For ten years, the father of the accused held the position of tehbazari in a vegetable market.

For ten years, the father of the accused held the position of

tehbazari in a vegetable market. He lost to the deceased in a particular

tender. The accused’s father went to the market the day of the event to

buy a basket of melons. The deceased refused to sell it, claiming that

another purchaser already had it marked. There were heated

exchanges during which the deceased asserted his dominance and

declared that his word was final, calling himself the thakedar of the

market. This display of power offended the accused’s father, who

stormed out in a fury. An hour later, the accused’s father came back

with his three boys, one of whom was the accused. The accused had a

rifle, the accused’s father had a knife, and the other two brothers each

had a lathi. They issued a challenge to determine whose authority

controlled the marketplace. The accused shot the deceased dead at

close range after taking him by surprise. The defence argued that

there was an unforeseen argument between the deceased and the

accused’s father that took the form of grappling at the time the

accused walked to the market with his father and brothers. The

accused’s father was lathed by the deceased’s servants, and it was this

beating that drove the accused to defend his father with a rifle. What

is the criminal liability of the accused(s), i.e. the father, son of father,

the two brothers and the deceased servants?