The Supreme Court of India acquitted four accused persons convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code in a case dating back to 1990 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The Court overturned the convictions and life sentences upheld by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, citing significant contradictions and inherent improbabilities in the prosecution’s key eyewitness testimonies.
The incident involved the fatal assault of deceased, son of the informant, allegedly by a group of ten men engaged in politically motivated violence and hut destruction at Chak village. Key eyewitnesses whose testimonies were pivotal to the conviction, gave conflicting accounts regarding the place and genesis of the attack, presence of other witnesses, and sequence of events. The first informant and other material witnesses turned hostile or departed from initial statements, further undermining prosecution credibility.
The Court highlighted significant discrepancies between the site inspection plan and testimonies, including shifts in the alleged crime scene and contradictory narratives on who was armed and present.
Drawing on established principles that the quality, not quantity, of evidence is key, the Supreme Court reiterated that contradictions regarding the origin and manner of the incident diminish the evidentiary value to the point of creating reasonable doubt. The Court held that such gaps necessitate acquittal, as it is unsafe to rely on inconsistent testimony for convictions carrying the death penalty or life sentences.
Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court extended the benefit of its acquittal judgment to co-accused who had not appealed. The accused were ordered immediate release if no other charges are pending.