LAW FOR ALL

rigor mortis may commence in an hour to two and begin to disappear within 18 to 24 hours. Therefore, the learned Additional Sessions Judge has held that broadly speaking the faster the rigor mortis appears, the shorter the time it persists and further has rightly made observation that rigor mortis will be present in some parts of legs of the dead body. According to the medical officer PW8 there is no question of the time of death of the deceased. It must have preceded more than 24 hours which is the maximum limit for disappearance of rigor mortis. The said view of the medical officer PW8 was found fault with by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and held that he has not correctly deposed in his cross- may commence in an hour to two and begin to disappear within 18 to 24 hours. Therefore, the learned Additional Sessions Judge has held that broadly speaking the faster the rigor mortis appears, the shorter the time it persists and further has rightly made observation that rigor mortis will be present in some parts of legs of the dead body. According to the medical officer PW8 there is no question of the time of death of the deceased. It must have preceded more than 24 hours which is the maximum limit for disappearance of rigor mortis. The said view of the medical officer PW8 was found fault with by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and held that he has not correctly deposed in his cross- examination regarding the time lapse of a dead person. He has extended the time for rigor mortis to be 30 to 36 hours and further rightly held that PW8 the medical officer, has deposed in his evidence contrary to the rule of medical jurisprudence. Therefore, the learned Additional Session Judge has rightly held in the impugned judgment the same cannot be the basis for the defence to acquit the accused. The claim by the appellant that the deceased has been killed in the early morning of 16.07.1996 and the allegation that the accused has been falsely implicated in the case has been rightly rejected by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and the same has been concurred with by the High Court by assigning the valid and cogent reasons in the impugned judgment.