Arms Act, 1959

The case involved a dispute over agricultural land that led Prakash Dhawal Khairnar (Patil) to murder his brother, mother, sister‑in‑law and five other relatives. The prosecution relied on strong circumstantial evidence—motive, blood‑stained clothing, a shoulder injury, eyewitness identification, and the confessional s…

The State of Uttar Pradesh prosecuted Ilyas and a co-accused for robbery committed with a country-made pistol and knife, during which injuries were inflicted on victims. The trial court, relying on three eye‑witnesses and a test identification parade, convicted both under Section 397 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and …

The appellants were convicted for murder of Harish Bhatia using a 9 mm pistol and a .38 calibre revolver, and were sentenced to death under IPC sections 302/34 and Arms Act section 27(3). The High Court upheld the death sentence, treating the weapons as prohibited arms under the Arms Act based on a government note. The…

A hand grenade attack at a public gathering in Amritsar resulted in three deaths and 22 serious injuries. Bikramjit Singh was arrested, remanded to custody, and after 90 days (which expired on 21‑02‑2019) he applied for default bail; the Sub‑Divisional Judicial Magistrate dismissed the application, claiming he had alre…

The case concerned the murder of Devinder Singh, who was allegedly attacked by three accused wielding hockey sticks and a knife. The prosecution’s case rested primarily on the testimony of Parminder Singh (PW‑1), a brother of the deceased, while the other two eye‑witnesses turned hostile. The Supreme Court examined the…

The appellant, Pratapbhai Hamirbai Solanki, was accused of conspiring to murder an RTI activist and was charged under Sections 302, 201 and 120‑B IPC and Sections 25(1)(b) and 27 of the Arms Act. Bail applications before the Sessions Court and the Gujarat High Court were rejected. After the High Court reserved its judg…

The appellants, members of the Peoples War Group, were convicted for firing at two ex‑members of the group at a hair‑cutting salon, resulting in the death of one victim. The trial court relied on the testimony of four eye‑witnesses who identified the accused under street‑light and shop‑light illumination, and the FIR w…

The State of Rajasthan appealed the Rajasthan High Court’s judgment that acquitted five accused of murder (Sec. 302 IPC) on the ground of private defence and convicted them only under lesser offences. The incident involved a dispute over agricultural land where the accused were found ploughing the complainant’s field; …

The case arose from a dispute over agricultural land in Haryana where three members of the complainant party were killed and others injured when the accused entered the land with ploughs and weapons. The accused claimed they acted in private defence of their property and person. The Supreme Court examined whether the c…

The case arose from the murder of Suresh Narsinh Dubey in 1989, for which Hitendra Vishnu Thakur and others were arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). After a series of investigations, the accused sought bail on the ground that the prosecution had failed to file a charge‑…

The case concerns the murder of Karanjit Singh on 7 February 1995 when accused Gurlabh Singh, on the instruction of co‑accused Rajesh Narang, fired a .12‑bore DBBL gun after stopping a college bus with a gypsy. The trial court convicted both accused under Section 302 IPC (murder) and, for Narang, under Section 29 of th…

The appellant, Rahim Bux, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for murdering his brother-in-law while chasing his brother-in-law with a sword after a quarrel. The appellant argued that he only intended to injure the brother-in-law and that the death of the brother was accidental, seeking to have the conviction altered t…

Manu Sharma was acquitted by the trial court of murder (IPC 302 r/w 201, 120B) and an Arms Act offence, but the Delhi High Court set aside the acquittal, convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. While his appeal against the conviction was pending before the Supreme Court, he filed an application under Sect…

The appellants, Budh Singh and five others, were charged with murdering Ram Gopal and his wife Chatarvati and attempting to murder their son Rajveer Singh over a land dispute. The prosecution’s case relied on an FIR lodged at 00:25 on 13 April 1992, which reached the court on 18 April, and on medical and eyewitness evi…

The case arose from the murder of Tamanna Khatoon, for which her husband Mukhtar filed an FIR against two accused. During investigation, witnesses under Section 164 of the CrPC alleged that Mukhtar himself killed his wife. The CJM took cognizance of the murder and related offences after reviewing the charge‑sheet and s…

The Supreme Court examined the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts case, where 145 persons were charged under the IPC and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The Court clarified the law on criminal conspiracy, holding that knowledge of an illegal use can be inferred when the goods (e.g., RDX) hav…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of two villagers after a violent mob attacked them with bombs and sharp weapons, subsequently burning the bodies. The prosecution alleged that the accused formed an unlawful assembly of five or more persons with a common object to kill the victims, and that each participant …

The case concerned the murder of Rajendra Rajaram Gupta during a Ganesh festival, where the prosecution alleged that two accused opened fire on the victim and an injured eyewitness. The trial court convicted five accused based on the testimonies of five eye‑witnesses and test identification parades (TIPs). On appeal, t…

The appellants were convicted for kidnapping, murder and illegal possession of a firearm under the Arms Act and TADA. The prosecution’s case relied on the victim’s father’s testimony about a witness’s statement, statements recorded by police before investigation, the accused’s own statements about the location of the b…

The appellant, a driver of a Tata Spacio, was intercepted by police and, according to the prosecution, snatched a service revolver during a scuffle and fired at the complainant, a police sub‑inspector, causing a gunshot injury. He was convicted by the trial courts under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 353 (vol…

Nar Singh was convicted under Section 302 IPC and Section 25(1B) of the Arms Act for the murder of Rajbir, based largely on circumstantial evidence and a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report (Ex‑P12) linking a recovered bullet to a country‑made pistol. The trial court and the High Court failed to put the FSL report…

The appellants were convicted by a Designated Court for offences under the IPC, TADA and the Arms Act based largely on two police witnesses and confessional statements recorded under Section 15 of the TADA Act after a half‑hour "cooling period". Independent village witnesses were hostile and did not corroborate the pro…

The appellant, an Assistant Superintendent of Jail, was alleged to have facilitated a private vehicle ride for two police constables escorting an undertrial prisoner, during which two unidentified youths attacked the constables with red chilli powder, a knife and a kirpan, attempting to free the prisoner. The prosecuti…

The case involved a land dispute in which the accused, including Salim, armed themselves and fired upon the complainant's party, resulting in the death of Abdul Gafar. The trial court convicted Salim under sections 302, 203/149, 307/149, 323/149, 325/149 IPC and the Arms Act, while other accused were convicted under va…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by four accused (A‑1, A‑4 to A‑6) who were convicted for conspiring to wage war against the Government of India under IPC s.121A, along with offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and the Arms Act, 1959. The prosecution relied on recovered explosives, arms, inflammatory lit…

The State of Maharashtra appealed the acquittal of B.C. Raghani (A1), Subhash Bind (A5) and Shekhar Kadam (A6) in a contract‑killing case involving the murder of businessman Pradeep Jain. The prosecution’s case hinged on confessional statements of A5 and A6 recorded by a DCP under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disrup…

The case concerns the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a human bomb at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991, orchestrated by the LTTE. The Supreme Court heard appeals from 26 accused convicted by a Designated Court under TADA and IPC, along with a death reference. The Court held that the prosecuti…

The State of Rajasthan appealed against the Rajasthan High Court’s judgment that acquitted two accused (Hemant Kumar and Manoj Kumar) and convicted Raju (Raj Kumar) for the death of Anirudh Mishra arising out of a property dispute. The accused claimed the right of private defence. The Supreme Court examined whether the…

The case arose from two FIRs (11/97 and 12/97) lodged on 28‑29 April 1997 concerning a violent incident in which a man named Suresh Yadav died and several others were injured. Eleven accused were charged under IPC sections 302, 324 and 149 and were convicted by the trial court, a decision affirmed by the High Court. On…

The appellant, Shahid Ali, fired a country-made pistol during a celebratory firing at a marriage ceremony on 17 March 2016, striking the deceased Ishfaq Ali in the neck and causing his immediate death. The trial court and the High Court convicted him under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder, along wi…

Satyavir Singh, armed with his brother's licensed double‑barrel gun, fired two shots at Dharam Prakash, the brother of an informant, injuring him. The trial court convicted Singh under Section 307 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act; the first appellate court acquitted him on the basis that the firing was accidental, re…

The State of Maharashtra appealed against a Nagpur Bench order of the Bombay High Court that granted bail to the accused Dhanendra Shriram Bhurle and others, who were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Arms Act, 1959 and the Indian Penal Code. The High Court had concluded, without detaile…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed the High Court’s acquittal of Wasif Haider and others for murder, attempted murder and related offences arising from a riot at a temple. The Supreme Court examined whether the appellate court could disturb an acquittal and whether the prosecution had established the identity of the a…

The Supreme Court examined a raid that uncovered AK‑56 rifles, ammunition and about 600 g of explosive material at the residence of three accused, leading to prosecution under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA). The State Government’s order withdrawing the POTA cases and the Review Committee’s finding of no p…

The appellant, a Colonel in the Army Ordnance Corps, was tried by a General Court Martial on three charges: corruption for accepting Rs 10,000, possession of ammunition without licence, and an act prejudicial to good order and discipline for possessing Rs 28,000 cash. The GCM convicted him of the first two charges and …

Three accused were tried for the murder of Firozbhai under Sections 302, 120(8), 201 of the IPC and Section 25(1)(a) of the Arms Act. The trial court acquitted them, finding that the prosecution's circumstantial case did not establish a homicidal death and that the injury could have been accidental. The Gujarat High Co…

Abu Salem, an absconding accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, was arrested in Portugal and extradited to India under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the Indian Extradition Act, 1962 (applied to Portugal by a 2002 notification). Portugal granted extradition for certain offen…

The appellants were convicted for murder, attempted murder and rioting under Sections 302, 307 and 148 of the IPC based primarily on the testimonies of two relatives of the deceased, one an alleged eye‑witness (PW‑1) and the other an injured witness (PW‑2). The Supreme Court examined the credibility of these witnesses,…

The appellant, a Pakistani national and member of Lashkar‑e‑Toiba, was convicted for planning and executing a terrorist attack on the Red Fort on 22 December 2000, which killed three Indian Army soldiers. The prosecution proved the conspiracy and the murders through extensive circumstantial evidence, forensic links bet…

The State of Gujarat appealed the acquittal of Anirudhsing Mahipatsingh Jadeja (Accused No.1) and Nilesh Kumar (Accused No.2) for the murder of MLA Popatbhai Sorathiya during an Independence Day ceremony. The trial court had held that the prosecution failed to prove the accused's presence, the weapon used, and the conf…

The appellant was convicted of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and for a firearms offence under Section 27 of the Arms Act after he shot the deceased, Dinesh, who was unarmed and opening his door during a family wedding. The prosecution proved that the appellant alone was armed, fired a shot that caus…

Mahesh was accused of murdering his former lover Sunita and injuring her husband Sanjay and mother‑in‑law Nirmalabai. The trial court acquitted him, disbelieving the testimony of several relatives who were eye‑witnesses, on the ground that they were interested and lacked independent corroboration. The State appealed un…

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of two appellants, Raju and Mangli, under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Ishwar. The incident arose after the deceased misbehaved with women at a marriage ceremony, leading the accused to assault him; the co‑accused were armed with k…

Puran Singh was charged with murdering his brother Rajpal Singh by firing a licensed 12‑bore gun. The trial court acquitted him, citing benefit of doubt, but the High Court set aside the acquittal and convicted him under IPC s.302. On appeal to the Supreme Court, the appellant raised a new plea that the cartridge which…

The case arose from a 2003 incident in Muzzafarnagar where six persons were killed by indiscriminate firing by the appellants Madan, Sudesh Pal and others, allegedly motivated by political rivalry. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC and sentenced Madan and Sudesh Pa…

The appellants were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC for the murder of Ajay based primarily on the testimony of PW‑9, a cousin of the deceased, and a CCTV video. The Supreme Court examined the reliability of the eyewitness, finding his statements riddled with inconsistencies, no prior identi…

An FIR under Section 302 IPC was lodged in 1979, but the case was not listed before the magistrate for over ten years due to administrative lapses. The accused filed a writ petition seeking quashal of the prosecution, relying on the A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak decision that prolonged delay could warrant dismissal. The P…

The complainant appealed to the Supreme Court after the Karnataka High Court granted bail to accused Subrahmanya and Rajesh in a case involving conspiracy to murder, murder, and illegal possession of arms (IPC ss.120B, 302, 201, 34; Arms Act s.27(3)). The appellant argued that the High Court failed to consider the seri…

The appellant Pankaj was convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and Section 3 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act for allegedly shooting his brother-in-law Raj Kumar, who later died. The prosecution's case rested on the sole eye‑witness testimony of the victim's brother (PW‑8) and corroboration by…

During a Bihar assembly election, an FIR was lodged for murder, robbery and illegal possession of arms, implicating Uma Shankar Singh. The investigation was transferred to the CID and both the CID and local police submitted final reports under Section 173(2) CrPC that exonerated Singh. Despite these reports, the Chief …

The petitioners, accused in the 1993 Bombay blast case, were charged under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for knowingly possessing an AK‑56 rifle and ammunition. They argued that the possession was for self‑defence, not for terrorist purposes, and sought bail. The Supreme C…

The case involved eight persons accused of murdering Upendra Singh and attempting to murder his brother over a disputed land. The prosecution proved that a group of more than five armed men formed an unlawful assembly with the common object of eliminating the victims, and that Rajeshwar Singh fired the fatal shots. The…

The appellants Sunil Kundu and others were convicted of murder under IPC s.302 read with s.34 based mainly on three eye‑witnesses who were relatives of the deceased. The Supreme Court found serious inconsistencies between the eye‑witness accounts and the post‑mortem report, which showed no firearm injuries despite the …

The appellants, led by Narain Singh, were involved in a land dispute during which they attempted to sow jowar in a field belonging to the complainants. When the complainants and their husband tried to stop them, Narain Singh fired a gunshot that killed the husband, and his sons assaulted the complainants with sticks. T…

The appellant, Nilesh Dinkar Paradkar, was convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) and the IPC based largely on voice identification of a recorded telephone conversation. The High Court upheld his conviction while acquitting the other accused, relying on the officer's identification of th…

Vasant Vithu Jadhav, a police constable, fired a rifle at his colleague Vilas from a distance of 6-8 feet while the victim slept, causing only simple hurt as the bullet fragmented. He was convicted by the High Court under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for attempted murder and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imp…

Shankar Narayan Bhadolkar invited the deceased to a dinner and, after the meal, shot him at close range with a loaded gun, causing instantaneous death. The appellant then wrapped the body in a gunny bag and disposed of it in a well. He pleaded that the killing was accidental, invoking Section 80 IPC, or alternatively t…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of five appellants under Section 3(3) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for alleged conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, the recovery of large quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives, and related offences under the IPC, Explosive Substanc…

The appellant Bijender @ Mandar was convicted under Sections 392 and 397 IPC for allegedly robbing a complainant and his nephew with pistols, based primarily on his own disclosure statement that led to the recovery of Rs.5,000, a red cloth and a passbook. The prosecution’s case lacked any eye‑witness testimony, and key…

The deceased, a timber merchant, was shot dead by three local goondas who demanded a "goonda tax" which he refused to pay. The prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of the deceased’s brother (PW12), corroborated by the tractor driver (PW3) and a by‑stander (PW5), as well as medical evidence. Seven prosecution witn…

The case involved the murder of Vikas Singh, for which an FIR was lodged by his brother‑in‑law, Prashant Singh Rajput. The accused Jogendra Singh and Suryabhan Singh sought anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC, which the High Court granted on the basis of a police report stating they were not present at the …

The case concerns the murder of Ashalata Biswas, who was shot through a window on 20 April 2001. The trial court convicted Pranab @ Kuti Biswas under Section 302 IPC, but the Calcutta High Court acquitted him, citing the absence of the accused's name in the FIR, the victim's failure to name the shooter, minor inconsist…

The appellant, Chittaranjan Mirdha, filed a complaint leading to a police FIR and subsequent chargesheet implicating several accused. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the offences and issued warrants, but the appellant later sought further investigation and challenged the magistrate’s handlin…

The State of Punjab prosecuted Atma Singh and others for an armed assault that killed the wife and son of the complainant and injured three eyewitnesses. The trial court convicted the accused under sections 302, 307, 148, 149 and 324 of the IPC and section 27 of the Arms Act. The Punjab & Haryana High Court set aside t…

Ravindra Shantaram Sawant was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Arms Act and the IPC for firing a revolver in the Sessions Court, injuring the victim Ashwin Naik and three police officers. The appellant argued that the police eye‑witnesses required independent corrobor…

Narmada Bai, the mother of Tulsiram Prajapati, filed a writ petition under Article 32 alleging that her son was killed in a fake police encounter in Gujarat and that senior police officials and a politician were involved. She sought a direction for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR, investiga…

The appellant Girraj filed a criminal appeal challenging the High Court's grant of bail to five accused (Kiranpal, Sundar, Rakesh, Satish, Dharmendra) in a murder case involving the death of his two sons. The bail to these accused was obtained on the basis of parity with a co-accused, Narendra, whose bail had earlier b…

The appellants, Pawan @ Rajinder Singh and Ajit @ Dara Singh, were convicted of murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC and, for Ajit, of an offence under Section 25 of the Arms Act, based largely on the testimony of two chance witnesses who claimed to have heard an altercation and a gunshot. The Supreme Court exam…

Mohan Singh was arrested at Rewari railway station for allegedly possessing an unlicensed revolver. He was convicted by a Designated Court under Section 5 of the Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1985 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959, and sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment. On ap…

The State of Uttarakhand appealed the High Court's acquittal of five accused persons charged with murder and offences under sections 147, 148, 149 and 302 IPC. The prosecution alleged that the accused, armed with pistols and sharp‑edged weapons, ambushed the deceased while he was on a tractor, shot him and assaulted hi…

The case arose from a violent incident in Patiala where several persons were charged under the IPC and Arms Act. Two of the accused, Vijay Preet Singh and Jagtar Singh, were initially discharged based on a police inquiry report that they were falsely implicated. During trial, prosecution witnesses identified them as pa…

The State of Punjab appealed the trial court’s acquittal of Sukhchain Singh and others for murder and related offences, while an accused (Paramjit Singh) appealed his conviction. The Supreme Court examined the scope of appellate power under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which allows the State to …

The appellant, a constable, killed three fellow police personnel with a sten‑gun after being reprimanded and having adverse entries made against him. He was convicted under Section 302 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction under Section 302 but set aside the …

The appellants, Gulam Sarbar and Dhiren Mahto, were convicted of murder under s.302 IPC and criminal conspiracy under s.120‑B IPC for the killing of Sant Kumar Sinha. The prosecution relied primarily on the testimony of a single eye‑witness (Dr. Gopal Prasad Sinha) and corroborative ocular and medical evidence to estab…

The case concerns the murder of Nawal Kishore Jha on 9 April 1980, for which fifteen persons were originally charged. The trial court convicted several of them under sections of the IPC and the Arms Act, but the Patna High Court later acquitted all the convicted persons. The informant appealed, challenging the High Cou…

The Supreme Court, hearing a Special Leave Petition arising from sectarian violence in Manipur that included widespread sexual violence against women, directed the State and Union governments to restore law and order and ensure justice for victims. It ordered the formation of a three‑member committee of former female j…

The appellant Jaswinder Singh was convicted for murder and attempt to murder under Sections 302, 307 and 34 of the IPC. He argued that he was not named in the FIR, that no test identification parade (TIP) was held, and that the evidence against him was unreliable. The sole eyewitness, the complainant PW‑1, testified th…

The appellant, Ashoksinh Jayendrasinh, was convicted under Sections 302 and 307 IPC read with Section 34, and Section 25(c) of the Arms Act for allegedly firing shots that killed Somiben and injured two others during a dispute over a road. The incident occurred at 9:00 PM in a dark agricultural field, and the prosecuti…

The case arose from a land dispute over Gat No. 170 in Maharashtra, where a mob of 75‑100 persons clashed with the complainant party, resulting in two deaths and injuries to members of both sides. The trial court convicted 35 accused under various IPC provisions including murder (s.302) committed by an unlawful assembl…

The State of Maharashtra alleged that a gang led by Chota Shakeel conspired to murder politician Ramdas Nayak, arranging vehicles, firearms and ammunition. The Designated Court acquitted all accused of the murder and related offences, convicting only three of them under the Arms Act for possession of prohibited weapons…

The case involves the murder of Mahender Sarpanch on 15 July 1996, for which several accused, including Shamsher Singh, Balwant, Ladh Ram and Suresh (alias Hakla), were charged. The trial court convicted all accused under sections 302, 307 r/w 149 and 148 of the IPC, a decision upheld by the High Court. Two appeals rea…

The appellant, Sukumar, a Forest Range Officer, chased a lorry he suspected of sandalwood smuggling. The lorry occupants attacked his jeep with stones and shouted “fire them”. Sukumar fired his DBL‑gun, killing the driver. He later loaded sandalwood and a gun from the lorry and claimed he acted in private defence. He w…

The appellant, Gurwinder Singh, was arrested along with co‑accused for alleged involvement in a terrorist module of the banned organization ‘Sikhs for Justice’, including raising funds, conspiracy and attempts to procure weapons. The investigation, taken over by the NIA, resulted in charges under the UAPA, IPC and Arms…

The case arose from a murder investigation where the FIR named nine persons, but the police filed a charge sheet against only three, filing a closure report for the remaining six. Based on oral eyewitness testimony, the first informant applied under Section 319 CrPC to have the six dropped co-accused added as accused; …

The appellant, Sajjan Sharma, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Narain Kunwar in an alleged unlawful assembly that fired weapons. The FIR and the original Fard‑e‑beyan named five accused, including the appellant's father and brother, but did not name the appellant himself. He was later added in the …

The trial court acquitted Amit Aishwarya Jogi in a 2007 murder case involving the killing of a Congress leader, after a CBI‑investigated chargesheet superseded the original police investigation. The State of Chhattisgarh, the CBI and the victim’s son (de‑facto complainant) sought leave to appeal the acquittal, but the …

The appellant, Suchand Pal, appealed against the Calcutta High Court's acquittal of the accused Phani Pal for murder and related offences. The trial court had convicted Phani Pal based on the prosecution's claim that a gun was fired from a short range and on a dying declaration of the deceased, Bhanumati, which was rec…

The case involved a gang‑led shoot‑out in Mumbai that resulted in three deaths and several injuries. The accused were charged under the IPC, the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Arms Act. The trial court convicted six of the eight accused, sentencing three to death, while two were acquitted. O…

Bilal Ahmad Kaloo, a Kashmiri youth and member of the militant outfit Al‑Jehad, was arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly spreading communal hatred among Muslims and possessing a revolver and cartridges. The Designated Court under TADA acquitted him of TADA offences but convicted him under IPC sections 124A (sedition), 1…

The accused were arrested for smuggling arms and were tried by a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Arms Act, 1959. The trial court convicted them, relying on an order dated 3 September 1993 issued by the Director General of Police, which the appellants …

The case arose from a triple murder and injury incident in Jind, Haryana, where six accused were tried. The trial court convicted only A‑2 under IPC s.302 and the Arms Act, acquitting the other five appellants. The High Court reversed the acquittals, convicting the five under s.148 and s.302 r.w. s.149 IPC. On appeal, …

The appellant, Baldev Singh, was convicted under Section 302 read with Section 120B IPC for the murder of his brother Pritam Singh. The conviction was based mainly on the testimony of a taxi driver (PW‑26) who claimed to have overheard a conspiratorial discussion, and on an alleged extra‑judicial confession of a co‑acc…

The appellants were accused of a gun‑battle with police in a village, during which a police constable and an alleged dacoit died. The trial court convicted them under Sections 302, 307, 353 read with 34 of the IPC, while the High Court affirmed the conviction. The Supreme Court held that the identification of the accus…

The appellants Subhash Soni and others were convicted under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for murder, primarily on the basis of an oral dying declaration made by the deceased while being taken to hospital. The High Court upheld the conviction despite discarding the testimony of two eye‑witnesses, relying on the dying …

The appellant Jasbir Singh was convicted under Sections 399 and 402 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act for allegedly planning and attempting a dacoity with firearms. The Supreme Court examined the evidence, noting the absence of independent witnesses, the fact that the investigating officer himself conducted the…

The State of Punjab appealed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s acquittal of Gurpreet Singh and three co‑accused under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Amarjit Kaur. The trial court had convicted them based on the eyewitness testimony of the victim’s husband and daughter, the reco…

Four villagers were killed and an informant seriously injured in a violent clash in Dhodi village, Rajasthan, leading to the charge of murder and grievous hurt against 29 co‑villagers. The trial court convicted 24 of them under Sections 302, 307 and 149 of the IPC, while five were acquitted; subsequent appeals raised q…

Surendra Mishra was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC and for illegal possession of a firearm under Section 27 of the Arms Act after he shot dead Chandrashekhar Choubey. He appealed, claiming that he was of unsound mind at the time of the offence and therefore entitled to the protection of Section 84 IPC. The S…

The appellant Hari Kishan was convicted under sections 302 and 324 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of his brother's sibling Dinesh, based primarily on the testimony of Harkesh (PW‑2), who claimed to be an eye‑witness and to have sustained injuries in the same incident. The trial and High Courts accepted his evi…

The appellant, Boddella Babul Reddy, was convicted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court for murder (Sec. 302 IPC) arising from a factional clash in which he was alleged to have hurled a bomb that killed a coolie. The trial court had acquitted all accused, including the appellant, on the ground that the prosecution evidence…

The Supreme Court examined the State’s appeal against the discharge of several accused in the murder of S.N. Gupta. The prosecution alleged a pre‑planned criminal conspiracy involving Shiv Charan Bansal, his son, and others, supported by call‑detail records, recovered weapon, ballistic reports and statements. The Court…

The appellant, Kulwinder Singh, was convicted along with three others for the murder of Rajbir Singh, allegedly hired by Nirpal Singh, Nardev Singh and their father Pargat Singh in a land‑dispute motive. The prosecution’s case rested on the statements of eyewitness PW‑3, the extra‑judicial confession recorded by PW‑7, …

The case involved a shoot‑out at J.J. Hospital in Mumbai on 12 September 1992, resulting in the murder of a prisoner and two police constables and injuries to several others. The accused – A‑2 (Jayawant Dattatray Suryarao), A‑6 (Subhashsingh Thakur) and A‑7 (Shamkishore Garikapatti) – were convicted under the Terrorist…

The appellant Sukhpal was apprehended in a notified area with a .315 bore rifle and 109 live cartridges, without any licence, and was charged under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959. The prosecution relied on the testimony of police of…

The case involved the murder of Tapan Chakraborty on 31 August 2000, for which thirteen persons were charged. One accused, Ratan Sukladas (A‑12), applied for and was granted pardon, becoming an approver whose testimony formed the core of the prosecution's case. The trial court convicted only two accused (A‑5 and A‑11) …

Abu Salem, an accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, was extradited from Portugal to India in 2005 on the assurance that he would not face the death penalty or imprisonment beyond 25 years. After his return, the Designated Court framed additional charges beyond those covered by the extradition, which Abu Salem argued …

The informant, Surjit Singh, alleged that the accused, Nahara Ram and another, fired shots at him while he was spraying his paddy field, causing injuries. The trial court convicted them under Section 326 of the IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act, sentencing them to five years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.2,0…

The Supreme Court considered appeals against the Gujarat High Court's judgment that acquitted several accused of murder and terrorism charges in the killing of former Home Minister Haren Pandya and the attempted murder of Jagdish Tiwari. The CBI had investigated and found both incidents were part of a larger conspiracy…

The appellant Rajinder was convicted for the death of his nephew Subhash, who died from a thigh wound inflicted by a firearm. The trial court and High Court upheld a conviction under Section 302 IPC (murder) and Section 27 of the Arms Act. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the distinction between murder and culpabl…

The appellant, a renowned sport shooter, was granted two arms licences (revolver/pistol and rifle) under Form III of the Arms Rules for personal use. Between 1996 and 2005 he bought and sold firearms on 39 occasions and imported arms on 26 occasions, prompting a show‑cause notice alleging misuse of the licences. The li…

The petitioners, among 181 accused in the Coimbatore serial bomb blast case, filed a transfer petition under Sections 406 and 407 of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking to move the trial from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to Kerala, alleging that communal tension in the state would prevent a fair and impartial trial and that …

Mohd. Zahid was arrested by ISBT police on 8 March 1990 and charged under TADA for possessing three country‑made pistols and twelve cartridges. He contended that he had actually been detained on 6 March 1990, that no weapons were seized, and his father filed a complaint with the magistrate. The Designated Court relied …

The petitioner was detained under the Gujarat Prevention of Anti‑social Activities Act, 1985 on the grounds that he was a 'bootlegger' and a 'dangerous person' whose activities threatened public order. The detaining authority relied on four liquor‑related cases under the Bombay Prohibition Act and a single criminal cas…

The accused Main Pal and others were charged with murder of Hans Raj and offences under the Arms Act. The prosecution relied on eye‑witnesses PW‑1 (Ram Sarup) and PW‑2 (Devi Lal), who were relatives of the deceased, and on firearms recovered at the behest of the accused. The trial court acquitted, holding that motive w…

Anter Singh was convicted for the murder of Hansraj based largely on a pistol and empty cartridges recovered after he, while in police custody, disclosed their location. The prosecution relied on Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act to admit the recovered items, asserting they were the murder weapon. On appeal, the Su…

The Supreme Court examined bail applications of several accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. It balanced the constitutional right to liberty under Article 21 against the statutory bail restriction in Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, considering the length of pre‑trial de…

Six persons, including Hari Om, Sanjay and Saurabh, were tried for murder (IPC s.396), dacoity (IPC s.412), offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Arms Act. The trial court convicted all of them for murder, sentencing Hari Om to death and the others to life imprisonment; the High Court affirmed…

The case involves the murder of five members of the Shukla family in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, where seven accused were initially acquitted by the trial court. The State appealed, and the Allahabad High Court convicted all accused under Sections 148, 149, 302 and 307 IPC, rejecting the trial court's findings on motive, …

On 19 June 2004, Daud Khan allegedly shot Nand Singh at a restaurant in Nimbahera, Rajasthan, leading to Singh's death. The trial court convicted Khan under Section 302 IPC and Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act, but the High Court reduced the murder conviction to Section 304(1) IPC while upholding the Arms Act convicti…

The appellant, Jai Prakash Tiwari, was convicted under IPC s.307 and Arms Act ss.25, 27 for allegedly firing a pistol at the complainant. The prosecution's case rested mainly on the testimony of the complainant and his mother, with no independent eyewitnesses and contradictory statements regarding the recovery of the a…

The appellant Rajaram Prasad Yadav was convicted for offences under Sections 324, 307 and 34 IPC. After the trial, the second respondent (the informant PW‑9) sought re‑examination under Section 311 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, alleging coercion. The trial court dismissed the application, but the High Court allowe…

The appellant Vaibhav was convicted for murdering his friend Mangesh under Sections 302 and 201 IPC and for illegal possession of a firearm under the Arms Act, based solely on circumstantial evidence. He contended that Mangesh accidentally shot himself with his father's service pistol, citing the bullet trajectory, lac…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought to add charges of murder and other offences against Karimullah Osan Khan, an accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, under Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) rej…

In 1997 a group of 30‑35 extremists set fire to houses in Jarulbachai village, Tripura, killing 15 people and injuring several others. Ashok (Achak) Debbarma was charged under IPC sections 326, 436 and 302 read with section 34 and under section 27(3) of the Arms Act; the latter charge was later set aside as unconstitut…

The appellants, Shiv Prakash Pandey (A‑1) and Shobhit Chamar (A‑2), were convicted under IPC Sections 302, 149, 380 and 460 and under Section 27 of the Arms Act for the murder of six male members of a family, including two children, during a dacoity in Rohtas district, Bihar. They challenged the convictions on the grou…

The appellants Rajesh Yadav and others were convicted for murder and for violating the Arms Act, with the High Court acquitting them of the attempt to murder charge under Section 307 IPC but confirming life imprisonment under Section 25 of the Arms Act. The Supreme Court examined whether the testimonies of related eye‑…

The case concerns the murder of Murari, for which Himanshu @ Chintu (A‑2) and Shesh Bahadur Pandey (A‑3) were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The appellants challenged the conviction on three grounds: (i) the FIR was lodged two hours after the incident, allegedly to falsely implicate them; …

The State of Uttar Pradesh alleged that a gang of six persons assembled in a grove to commit dacoity and were arrested after a police operation that recovered unlicensed firearms. The trial court convicted them under IPC sections 399 and 402 and Section 27 of the Arms Act, relying on the testimony of two police witness…

On 5 July 1993, an unlawful assembly of twenty‑seven persons, armed with swords, spears and other weapons, attacked Sadruddin and four female members of his family at his house. The victim and several injured witnesses positively identified the four appellants as the assailants. The trial court acquitted all twenty‑sev…

The Supreme Court examined appeals against a Patna High Court order that had confirmed a death sentence awarded to Krishna Singh for murder under Sections 302 and 149 of the IPC. The appellants contended that the High Court’s findings were based on conjecture, particularly questioning the credibility of two eye‑witness…

The case concerns a review of the death sentence awarded to Mohd. Arif alias Ashfaq for the 2000 Lal Quila firing that killed three army jawans. The petitioner challenged the conviction on four grounds: the admissibility of call data records (CDRs) without a Section 65B certificate, the validity of his disclosure state…

The appellants Rajesh alias Sarkari and Ajay Hooda were convicted for murder under IPC s.302 r/w s.34 based on the testimony of the victim's father (PW‑4) and brother (PW‑5) who claimed to have witnessed the shooting and taken the victim to the hospital. The Supreme Court examined inconsistencies in their statements, n…

The appellant, Ram Udgar Singh, was convicted under Section 302 IPC and Sections 25A and 27 of the Arms Act for the murder of a political rival. The conviction was based on the testimony of four eyewitnesses, while eight co‑accused were acquitted on the same evidence. The appellant challenged the conviction, arguing th…

The case concerns the murder of MLA Brij Bihari Prasad and his bodyguard Lakshmeshwar Sahu at IGIMS Hospital in 1998. The trial court convicted several accused, but the Patna High Court acquitted all, prompting appeals by the State (through the CBI) and the victim's wife, Rama Devi. The Supreme Court examined the credi…

The appellant, Brijesh Mavi, was charged with murder (IPC s.302) and possession of a counterfeit stamp (IPC s.460) read with s.34, as well as illegal possession of a firearm (Arms Act s.25). The sole eye‑witness identified only a different accused, and the appellant was later linked to the case through his own confessi…

The case arose from a land dispute between the victim, Shriram, and his brothers. The victim alleged that three women (the appellants) and two men assaulted him, resulting in gunshot, axe, and other injuries, leading to an FIR under IPC sections 147, 148, 307, 149 and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The trial court convict…

The appellant Daya Nand was convicted by the trial court and the High Court for murder under Section 302 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act for firing a shotgun that killed Chhajju Ram during an irrigation dispute. The Supreme Court examined whether the facts satisfied the statutory definition of murder under Section 3…

The appellant Rahul was convicted for murdering Jitender, allegedly because Jitender had an illicit relationship with Rahul's wife. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, including the testimony of the deceased's brother and mother, forensic findings linking a recovered .315 bore pistol to the fatal bullets…

On 3 October 1998, Ohara Singh and Prem Das attacked a bullock cart, resulting in the death of Sohan Lal. The FIR, lodged by Ramhet (PW‑2), named Bhagwan Singh (PW‑3) as an eye‑witness under the alias 'Kaptan'. The trial court convicted Ohara Singh under IPC s.302 and the Arms Act s.25,27 and Prem Das under IPC s.302 r…

The appellants, Wahid and Anshu, were convicted for robbery under IPC sections 392/397 and for possession of arms under the Arms Act, based on an FIR that named no specific perpetrators. The prosecution’s case relied on the complainant’s identification of the accused at a bus depot two days after the incident and the r…

The appellant Suryavir was convicted along with Devender for the murder of Rajinder (Raju) under Sections 302/34 IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of the victim’s parents (PW‑12 and PW‑15) and a box identification made in court, without any prior test identification para…

The State of Madhya Pradesh prosecuted Ramesh (alias Chhinge) and three others for the murder of Ramavtar and attempted murder of two others. The trial court convicted them under IPC s.302 and s.302 r.w. s.34, and also under the Arms Act. The Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted the accused, relying on alleged discrepan…

The police raided the house of a gambling den where Virendra Prasad and his father Ram Prasad were present. When the police attempted to seize a rifle, Virendra snatched it from his father and fired seven rounds at the police party, killing ASI Gokaran Nath Pandey and injuring two constables. The trial court convicted …

The respondent was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, and the investigation period of 90 days expired on 15 September 2020. The investigating officer obtained two extensions, first to 11 November 2020 and then, on 7 November 2020, a further 30‑day extension …

The appellant Rajan was convicted for murder under Sections 302/34 of the IPC and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act based primarily on the ocular testimony of two eyewitnesses, despite the alleged firearm not being recovered. He appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the High Court’s delay of two years and five m…

Prem Singh and six others were charged under IPC sections 120‑B, 148, 302 read with 149 and under Section 25 of the Arms Act. The trial court acquitted all accused, citing the non‑examination of a key witness, inherent lacunae in the testimony of two eye‑witnesses, doubts about the recovery of firearms and lack of fore…

The case involved the murder of two brothers and the attempted murder of a third during a gun‑fire incident in Rajasthan. The trial court convicted nine accused under sections 302/149 and 307/149 IPC, but the High Court acquitted six and altered the conviction of three to sections 302/34 and 307/34 IPC. The Supreme Cou…

The victim Siri Krishan was shot during a morning walk; the prosecution relied on the brother's report, two alleged eye‑witnesses (PW‑11 and PW‑12), and a widow's statement linking a property dispute to the accused. The appellant Prem Singh and co‑accused were arrested, but the appellant refused to take part in a test …

The appellant, Om Prakash Sahni, challenged the High Court's order that suspended the life‑imprisonment sentences of three convicts (Jai Shankar Chaudhary, Abhay Kumar and Ram Babu Sahni) for the murder of his brother and released them on bail under Section 389 of the CrPC. The Supreme Court examined whether the High C…

The case concerns an appeal by Madan Singh and others against their conviction for murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and offences under the Arms Act and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The police raided a house where about 20‑25 persons were assembled; a gunfight ensued, result…

The case concerned the murder of Ratti Ram, for which Satish Kumar and Rajeev Kumar were convicted under IPC s.302 r/w s.34 and under Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. The trial court acquitted the accused, holding that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, particularly because the dead body …

The appellant, Ashim Kumar Haranath Bhattacharya, was arrested in July 2012 under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act for offences including conspiracy, waging war, and violations of the Arms and Explosive Substances Acts. Although the charge sheet was filed in 2012, charges were only framed in 2019 and the tri…

The brothers Nandu Rastogi and Bal Mukund Rastogi, together with Jagdish Chamar and two unknown persons, were convicted for the murder of Shankar Rastogi, the son of informant Shyam Mohan Rastogi, over a property‑eviction dispute. The prosecution proved that the accused entered the informant’s shop armed, seized the vi…

The State of Madhya Pradesh charged Basodi with the murder of his nephew under IPC s.302 and the Arms Act s.27, alleging he shot the victim with a muzzle‑loading gun. The trial court convicted Basodi, relying on an alleged extra‑judicial confession made before three witnesses. On appeal, the High Court found the confes…

The police intercepted the vessel M.V. Seaman Guard Ohio within Indian territorial waters and seized a large quantity of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, leading to a charge sheet under the Arms Act, 1959 and other statutes. The accused challenged the charge sheet through revision (s.397) and a petition under the in…

The appellant, a proclaimed offender, was apprehended in a house where he allegedly assaulted a police constable, was grappled with, and then fired a country‑made pistol, killing the constable. The trial court convicted him under Sections 302, 332, 186 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27 of the Arms Act. On appeal, the accu…

The police, acting on information that an absconding accused Rajesh Shukla was hiding in a village house, confronted him and his associate Vasudev Shukla. After Rajesh opened fire, the police retaliated and both accused eventually surrendered, surrendering a rifle and a 12‑bore double‑barrel gun. The trial court convic…

The State of Sikkim appealed against a High Court order that directed the accused army personnel, Jasbir Singh and another, to be tried by a court‑martial for a murder under IPC sections 302 and 308. The Supreme Court examined whether the offence fell within the exclusive jurisdiction of a court‑martial or within the c…

The State of Punjab appealed the acquittal of CRPF constable Dalbir Singh, who had been charged under Sections 302, 307 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act for firing a self‑loading rifle that resulted in the death of a senior officer. The High Court acquitted him on the basis of irreconcilable inconsistencies in the pr…