Kumud Ranjan Singh. There is no explanation for non-examination of the natural eye witnesses. The version becomes more doubtful when it is examined in light of his statement that he could not prevent the accused persons as Criminal Appeal No. 1031/2015 and others Page 13 of 26A-6 had threatened him with a pistol. In the FIR, no pistol has been attributed to A-6, whereas in the statement recorded before the Trial Court, this fact was introduced for the first time, which is indicative of improvement. Furthermore, PW18 got it recorded in the FIR that A-6 and others had assaulted him with fists and slaps, but the said fact was not deposed before the Trial Court in his examination in chief. The discrepancy assumes greater seriousness in light of the fact that no pistol has been recovered from any of the accused persons and if the factum of branding of pistol is un-der the cloud of doubt, the entire conduct of PW18 becomes doubtful and unnatural, as he did not try to prevent the accused