MAHABIR CHOUDHARY ETC.versusSTATE OF B!HAR

                   MAHABIR CHOUDHARY ETC.                                   A
                                    v.
                          STATE OF B!HAR


                              MAY 1, 1996
                                                                            B
      [MADAN MOHAN PUNCHHI AND K.T. THOMAS, JJ.]


       Indian Penal Code, 186()-Sections 97, 103-Private Defence-Right
of-Scope-Mischief-People of another village cut open a bund, blocking
water flowing further north-Attempt of appellants to restore                 C
bund-Resisted-Appellants gunning down mischief makers-Acted in excess
of right of private defence-Conviction u/s 304 Pait I !PC.

       Thirteen persons including appellants were prosecuted for offences
including Section 302/149 IPC. Prosecution case that the three deceased D
cut open a bond on a water stream which blocked the water flowing further
north which was questioned by some of the appellants but as their protes-
tations were not heeded to by the deceased when there was exchange of
words between the two factions, all the appellants gathered up with guns,
lathis etc., the four appellants used guns to fire at one or the other of the
three deceased and consequently the deceased died of gun shot injuries. E
The four appellants were convicted only of the offence u/s 304 Part I IPC
as the trial Court held that appellants had right of private defence of
property as deceased committed mischief by cutting open the bund to block
the water flow but those who used firearms had exceeded their right of
private defence. In appeal, the High Court reversing these findings, held F
that all the 13 accused bad formed themselves into an unlawful assembly
with the common object of murdering the three deceased and that none
had the right of private defence at the relevant time; hence liable to be
convicted u/s 302/149 IPC. It was observed that mischief was caused to the
property but it was not caused under such circumstances as may reasonab- G
ly cause apprehension in the minds of the accused persons that death or
grievous hurt will be the consequence if such right of private defence was
not exercised and that simply because some persons came shouting from
another village was not enough to give rise to a reasonable apprehension
that grievous hurt would be inflicted to the accused. This appeal had been
filed against the judgment of the High Court.                                 H
                                   165
    166                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1996] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A         Allowing the appeal, this Court

         HELD : Section 97 Indian Penal Code recognised right of a person
  only to defend his own or another's body but to defend his own or another's
  property even against an attempt to inflict any offensive act as against the
                                                                                    1
B property. The rule of retreat which, Common Law Courts espoused is not
  relevant under the Indian Penal Code. If a man's property is in imminent
  danger of being impaired ar attacked he has the right to resort to such
  measures as would be reasonably necessary to thwart the attempt to
  protect his property. Section 103 !PC, which deals with right of private
  defence as against an act which might be mischief or theft or criminal
c trespass, conditions that there would be reasonable apprehension that
  death or grievous hurt would otherwise be the consequence. But that
  provision deals with the farthest extent of the right of private defence as
  against the above three categories of wrongs against the property. But a
  man pitted against such wrong even against attempts thereof need not wait
D for exercising right of private defence until the apprehension of death of
  grievous hurt is burgeoned in his mind. Penal Code envisages two
  measures of right of private defence. One is the first degree which shall
  not reach upto causing of death of the wrong doer. The other is the full
  measure ~'hich may go upto causing death. Both measures are, however,
  subjected to the restrictions enumerated in Section 99. Section 104 !PC
E contains the bridle that right of private defence shall not cross the limit
  of first degree as against acts which would remain as theft, mischief or
  criminal trespass. But Section 103 recognises extension of the said right
  upto the full measure, even as against the aforesaid acts but only if such
  acts or their attempts are capable of inculcating reasonable apprehension
F in the mind that death or grievous hurt would be the consequence if the
  right is not exercised in such full measure. One has the first degree of right
  of private defence even if the "Tong committed or attempted to the com-
  mitted against him is theft or mischief or criminal trespass simplicitor.
  This right of private defence cannot be used to kill the wrong doer unless
  one has reasonable cause to fear that otherwise death or grievous hurt
G might ensue in which case he/she has the full measure of right of private
  defence. V.1ten the acts of people of another village amounted to mischief,
  appellants had a right of private defence to thwart the same. In the course
   of exercise of such right appellants who gunned down the mischief-makers
   had obviously acted far in excess of the right of private defence. Nonethe-
H less the first r\egree of right of private defence could not be denied to them.
            MAHABIR CHOUDHARY v. STATE [THOMAS.).]                        167

 The High Court was in error in holding that appellants had no right of A
 private defence at any stage. Trial court was correct in its approach
 regarding that aspect of the matter. [169-G-H; 170-A-H; 171-A-B]

        Jai Dev v. State of Punjab, (1963) 1 Crl. L.J. 495 = AIR (1963) SC
. 612, relied on.
                                                                                 B
      CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No.
 228 of 1987 Etc.

       From the Judb=ent and Order dated 8.11.84 of the Patna High Court
in Crl. A No. 14 of 1977.
                                                                                 c
      K.P. Singh AC. for the Appellant in Crl. A No. 228/87.

      C.L. Sahu NP for the Appellant in Cr!. A.Nos. 329-31/87.

      M.P. Shorawala NP for the Appellant in Crl. A Nos. 470-72/86.
                                                                                 D
     Anil Kr. Jha NP for the Respondent in Crl. A Nos. 228/87 AND
470-72/86.

      M.P. Jha for the Respondent in Crl. A No. 329-31/87.

      The Judgment of the Court was delivered by                                 E

       THOMAS, J. Thirteen persons were arraigned in the trial court to
face charges for offences including Section 302 read with Section 149 of
!PC, out of which$essions Court convicted only four of the offences under
Section 304 Part I of !PC and Section 25(1) of the Indian Arms Act. Others       F
were acquitted. The convicted persons were sentenced to rigorous im-
prisonment for 5 years each on the first count and rigorous imprisonment
for 6 months each on the second count. They filed appeal before the Patna
High Court. The State of Bihar filed another appeal challenging acquittal
of 9 accused as well as the order exonerating the convicted persons of the       G
offence under Section 302 !PC. At the appellate stage there was reversal
of forttine for all the arraigned persons as the" High Court found all of them
guilty under Section 302 read with Section 149 !PC. Hence the present
appeals by the accused persons by special leave.

      We are informed that during the pendency of these appeals two of H
                         SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1996J SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A   the appellants, (Sheonandan Choudhary and Ram lshwar Choudhary)
    have expired. It is also reported that appellant Ganesh Choudhary has
    become insane and has gone out of his house and his whereabouts are
    not kno\vn.


           The incident which led lo the prosecution of all the 13 appellants
B
    happened during the morning hours on 15.10.1974, in which three persons.
    (1. Daroga, 2. Kewal and 3. Hit Narain) died. All the deceased hailed from
    a village called Malpura which is situate a little north of Kusi Village. A
    water stream starting from another village (Parsar Ahar - situated south of
    Kusi Village) flowed northwards reaching upto Kusi. Appellants are in-
c   habitants of Kusi Village. As there was acute drought condition, people of
    Malpura were in need of water.

          Prosecution case, in short, is thus : this three deceased visited Kusi
    Village on the eve of the occurrence and cut open a bund which blocked
D the water flowing further north. This act of the deceased was questioned
    by some of the appellants. But their protestations were not heeded to by
    the deceased. On the morning of 15.10.1974, situation further deteriorated
    with exchange of words between the two factions when those hailing from
    Malpura forcefully resisted the attempt of the appellants to restore the
E   bund. All the appellants gathered up with guns, lathis, etc. The four
    appellants who were convicted by the trial court used guns to fire down
    one or the other of the three deceased and consequently the deceased died
    of gun shot injuries. The remaining persons who came from Malpura
    Village retreated and fled from the scene.

F          Learned Sessions Judge found that the prosecution succeeded in
    establishing that the four convicted persons fired gun at the deceased.
    However, learned Sessions Judge took the view that appellants had right
    of private defence of property as deceased committed mischief by cutting
    open the bund to block the waterflow. But the trial Court further found
G   that the four convicted persons who used firearms had exceeded their right
    of private defence and hence they were convicted only of the offence under
    Section 304 Part I of IPC.

          The High Court, in reversal of the above findings, concluded that all
H the 13 accused had formed themselves into an unla\\ful assembly with the
           MAHABIR CHOUDHARY v. STATE [THOMAS, J.]                         169

common object of murdering the three deceased and that none had the A
right of private defence at the relevant time.

      We have no reason to disturb the finding that four appellants had
used guns and shot down the three deceased. So the only question for our
consideration is whether the High Court was justified in denying initial
right of private defence to these appellants.
                                                                                  B

     Learned Judges of the High Court have observed :

        "Even if mischief had been committed by Malpura people the same
        was continuing for three days preceding the occurrence, and hence         C
        there was no occasion for them to take law into their own hands
        for attacking Malpura people."

High Court further pointed out from evidence that a cut portion of the
bund was filled up by Kusi people and there was some altercation and
exchange of abusive word, and when Malpura people came shouting, some D
of them carrying lathis, the four accused took out their guns which they
had concealed in the paddy filed and started firing indiscriminately. The
High Court then proceeded to observe thus :

        "In such a situation it is difficult to accept that the accused persons
        were protected by the right of private defence of person and
                                                                                  E
        property. So far as property is concerned mischief was caused to
        the property but it was not caused under such circumstances as
        may reasonably cause apprehension in the minds of the accused
        persons that death or grievous hurt will be the consequence if such
        right of private defence was not exercised."                              F
The High Court further observed that simply because some persons came
shouting from Village Malpura was not enough to give rise to a reasonable
apprehension that grievous hurt would be i_nflicted to the accused.

       Section 97· IPC recognises right of a person not only to defend his G
own or another's body but to defend his own or another's property even
against an attempt to inflict any offensive act as against the property. It is
now well-settled that the rule of retreat which Common Law Courts
espoused is not relevant under the Indian Penal Code. If a man's property
is in imminent danger of being impaired or attacked he has the right to H
    170                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1996] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A   resort to such measures as would be reasonably necessary to thwart the
    attempt lo protect his property. lnlai Dev v. State of Punjab, (1963) 1 Cr!.
    L.J. 495 =AIR 1963 SC 612, this Court has observed that in India there is
    no rule which expects a man to run away when confronted with a situation
    where he can exercise his right of private defence.
B
          No doubt Section 103 IPC, which deals with right of private defence
    as against an act which might be mischief or theft or criminal trespass,
    conditions that there should be reasonable apprehension that death or
    grievous hurt would otherwise be the consequence. But that provision deals
    with the farthest extent of the right of private defence as against the above
c   three categories of wrong against the property. But a man pitted against
    such wrongs or even against attempts thereof need not wait for exercising
    right of private defence untill the apprehension of death of grievous hurt
    is burgeoned in his mind. Penal Code envisages two measures of right
    private defence. One is the first degree which shall not reach upto causing
D   of death of the wrong doer. The other is the full measure which may go
    upto causing death. Both measures are, however, subjected to the restric-
    tions enumerated in Section 99. Section 104 !PC contains the bridle that
    right of private defence shall not cross the limit of first degree as against
    acts which would remain as theft, mischief or criminal trespass. But Section
E   103 recognises extension of the said right upto the full measure, even as
    against the aforesaid acts but only if such acts or their attempts are capable
    of incub,ting reasonable apprehension in the mind that death or grievous
    hurt would be the consequence if the right is not exercised in such full
    measure.

F         The emerging position is, you have the first degree of right of private
    defence even if the wrong committed or attempted to be committed against
    you is theft or mischief or criminal trespass simplicitor. This right of private
    defence cannot be used to kill the wrong doer unless you have reasonable
    cause to fear that otherwise death or grievous hurt might ensue in which
G   case you have the full measure of right of private defence.

          When the acts of Malpura People amounted to mischief, appellants
    had a right of private defence the thwart to same. In the course of exercise
    of such right appellants who gunned down the mischief-makers have ob-
H   viously acted far in excess of the right of private defence. Nonetheless the
           MAHABIR CHOUDHARY v. STATE[THOMAS,J.]                       171

first degree of right of private defence cannot be denied to them.            A
       We are, therefore, of the view that the High Court was in error in
holding that appellants had no right of private defence at any stage. Trial
Court was correct in its approach regarding that aspect of the matter. We,
therefore, allow these appeals and set aside the Judgment of the High
Court. The conviction and sentence passed by the Session Court will           B
stand.

R.A.                                                     Appeals allowed.