Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has upheld trial court’s verdict, acquitting a CRPF trooper who was accused of killing his officer, a Coy Commander with the paramilitary forces, in 1996.
According to the prosecution, Om Parkash, Inspector 31 Bn CRPF Smailpur Transit Camp Jammu, filed a written report in Police Station, Bari Brahmna in which it was stated that on night of 12 June 1996, Inspector M.C.R.C. Reddy who was officiating as Coy Commander was shot dead by the trooper— Constable Lakhshman Dass with his service self loading rifle. Reddy was fired upon when he was present in his tent and his body was lying in a pool of blood and subsequently lifted. The written report said that Dass along with weapon of offence surrendered before the CRPF after commission of the crime and was taken into custody. On the basis of the written complaint, FIR was registered for offence under Section 302 RPC by the police.
The reason attributed to Dass killing the Commander was that he had killed the Company Commander as he levelled false allegeation against him that he has made theft of Rs.1000.
Later, after completing investigation, police filed charge-sheet and the trial Court acquitted Dass of the offence alleged against him.
“From perusal of the judgment of the trial Court, we find that the findings recorded by the trial Court can neither be termed as perverse, contrary to the evidence or erroneous, therefore, no case for interference in this acquittal appeal is made out,” a division bench of Justice Alok Aradhe and Sanjeev Kumar said and dismissed the state’s appeal against the trial court’s judgement of 16 October 2002.
