Supreme Court questions Chhattisgarh HC relief in 2021 murder case

The Supreme Court questioned the reduction of Chintamani Patel's murder conviction and issued notices. The scrutiny could result in restoration of the trial court's life sentence.Stock photo used for illustrationNewdelhi,Oct 14, 2026 18:58 ISTThe Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over a Chhattisgarh High Court verdict that reduced the conviction of a man from murder to culpable homicide and cut his life sentence to 10 years.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran issued notices to the state government and the accused, Chintamani alias Chintu Patel, asking why the High Court order should not be set aside and the trial court's murder conviction restored.Referring to the High Court's November 29, 2024 order, the bench said, "Just see the pathetic condition of the high court. The judges don't know what Section 304 Part I and 304 Part II of the IPC are. You expect the judges to appreciate the evidence."Section 304 Part I of the Indian Penal Code deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder when there is an intention to cause death or an injury likely to cause death. Part II applies when a person knows that an act is likely to cause death but has no intention to cause it. Chintamani, through his legal-aid counsel, argued that there was no evidence against him and that the High Court had erred in its findings. Justice Pardiwala told the counsel, "This is not the first judgment of this kind we are coming across. These are all principles of law which law schools teach in the very first year of the academic session itself."The Supreme Court said it would reconsider the matter on its merits. It observed that the High Court had failed to consider the nature of the fatal injuries, the manner in which they were caused, the weapon used and the circumstances that led to the incident. The bench said, "The high court, as usual, in a very slipshod manner and without any understanding of law, partly allowed the appeal by altering the conviction from Section 302 to Section 304 Part II of IPC. It appears the high court overlooked the nature of injuries, weapons used and the genesis of the occurrence."The case concerns the death of Raimoti Patel in February 2021. According to the prosecution, Chintamani, who was drunk, went to her home looking for her son and allegedly assaulted her. She was later found lying in a pool of blood. Before her death, she told her husband that Chintamani had assaulted her.The post-mortem report said Raimoti died from a head injury that caused severe bleeding and shock after force from a hard, blunt object. It described the death as homicidal. After examining the witnesses, the trial court convicted Chintamani of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment in September 2022.While considering Chintamani's bail plea, the High Court examined the case on its merits and concluded that it involved culpable homicide rather than murder. It said the prosecution had not proved any motive or premeditation and that Chintamani was drunk at the time.The High Court said a quarrel had taken place and Chintamani, acting in anger and in the heat of passion, pushed Raimoti, causing her to fall on bricks and suffer wounds to her head and face. It said she died because of continuous bleeding."The appellant did not have any intention to cause death of deceased Raimoti, but by causing such injuries, he must have had the knowledge that such injuries inflicted by him would likely to cause death of deceased Raimoti," the High Court said.It held that the case fell under the exception for an act committed during a sudden fight without premeditation, in the heat of passion and without the accused taking undue advantage or acting in a cruel or unusual manner. The High Court modified the trial court's order, sentenced Chintamani to 10 years and directed him to serve the remaining term.The Supreme Court will now consider whether the High Court's decision reducing the murder conviction and life sentence should be overturned and the trial court's order restored.- Ends