Summary
The Court set aside convictions imposed by the High Court after reversal of acquittals in a child-abduction and murder case. Contradictory last-seen testimony, uncertainty about identification and recovery of the body, a substantial time gap and an unreliable alleged extra-judicial confession failed to form a complete chain of circumstances. The trial court’s reasoned acquittals had not warranted reversal.
Issues
- Whether the circumstantial evidence and alleged extra-judicial confession proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
- Whether the High Court was justified in reversing the trial court’s acquittals.
Held
- Every necessary link in circumstantial evidence must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, and the complete chain must exclude a hypothesis consistent with innocence. Suspicion from disconnected circumstances cannot replace proof. (¶¶ 12, 13, 16, 17)
- Material contradictions and unexplained silence undermined the last-seen witnesses. The medical evidence left a substantial interval before death, while identification of the decomposed body and attribution of its recovery to the accused remained unproved. (¶¶ 10, 11, 14, 15)
- An extra-judicial confession requires careful scrutiny for voluntariness, truth and confidence, supported by cogent circumstances. Here, omissions and contradictions about the alleged confession and lack of credible corroboration made it an unsafe foundation for conviction. (¶¶ 18, 19, 20)
- The trial court gave cogent reasons for acquittal. The evidence was inconsistent and did not prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt; the High Court failed to accord proper weight to the reinforced presumption of innocence. (¶ 21)
Result
Appeals allowed. Convictions and sentences arising from FIR No.55/2001 were set aside. The appellants were directed to be released unless lawfully required in another case.