Summary
The State challenged acquittals in a circumstantial murder and robbery case relying on last-seen evidence and recoveries. The Supreme Court found material contradictions in the recovery accounts, including identification of valuables before their stated recovery, and upheld the High Court’s acquittals.
Issues
- Whether last-seen evidence and disputed recoveries justified reversing the respondents’ acquittals.
Held
- The taxi-stand witnesses established only that the deceased was last seen with the accused. The garage owner’s account of leaving the car for repairs materially conflicted with the police account of its seizure as abandoned elsewhere. (¶¶ 5, 6)
- Identification of the valuables was said to predate their recovery according to the investigating officer. Those inconsistencies cast serious doubt on the alleged recoveries and the prosecution case. (¶ 7)
- No serious or substantial error or compelling reason was shown to disturb the acquittals founded on those contradictions. (¶ 8)
Result
State’s appeals dismissed; acquittals of the respondents upheld.