Dead man sentenced to 3-month rigorous imprisonment

Bengaluru, Aug 28: A division bench of the High Court has recalled an earlier order sentencing a dead man to undergo rigorous imprisonment of three months. The recall order came on August 16, 2016, six years after the court had passed the earlier judgement on July 28, 2010.

The information that the accused was dead was not presented to the court when it passed the order in 2010. In its latest order, the court said: "It is a settled position in law that a judgement or an order passed against a dead person is a nullity in law."

Justice to the accused Swamygowda came after 18 years. The original case was against Swamygowda and Basavaraju in 1999. They were charged with attempt to murder, culpable homicide and voluntarily causing grievous hurt. In 2004, the trial court found them not guilty on the first two grounds but convicted them on the last count, sentencing Swamygowda to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and Basavaraj to pay a fine of Rs 3,000.

The prosecution appealed to the HC in 2004 seeking enhancement of the sentence of the two. In 2010, the HC modified the sentence and ordered that both should undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of three months and also pay a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

However, the HC was not informed that Swamygowda had died on March 22, 2008, when the appeal was still pending. The issue came to light that a dead man was sentenced to imprisonment after Swamygowda's wife filed an application earlier this year to recall the 2010 judgement against her husband.

The public prosecutor appearing for the State opposed the recall of the judgement sentencing Swamygowda, submitting that "the Court has no power to alter or review the judgement or final order disposing of a case, after it is signed, except to correct a clerical or arithmetical error."

In its latest judgement recalling the earlier order, the HC said: "the death was not brought to the notice of this Court at the time of disposal of the appeals". As the order against Swamygowda is nullified, the court said it was being recalled. "As this Court had disposed of the appeals without noticing the death of the respondent No.1-Swamygowda, the common judgement dated 28.07.2010 rendered in these appeals as against respondent No.1 is a nullity, and in view of Section 294 of Cr.PC, it requires to be recalled."