As per case facts, a quarrel erupted between the accused and the deceased over an impounded sheep. During the argument, the deceased was injured and fell, after which the accused ... inflicted a fatal blow to his neck. The accused initially claimed false implication, then argued private defence. Both lower courts rejected private defence and convicted for murder under Section 302 IPC, leading to this appeal.The question arose whether the accused's actions truly constituted private defence, or if the murder conviction was appropriate, particularly as the fatal blow occurred after the deceased had already fallen, potentially warranting a lesser charge under the IPC.Finally, the Supreme Court observed the lack of premeditation and the sudden nature of the quarrel, fitting the case under Exception IV to Section 300 IPC. The Court concluded that the accused had exceeded the right of private defence. Therefore, the conviction was altered from Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part I IPC. Considering the socio-economic background of both parties and the spur-of-the-moment incident over a minor dispute, the Court reduced the custodial sentence to 10 years.