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ALIJAN NANHE PEHALWAN QURESHI
v.
ST ATE OF MAHARASHTRA
November 10, 1980
[V. R. KRISHNA IYER & A. D. KOSHAL, JJ]
Procedure-High Court's judgment-In cases where severe 5entl'11ce had
been inflicted by the trial court, High Court must give a reasoned judgment.
In so serious a crime as murder where so severe a sentence as life
imprisonment has been inflicted by the trial court and the appeai is as of
right, the High Court must indicate in a reasoned judgment that it has applied
its mind to the material questions of fact and Jaw.
A judgment may be brief
but not a blank especially in a situation such as this. [1194 F-G]
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION :
Special Leave Petition
(Crl.) No. 1620 of l.980.
From the Judgment and Order dated 13-11-1979 of the Bombay
High Court in Criminal Appeal No 1310 of 1979.
Pramod Swarup for the Petitioner.
M. C. Bhandare and M. N. Shroff for the Respondenr.
The Order of the Court was delivered by
KRISHNA lyER J.-We were not happy at the disposal by the
• High Court of a case under s. 302 I.P.C. without a speaking order.
After all in so serious a crime as murder, where so severe a sentence
as life imprisonment has been inflicted by the trial court and the ap·
peal is· as of right, the High Court must indicate in a reasoned judg-
ment that it has applied its mind to the material questions of fact
and law.
A judgment may be brief but not a blank, especially in a
situation such as this.
For this reason we should have straightaway
set aside the judgment of the High Court and sent .it back for fresh
hearing, but under Artide 136 where justice is the paramount consi-
deration we wanted to reduce the delay in the proceedings since there
is a sentence of life imprisonment on the petitioner so we directed
that the original record be sent for so that counsel on both sides may
_ _j
ALIJAN NANHE PEHALWAN QURESHI V. MAHARASHTRA
l.1!9JS
(Krishna Iyer, !.)
have the opportunity to peruse the entire case records and
make
submissions to us as if we were hearing the appeal in the regular
course.
Counsel have had that facility and have made submissions
after perusal of the materials. After a brief hearing counsel for the
petitioner was unable to demonstrate that the trial court's judgment
was vitrated by any flaw in appreciation of evidence or assessment
of probabilities.
We, therefore, dismiss the Special Leave Petition
after satisfying ourselves that natural just.ice has had its full
play.
Dismissed.
P.B.R.
Petition dismissed .
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