State v. Gondia Police Police Sub-Inspector and others
In Sessions Trial No.21/1996 the Additional Sessions Judge, Gondia, convicted seven Gondia City police personnel — PSI (A-1), constables [name withheld], [name withheld] (A-3), [name withheld] (A-4), [name withheld] [name withheld], [name withheld] [name withheld] and [name withheld] [name withheld] — for the custodial torture and death of history-sheeter [name withheld] (taken into custody 7 December 1995, tortured in the Detective Branch room; body burnt and buried in MP, with a decoy passed off as an escapee), sentencing A-2 and A-4 to 7 years RI under IPC s.304-II/34 plus terms under ss.331/330/348/387/201/218 (full names and ranks from the Bombay High Court judgment, Crl Appeals 64-65/71/76-77/88 of 1997). The Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench, Justice A.H. Joshi) confirmed the convictions on 12 July 2011 (except s.201/34); on 25 September 2024 the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict (2024 INSC 734) — acquittal vs confirmation — leaving final appellate outcome pending before a larger bench. Exact trial judgment date not stated in either appellate judgment; 1997 per appeal numbering.
This page documents a trial-court conviction from the cited sources below. It is not a High Court or Supreme Court finding; the conviction may have been appealed. Findings are attributed to the convicting court; this record does not add findings of its own.
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By judgment dated 25 September 2024, the Additional Sessions Judge, Gondia (Sessions Trial No.21/1996) convicted 7 police personnel, namely: Police Sub-Inspector, Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch), Dist. Bhandara (now Gondia); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.409), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.409 per judgment), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.1301), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.735), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (Batch No.997), Police Station Gondia; Police Constable (Batch No.91), Police Station Gondia.
- Register number
- MH 35 CW 0007
- Case reference
- Criminal Appeal Nos. 1614-1618 of 2012; reported in the judgment of the Supreme Court of India
- Court and date
- The Additional Sessions Judge, Gondia (Sessions Trial No.21/1996), 25 September 2024
- Officer(s) at the material time
- Police Sub-Inspector, Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch), Dist. Bhandara (now Gondia); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.409), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.409 per judgment), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.1301), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (P.C.B. No.735), Gondia City Police Station (Detective Branch); Police Constable (Batch No.997), Police Station Gondia; Police Constable (Batch No.91), Police Station Gondia
- Present service status
- Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked
- Section 304 Part II read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 331 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 330 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 348 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 387 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 218 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 202 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract)
- “I would maintain the convictions and sentences of the appellants, as confirmed by the High Court, and dismiss all the appeals.”
- Verdict, sentence and quantum
- Conviction recorded by the trial court. Sentence: A-2 & A-4: 7 yrs RI + Rs.4,000 (s.304-II); A-2/A-3/A-4/A-5: 3 yrs RI + Rs.1,000 (s.331); 1 yr RI + Rs.1,000 (ss.330/348/387); A-3/A-5/A-6/A-7: 3 mo RI + Rs.500 (s.202); A-2..A-7: 1 yr RI + Rs.1,000 (ss.201/218); concurrent
- Present status of the proceedings
- An appeal is pending; the pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
Compiled from the judgment and the cited sources. Findings are those of the court; this card adds none of its own.
Additional Sessions Judge, Gondia (Sessions Trial No.21/1996) convicted the accused police personnel on 25 September 2024. An appeal is pending; initiation or pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
Sentence & charges
Sentence: A-2 & A-4: 7 yrs RI + Rs.4,000 (s.304-II); A-2/A-3/A-4/A-5: 3 yrs RI + Rs.1,000 (s.331); 1 yr RI + Rs.1,000 (ss.330/348/387); A-3/A-5/A-6/A-7: 3 mo RI + Rs.500 (s.202); A-2..A-7: 1 yr RI + Rs.1,000 (ss.201/218); concurrent
Sections: IPC 304 Part II r/w 34; IPC 331 r/w 34; IPC 330 r/w 34; IPC 348 r/w 34; IPC 387 r/w 34; IPC 201 r/w 34; IPC 218 r/w 34; IPC 202 r/w 34
Appeal status
Appeal pending. Appeal text