For the Appellants : Mr. Mohammad Fardish, Advocate
For the Respondent : Ms. Sarita Moharana, ASC
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE SHRI JUSTICE SIBO SANKAR MISHRA
Date of Hearing: 12.08.2025 :: Date of Judgment: 19.08.2025
S.S. Mishra, J. On a quiet day in the year 1995, a household was
touched not by joy or laughter, but by an act of cruelty so sudden and
senseless that it stilled a life before it had even learned to smile. The
victim was an infant, just two months old whose world was no larger
than the warmth of her mother’s arms and the simple rhythm of her own
breath. In that sanctuary, where every child ought to be safest, the
accused-appellant, in the heat of a trifling quarrel, struck the child with
a stick and alas, the fragile life slipped away while still cradled in her
mother’s embrace. The trial court, years ago, found the accused guilty of
this act, yet the shadow of finality has not yet fallen; for this appeal,
pending for nearly three decades, stands as a silent testament to the long
journey of justice. Time may have blurred the voices of witnesses and
dimmed the vividness of memory, but the weight of a young life lost
remains unchanged, pressing upon the conscience of this Court as it now
turns to decide this appeal.