Criminal Law – Section 34 IPC – Common Intention – The appeals arose from a brutal multiple murder of a family of six, including infants – A1 and A2 were sentenced to death and A3 acquitted by the High Court – Supreme Court upheld convictions of A1 and A2, while affirming acquittal of A3 – Held: To invoke Section 34 IPC, there must be participation in furtheranc...
Criminal Law – Appeal against Reversal of Acquittal – Two-Views Rule Reaffirmed – High Court reversed acquittal for murder; SC found prosecution evidence riddled with omissions, improvements, contradictions (FIR timing/fitness, non-mention of injuries, non-examination of injured eyewitness), and credible defence of contemporaneous cross-case with injuries to DW – Held: tria...
Criminal Law – Murder, Attempt to Murder, Hurt, Robbery – Sections 302, 307, 324, 394 read with Section 34 IPC – Acquittal Restored – The appellants, along with others, were charged under Sections 148, 302, 307, 324, 394 IPC – The trial court acquitted them giving cogent reasons, doubting prosecution evidence and reliability of witnesses – The High Court reverse...
Criminal Law - Dowry Death – Section 304B IPC – Conviction Restored – High Court’s Acquittal Reversed – Accused married deceased after original groom failed to appear; marriage took place based on dowry demand of ₹10,000 and 3 sovereigns of gold – Part dowry paid; remaining balance due – Deceased subjected to harassment for balance dowry amount shortly b...
Criminal Law – Rajasthan Sati (Prevention) Act – Offences Under Sections 5 and 6(3) Are Distinct – High Court’s View Overruled – Held: Section 5 penalises acts glorifying Sati per se; Section 6(3) penalises violation of prohibitory order issued under Sections 6(1) or 6(2) – Offences under both sections are separate in ingredients, scope, and object – Secti...
Criminal Law – Murder – Acquittal of Wife – Conviction of Paramour and Accomplice – Extramarital affair led to the murder of Army personnel by his wife (A1) and her paramour (A2) with help of associates (A3, A4) – Trial court convicted A1 and A2 and acquitted A3 and A4 – High Court convicted A3 and A4 as well – Supreme Court set aside conviction of A1 due ...
Criminal Law – TIP - Identification Evidence – Delay in Court Identification – Section 9 of Evidence Act – Conviction Upheld – Appellant convicted for terrorist attack resulting in multiple deaths and injuries – Main challenge was to reliability of in-court identification by PW37 and PW38 after a lapse of 7–8 years – No test identification parade hel...
Criminal Law – Bail – Land Dispute – Delay in FIR – Petitioners alleged to have threatened and criminally intimidated complainant over land pooling – Multiple incidents reported with significant delays (up to 68 days) – Held: Delay in filing FIR and complainant’s own criminal antecedents cast doubt on veracity – Bail granted [Paras 5, 14, 15, 19].
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NDPS – Conscious Possession – Sections 15, 35, 54, 50 NDPS; Section 313 CrPC – Conviction Affirmed; Appeal Dismissed – Accused apprehended while sitting atop gunny bags containing poppy husk; physical possession proved, triggering presumption of conscious possession under Sections 35 & 54—no rebuttal by accused – Section 50 inapplicable since no personal sea...
Right of Complainant – Hearing in Quashing Proceedings – Sections 173(2), 302 CrPC – Denial of Hearing Set Aside – The appellant sought to be heard in a petition filed by the accused for quashing proceedings initiated on his complaint – The High Court refused, holding the complainant has no right post-cognizance – Held: A complainant is not divested of locus aft...