Tag: Reasonable Doubt

“Demand & Acceptance” Not Proved: Supreme Court Acquits Official in Anti-Corruption Case
13Jan By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

“Demand & Acceptance” Not Proved: Supreme Court Acquits Official in Anti-Corruption Case

The Supreme Court reiterated the established principle that an appellate court should not reverse an acquittal unless the trial court’s view is perverse or based on a manifest misreading of evidence. The prosecution must prove the foundational facts of demand and acceptance of a bribe beyond reasonable doubt, and mere recovery of money is insufficient for conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, an Assistant Commissioner of Labour, was accused of demanding a bribe of ₹9,000 from a labour contractor for renewing three licences. The prosecution alleged that a partial payment of ₹3,000 was made on 25.09.1997, with the balance demanded the next day. The complainant reported this to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which laid a trap on 26.09.1997. ...
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Supreme Court Overturns Life Sentences, Grants Benefit of Doubt in 1990 Murder Case
2Jan By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Overturns Life Sentences, Grants Benefit of Doubt in 1990 Murder Case

The Supreme Court acquitted the accused-appellant and three co-convicts, finding the prosecution's eyewitness testimonies wholly unreliable and contradictory regarding the genesis and location of the incident. The Court held that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt, warranting the benefit of doubt under Article 142 of the Constitution. Facts Of The Case: The case stems from an incident on 28th September 1990, where an altercation allegedly occurred in a village involving ten accused persons. According to the FIR lodged by Gobariya (PW-2), the incident began when the accused were damaging a temporary hutment belonging to Jagya (PW-3). Gobariya's son, Ramesh, intervened to pacify them, upon which the assailants allegedly turned on him and assaul...
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Evidence Wholly Unreliable: Supreme Court Overturns High Court’s Conviction for Power Pilferage
24Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Evidence Wholly Unreliable: Supreme Court Overturns High Court’s Conviction for Power Pilferage

The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the use of "artificial means" for electricity theft under Section 39 of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, which is necessary to invoke the statutory presumption against the consumer. The evidence was deemed insufficient, speculative, and not beyond reasonable doubt to establish offences under Sections 39 or 44. Facts Of The Case: Officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) detected a 36.6% discrepancy between supplied units and meter readings at M/s. Rushi Steels and Alloys Pvt. Ltd. in March 1993. An inspection revealed three holes in the company's meter box. The prosecution alleged that unauthorized wires were inserted through these holes to slow the meter and steal electricity, ca...
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Supreme Court Acquits Man in POCSO Death Penalty Case Citing Procedural Flaws
23Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Acquits Man in POCSO Death Penalty Case Citing Procedural Flaws

This Supreme Court judgment sets aside the appellant's conviction and death sentence, holding that the trial was vitiated due to a denial of fair trial rights, including inadequate legal representation and failure to provide documents. The prosecution's circumstantial evidence—last seen, CCTV footage, disclosure statements, and DNA reports—was found unreliable and unproven beyond reasonable doubt. Facts Of The Case: A seven-year-old girl went missing on February 5, 2017, from her residence in Chengalpet, Tamil Nadu, while her parents were out shopping. After an unsuccessful search, a missing persons report was filed. Investigations, including reviewing CCTV footage from a nearby temple, led the police to suspect the appellant, Dashwanth, a neighbour residing in the same building. He was ...
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The “Unlawful Assembly” Test: Supreme Court Explains When Mere Presence at a Crime Scene Isn’t Enough
4Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

The “Unlawful Assembly” Test: Supreme Court Explains When Mere Presence at a Crime Scene Isn’t Enough

This Supreme Court judgment clarifies that mere presence in a crowd does not automatically constitute membership in an unlawful assembly under Section 149 IPC. To establish constructive liability, the prosecution must prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that each accused shared the common object of the assembly, distinguishing active participants from passive bystanders. Conviction requires cogent and consistent evidence linking the individual to the assembly's objective. Facts Of The Case: On 20 November 1988, at around 8:00 AM, informant Jagdish Mahato (PW-20) and his brother Meghu Mahato went to inspect their settled agricultural land in Baharkhal, Bihar. They allegedly found a large mob of 400-500 persons from the neighboring village of Mahila, many armed with weapons like guns, spears, ...
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Property Dispute & Unreliable Witnesses: Why Supreme Court Threw Out a Murder Conviction
1Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Property Dispute & Unreliable Witnesses: Why Supreme Court Threw Out a Murder Conviction

This Supreme Court judgment underscores the stringent standards for convicting based on circumstantial evidence, as established in Sharad Birdhichand Sarda. The Supreme Court found the prosecution failed to conclusively prove homicide, motive, or the appellant's exclusive residence with the deceased. The recovery evidence was discredited, and the medical testimony created reasonable doubt, leading to acquittal. Facts Of The Case: The case involves the death of Sunanda (also known as Nanda Gitte) in Talani village. On July 22, 2010, police received information about a doubtful death and found Sunanda's body about to be cremated in an open field. The police intervention halted the rites, and upon inspection, they found a strangulation mark on her neck and an injury on the back of her s...
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How a Missing TIP and a Delayed FIR Led to Acquittal: Breaking Down a Supreme Court Judgment
27Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

How a Missing TIP and a Delayed FIR Led to Acquittal: Breaking Down a Supreme Court Judgment

The Supreme Court acquitted the accused, ruling the prosecution failed to establish a complete chain of circumstantial evidence. The Court found the testimonies of key witnesses unreliable, the "last seen" theory inapplicable due to a long time gap, and the absence of a Test Identification Parade for strangers fatal to the case, creating reasonable doubt. Facts Of The Case: The case concerns the tragic death of ten-year-old Muntiyaz Ali, who went missing on the morning of June 5, 2007, after going to his family's mango orchard. His father, Nanhe Khan, discovered the boy's lifeless body the next morning near a pit on their land. The body was found with a rope around its neck, hands tied behind the back, and a blood-stained axe lying nearby. Khan filed a police report suspecting six ...
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Why the Accused Were Freed: Supreme Court Explains Legal Holes in Prosecution’s Murder Conspiracy Case
27Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Why the Accused Were Freed: Supreme Court Explains Legal Holes in Prosecution’s Murder Conspiracy Case

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's acquittal, emphasizing the prosecution's failure to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The evidence presented, including motive, last seen theory, and recoveries, was found unreliable, inconclusive, and legally inadmissible. The Court reiterated that appellate interference in an acquittal is unwarranted unless the judgment is perverse or based on a misreading of evidence. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from the murder of Shri Suresh Sharma, whose body was discovered on January 23, 2006, with his hands tied and visible signs of strangulation. The prosecution's case was that the respondents, Bhanwar Singh, Hemlata, and Narpat Choudhary, conspired to kill the deceased due to various motives. It was alleged that Hemlata and her husband Na...
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Dead Body in House Isn’t Enough: Supreme Court Overturns Murder Conviction in Loan Dispute Case
10Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Dead Body in House Isn’t Enough: Supreme Court Overturns Murder Conviction in Loan Dispute Case

In a case based solely on circumstantial evidence, the Supreme Court acquitted the accused, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish an unbroken chain of circumstances pointing exclusively to their guilt. The Court found the evidence—including motive, recovery of weapons, and extra-judicial confessions made in a police station—to be unreliable, insufficient, and lacking credible corroboration to sustain a conviction. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from the brutal murder of a police driver on the night of 10th-11th March 2006. The prosecution alleged that the murder was instigated by a fellow policeman, A1, due to his inability to repay a loan of ₹1 lakh to the deceased. The deceased was lured to the house of A1 and A2 (A1's wife) on the false pretext of repaying the debt. ...
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Supreme Court’s Landmark Ruling :The Problem with Extra-Judicial Confessions
23Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court’s Landmark Ruling :The Problem with Extra-Judicial Confessions

The Supreme Court acquitted the accused, holding that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The conviction, based on extra-judicial confession and circumstantial evidence, was unsustainable as the confessions were unreliable and the circumstantial chain was incomplete, violating the principles established in Sharad Birdhichand Sarda. The benefit of doubt was accorded to the appellant. Facts Of The Case: Neelam Kumari, the appellant, was convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of her infant son. The prosecution's case was that on December 8, 2006, after returning with her husband, Nikku Ram, from his ancestral village, she was left alone with the child at their home in village Nand. When Nikku Ram returned later that evening, both the a...
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