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The State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raja etc.

Criminal Appeal · 2018 INSC 771Decided 30 Aug 2018
Criminal Appeal Nos. 396-398 of 2015
Justice R. Banumathi · Justice Vineet Saran

Background

A man named Shabu was shot dead and his brother Riyazuddin was injured while taking cattle for grazing, allegedly by three accused including Raja, over an exhortation to kill them. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC based substantially on the eyewitness testimony of the complainant Imamuddin, the deceased's other brother. On appeal, the Allahabad High Court doubted Imamuddin's presence at the scene and the trustworthiness of his evidence, citing his unusual conduct as a practising lawyer and municipal member, and also noted the complete absence of bullet holes in the deceased's clothing despite a chest-penetrating gunshot wound, and acquitted all the accused. The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed this acquittal to the Supreme Court.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court examined the same inconsistencies the High Court had relied upon, the witness's implausible conduct, his unexplained absence of urgency in helping the injured, and the physical improbability of a gunshot wound with no corresponding holes in the clothing, and agreed that these genuinely raised a reasonable doubt about the prosecution's version. The Court held that the High Court's view did not suffer from any serious or substantial error that would justify interference, since the extension of benefit of doubt was properly reasoned. The appeals were accordingly dismissed, affirming the acquittal.

Lesson Learnt

An appellate court will not re-open an acquittal merely because the State disagrees with it: it will only interfere if the reasoning below reveals a serious legal error, and physical/forensic inconsistencies (such as missing bullet holes) can be decisive in creating reasonable doubt even against seemingly direct eyewitness testimony.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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