E-Paper
Man sentenced to one-year RI for attacking neighbour with axe
The incident took place around 9:45 pm on June 3, 2021, when the victim Pooja Thakur, 21, of Ram Darbar had gone for a walk. She was accompanied by Sunita and Nandini.
The sessions court has sentenced a resident of Phase 2 Ram Darbar to one year and nine months of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹3,000 for hitting his neighbour with an axe in 2021.
The convict is Som Pal alias Appa, 25.
The incident took place around 9:45 pm on June 3, 2021, when the victim Pooja Thakur, 21, of Ram Darbar had gone for a walk. She was accompanied by Sunita and Nandini.
The accused, who was her neighbour got into a heated exchange with the victim over some issue, following which he went into his house and came back with an axe and attacked her. He was aiming for her head but it hit her left shoulder. She raised the alarm following which people started gathering and called the police. The victim was taken to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, for treatment, and the accused was arrested.
On his disclosure, the axe was recovered and taken into police custody. During trial, Pal claimed he was implicated as he had an old enmity with her father. He alleged that her father had stabbed him and an FIR was also registered against him in 2017. He alleged that the father had already implicated him in a false case in 2017 and he had done this again in the present case.
The prosecution examined eight witnesses, including the victim whose testimony was corroborated by three doctors and other formal witnesses including the IO.
The defence also argued that the statements of the two-three other women who were with the victim at the time of the incident was not taken and the injury on the victim could also be self-inflicted.
The court of sessions judge Arunvir Vashista observed that the statement of the injured cannot be brushed aside lightly and convincing evidence is required to discredit an injured witness.
The court further observed that the motive is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. If previous enmity and background of litigation between the parties could be a motive for false implication of accused, it could also be a motive at the same time for the occurrence.
While the case was registered by the police under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the court observed that the charges against the accused were proven under Section 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) only and convicted him.
