which led to heated protests from her family. What began as a trivial altercation soon escalated into a violent clash between two groups of villagers.
The mob violence that followed left houses ransacked and villagers injured. The most shocking outcome was the brutal killing of Jadumani Behera, the father of the girl. Witnesses stated that the accused, armed with weapons like axes, lathis and sharp blades, chased him down and assaulted him in a paddy field. His body was later found dumped nearby.
During trial, the prosecution examined multiple eyewitnesses and medical experts. The post-mortem revealed several cut wounds and fractures, confirming a homicidal death. The trial court in Khurda convicted Dinabandhu Dehury, Sridhar Behera, Tikina Pradhan, Gouranga Pradhan, Gagan Pradhan and Madhab Behera under sections 147, 148 and 302/149 of the IPC, sentencing them to life imprisonment.
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The convicts challenged the verdict, arguing that eyewitness accounts were contradictory and medical evidence did not fully match the allegations. Defence counsel claimed that, at most, the case amounted to culpable homicide, not murder.
Rejecting these arguments, the High Court observed:
"The concerted action of the accused, armed with deadly weapons, clearly proves their participation in furtherance of a common object."
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The bench emphasized that minor inconsistencies in witness testimony cannot overshadow the overall credibility of the prosecution case.
The Court further noted that,
"the cause of death was not a single head injury alone but multiple fatal injuries inflicted with sharp and blunt weapons."
Holding that the evidence of eyewitnesses was consistent with medical reports, the judges upheld the conviction and sentence.
Case Title: Dinabandhu Dehury & Others v. State of Odisha
Case No.: Criminal Appeal (CRA) No. 02 of 1998
