SUKHAN RAUT & ORS vs STATE OF BIHAR

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellants under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC, affirming that the common object of the unlawful assembly was to dispossess the deceased, which led to the murder. The Court clarified that the appellants were presumed to be aware of the likelihood of murder occurring as a consequence of their common object. The appeals against their life sentences were dismissed, reinforcing the principle that participation in an unlawful assembly with a common object can lead to liability for murder even if the ultimate act was not explicitly intended.