For what was Govinda, the accused in the famous case of Reg v. Govinda (1876), 1 Bombay 342, punished?

Reg v Govinda held the particular fatal assault to be culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The intended fist injury was likely to cause death, but the court found neither intent to kill nor injury sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death. The court ordered conviction on that basis and transportation for seven years; it did not acquit or retain the murder conviction.

Current law: The historical holding remains the answer. BNS sections 100 and 101 now address culpable homicide and murder; section 105 supplies the non-murder homicide punishment, with IPC savings for earlier conduct.