Supreme Court of India Judgements

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Category: Circumstantial Evidence

Acquittal Circumstantial Evidence

Penal Code, 1860 — Sections 302, 307 and 201 — Murder of mother, wife, and daughter, and the attempt to murder of neighbor — Circumstantial Evidence — The main issue was whether the appellant was guilty of the murders and attempted murder, and whether the death penalty was warranted — The appellant argued that the evidence, particularly the testimony of the injured neighbor, was unreliable and that the recoveries of the hammer and clothes were not credible — The State argued that the evidence, including the neighbor’s testimony and the recoveries, proved the appellant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt — The Supreme Court found the testimony of the neighbor unreliable due to contradictions and delayed recording — The recoveries were also deemed not credible — The Court emphasized that suspicion, however strong, cannot replace proof beyond reasonable doubt — The evidence did not conclusively prove the appellant’s guilt — The Court referred to established principles for conviction based on circumstantial evidence, highlighting the need for a complete chain of evidence excluding any hypothesis of innocence — The Supreme Court set aside the conviction and death sentence, directing the appellant to be released if not required in any other case.

Oct 21, 2024 sclaw

2024 INSC 788 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH VISHWAJEET KERBA MASALKAR — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and K.V.…

Circumstantial Evidence I P C

Circumstantial evidence, it’s essential to establish a complete chain of circumstances to prove the accused’s guilt and rule out alternative explanations – Sustaining a conviction based on incomplete evidence is deemed unsafe – Additionally, the legal presumption favors the accused, and in cases of doubt, the benefit goes to the accused, not the prosecution

Sep 23, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH R. SREENIVASA — Appellant Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA — Respondent ( Before : Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 859…

Acquittal CBI Circumstantial Evidence

Murder – Acquittal – circumstances found proved do not constitute a chain so far complete as to indicate that in all human probability it were the accused persons and no one else who committed the crime – In such a situation, there was no option for the trial court but to extend the benefit of doubt to the accused – Order of acquittal upheld – Appeal dismissed.

Jul 20, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION — Appellant Vs. SHYAM BIHARI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B. V. Nagarathna and Manoj Misra, JJ. )…

Acquittal Circumstantial Evidence

Circumstantial evidence – they must exclude all hypotheses consistent with the innocence of the accused and inconsistent with his guilt – Incriminating circumstances were not proved beyond reasonable doubt and otherwise also the circumstance of last seen was inconclusive – Appeal dismissed.

Jul 18, 2023 sclaw

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF PUNJAB — Appellant Vs. KEWAL KRISHAN — Respondent ( Before : B.V. Nagarathna and Manoj Misra, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 2128…

Circumstantial Evidence

Circumstantial evidence–Whether a chain is complete or not would depend on the facts of each case emanating from the evidence and no universal yardstick should ever be attempted. Circumstantial evidence–In such case, motive plays an important role, but absence of motive would not dislodge entire prosecution case.

Oct 22, 2017 sclaw

  2008(1) Law Herald (SC) 29 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Appeal (crl.) 1044 of…

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Constitution Service

Classification of Military casualties and the eligibility for Liberalised Family Pension — Battle Casualty —Illness Caused by Extreme Climatic Conditions as Battle Casualty — The Court establishes that a soldier’s death due to illness resulting from extreme climatic conditions while on duty near a sensitive border area (such as the Line of Control) can be categorized as a ‘Battle Casualty’ — This expands the interpretation of what constitutes a battle casualty under military regulations. – Liberalised Family Pension (LFP) — Application of Category E (f) — The judgment clarifies that deaths occurring in war-like situations, including those near international borders or lines of control due to environmental stresses, fall under clause (f) of category E of the relevant military order — This broadens the scope of eligibility for LFP under such circumstances.

Dec 8, 2024 sclaw
Constitution

Temple Bye Laws — Oachira Parabrahma Temple — Ancient structure without a building or deity, governed by Bye-laws with three-tier elected committees — Appellants, elected Secretary and President, challenged two High Court orders (2020 and 2023) that removed their committee and appointed an unelected one under an Administrative Head, citing violations of the temple’s Bye-laws and customs —Legality of appointing an unelected committee and removing the elected one contrary to the temple’s Bye-laws — Petitioner argues that the High Court overstepped its jurisdiction and violated the temple’s governance structure by appointing an unelected committee and removing the elected one without proper legal basis — The High Court’s actions were necessary for the efficient administration of the temple until a scheme could be framed and new elections held — The Supreme Court modified the High Court orders, appointing a new retired Judge as Administrative Head to conduct fair elections within four months, while directing all parties to cooperate — The Court emphasized the need to preserve temple properties and governance as per established customs and laws — The Supreme Court struck down the High Court’s order appointing an unelected committee, appointed a new Administrative Head to conduct elections, and directed all parties to cooperate, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the temple’s established governance structure and Bye-laws.

Dec 8, 2024 sclaw
Acquittal

Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 27 — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 384, 364, 302 and 201 — Murder — Circumstantial Evidence — The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant of murder charges as the prosecution failed to prove the crucial link of the accused’s disclosure leading to the discovery of skeletal remains under Section 27 and the DNA evidence was also found to be inconclusive due to lack of proper collection of samples. – Proof of Disclosure Statements under Section 27 — Voluntariness and Uninfluenced Nature — The Court reiterates that the information provided by an accused under Section 27 must be voluntary and uninfluenced by threat, duress, or coercion.

Dec 8, 2024 sclaw
Acquittal

Arms Act, 1959 — Sections 25, 54 and 59 — Buttondar knife — Specific Intent Required — The court clarifies that mere possession of a knife covered by a notification like the DAD Notification is not sufficient to constitute an offense under the Arms Act — There must be specific intent to use it for the prohibited purposes such as “manufacture, sale, or possession for sale or test.” – The prosecution must clearly allege and prove the intent of the accused to use the weapon for the specified prohibited purposes — Absence of such allegation in the charge-sheet renders the proceedings defective.

Dec 8, 2024 sclaw