Supreme Court of India Judgements

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Category: Acquittal

Acquittal Narcotics

(NDPS) – Section 52A – Disposal of contraband – Mere fact that the samples were drawn in the presence of a gazetted officer is not sufficient compliance of the mandate of subsection (2) of Section 52A of the NDPS Act- No evidence has been brought on record to the effect that the procedure prescribed under subsections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 52A of the NDPS Act was followed while making the seizure and drawing sample such as preparing the inventory and getting it certified by the Magistrate – No evidence has also been brought on record that the samples were drawn in the presence of the Magistrate and the list of the samples so drawn were certified by the Magistrate – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed.

Oct 15, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH YUSUF @ ASIF — Appellant Vs. STATE — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 3191…

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302 and 201 read with Section 34 – Murder – Acquittal – Lack of proper test identification parade – Non-examination of key eyewitness who was present when the accused and deceased were last seen together – It becomes very doubtful as the accused was shown to the witness in the office of the Superintendent of Police, only with a view to see that he identifies the accused in the court – This procedure is not known to law – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed.

Oct 15, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOHD. RIJWAN — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HARYANA — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 302 – Murder – Acquittal – Judgment of acquittal can be reversed by the Appellate Court only when there is perversity and not by taking a different view on reappreciation of evidence – If the conclusion of the Trial Court is plausible one, merely because another view is possible on reappreciation of evidence, the Appellate Court should not disturb the findings of acquittal and substitute its own findings to convict the accused – Conviction and sentence set-aside – Appeal allowed.

Sep 28, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RUPESH MANGER (THAPA) — Appellant Vs. STATE OF SIKKIM — Respondent ( Before : J.B. Pardiwala and Prashant Kumar Mishra, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Acquittal

When there is similar or identical evidence of eyewitnesses against two accused by ascribing them the same or similar role, the Court cannot convict one accused and acquit the other – In such a case, the cases of both the accused will be governed by the principle of parity – This principle means that the Criminal Court should decide like cases alike, and in such cases, the Court cannot make a distinction between the two accused, which will amount to discrimination – Conviction and sentence set-aside – Appeal allowed.

Sep 28, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH JAVED SHAUKAT ALI QURESHI — Appellant Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Sanjay Karol, JJ. ) Criminal…

Acquittal

In this case, the appellant and the deceased were in a romantic relationship – However, when the deceased stopped communicating with the appellant, the appellant became upset – There was an altercation between them, witnessed by the deceased’s mother – conviction under Section 302 of the IPC is alter to Section 304 part II, and the appellant is sentenced to the period of imprisonment already served – If not needed in any other case, the appellant shall be released immediately – Appeal partly allowed.

Sep 19, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH N. RAMKUMAR — Appellant Vs. THE STATE REP. BY INSPECTOR OF POLICE — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar, JJ.…

Acquittal Dying Declaration

There is no hard and fast rule for determining when a dying declaration should be accepted; the duty of the Court is to decide this question in the facts and surrounding circumstances of the case and be fully convinced of the truthfulness of the same – although the accused has been named in the two dying declarations as a person who set the room on fire yet the surrounding circumstances render such statement of the declarants very doubtful – Appellant directed to be released – Appeal allowed.

Aug 27, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH IRFAN @ NAKA — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai, J.B. Pardiwala and Prashant Kumar Mishra,…

Acquittal

Murder – Acquittal – Case of prosecution is entirely based on the extra-judicial confession – for the reasons recorded, it is not possible to accept the case of the prosecution which is entirely based on the extra-judicial confession made by the appellant – Thus, there was no legal evidence on record to convict the appellant.

Aug 26, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOORTHY — Appellant Vs. STATE OF TAMIL NADU — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Sanjay Karol, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.975…

Acquittal

Acquittal – Criminal conspiracy and dishonestly receiving stolen property – Sole connecting evidence that the recovery based on disclosure statements of accused, along with those of the other co-accused but this evidence is not sufficient to qualify as “fact … discovered” within the meaning of Section 27 of Evidence Act, 1872 – Conviction and sentence set-aside – Appeal allowed.

Aug 14, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANOJ KUMAR SONI AND OTHER — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta,…

Acquittal

There is not only a grammatical but a legal distinction between “may be proved” and “must be or should be proved” – Facts so established should be consistent only with the hypothesis of the guilt of the accused, that is to say, they should not be explainable on any other hypothesis except that the accused is guilty – – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed.

Aug 8, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KAMAL — Appellant Vs. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Prashant Kumar Mishra, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 366, 376, 376(2)(g), 342, 506 and 34 – Rape – Acquittal – Clothes of prosecutrix handed over to the police were having stains of semen, however, no scientific evidence was produced to link the same with the accused – Conviction and sentence set aside – Appeal allowed

Aug 6, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH AVTAR SINGH AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB — Respondent ( Before : Hima Kohli and Rajesh Bindal, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

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Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 376 and 313 — Rape — False promise of marriage — Physical relationship with the complainant under the false promise of marriage, leading to her pregnancy and subsequent abortions — Whether the FIR should be quashed based on the allegations and the delay in filing the complaint — The petitioner argued that the relationship was consensual and the delay in filing the FIR undermines the credibility of the allegations — The respondent claimed that the petitioner deceived her with a false promise of marriage, leading to non-consensual physical relations — The Supreme Court quashed the FIR, noting the long-term consensual relationship and the lack of prima facie evidence for rape under Section 376 IPC —The Court emphasized the delay in filing the FIR and the nature of the relationship, which appeared consensual —The Court referred to previous judgments, highlighting the importance of prima facie evidence and the misuse of legal provisions —The FIR and all proceedings based on it were quashed, preventing abuse of the legal process.

Oct 21, 2024 sclaw
Acquittal

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B —Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 — Section 13(2) and 13(1)(d) — Financial misconduct and conspiracy — Whether the High Court was correct in discharging the respondent from the charges of conspiracy and financial misconduct — The CBI argued that the High Court conducted a mini-trial at the charge-framing stage and that there was sufficient suspicion to frame charges against the respondent — The respondent’s counsel argued that the material in the charge sheet did not make out a case against the respondent and that the High Court rightly discharged him —The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision to discharge the respondent, stating that mere suspicion was not enough to frame charges – The Court found that the respondent’s role was limited to signing the memorandum prepared by senior officers and participating in the Management Committee meeting, which approved the proposal — The Court emphasized that the proposal had passed through various committees and that the respondent’s actions did not amount to criminal misconduct — The appeal was dismissed, and the respondent was discharged from the charges — The trial against other accused persons will continue.

Oct 21, 2024 sclaw
Municipal Laws

Patna Municipal Corporation Act, 1951 — Sections 146, 423 and 488(1) — The Patna Municipal Corporation imposed a royalty on advertisements, which was later increased — The respondents challenged this imposition, arguing it was a tax without legislative backing — Whether the royalty imposed by the Corporation was a tax and if it was legally enforceable without legislative sanction — The Corporation argued that the royalty was agreed upon by the parties and was not a tax — They contended that the enhancement of the rate was within their rights — The respondents argued that the imposition was a tax, which required legislative sanction, and the Corporation had no authority to levy it — The Division Bench quashed the enhancement, ruling that the Corporation had no power to impose the tax without legislative backing — The Court found that the royalty was not a tax but a fee agreed upon by the parties — It held that the Corporation’s actions were within the scope of the agreement — The Court distinguished between royalty and tax, emphasizing that royalty is based on an agreement, not statutory provision — The Court upheld the imposition of royalty as per the agreement but noted that the enhancement in rates was not challenged effectively — The judgment of the Division Bench was set aside.

Oct 21, 2024 sclaw
Constitution

Citizenship Act, 1955 — Section 6A — Special provisions as to citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord — The case involves the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955, which grants citizenship to certain migrants from Bangladesh to Assam —The main issues include whether Parliament had the legislative competence to enact Section 6A, and if Section 6A violates Articles 6, 7, 14, 29, and 355 of the Constitution — Petitioners argue that Section 6A is unconstitutional as it conflicts with Articles 6 and 7, adopts unreasonable cut-off dates, and violates Articles 14, 29, and 355 — Respondents contend that Section 6A is within Parliament’s legislative competence under Article 11 and does not violate the Constitution — The judgment addresses the legislative competence of Parliament, the reasonableness of cut-off dates, and the impact on Assamese cultural identity — The court examines the historical context of citizenship provisions, the legislative intent behind Section 6A, and the scope of judicial review under Article 14 — The court analyzes the constitutional provisions on citizenship, the legislative objective of Section 6A, and the balance between legislative intent and constitutional mandates —The court concludes that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act is constitutional and does not violate the cited Articles of the Constitution.

Oct 21, 2024 sclaw