Indian Evidence Act, 1872

The appellant Vithal was convicted of murder (IPC s.302) for allegedly pouring kerosene on the deceased Vishwanath and setting him alight, causing 98% burn injuries. Four dying declarations of the deceased were recorded by police officers and an executive magistrate; all named the appellant and were consistent. The tri…

The petitioners, a film production company and its proprietor, borrowed Rs 41.28 lakh in five instalments from the complainant on a hand‑loan basis at 2% per month interest and issued five cheques to discharge the debt, which were returned for insufficient funds. The complainant filed five complaints under Section 138 …

The dispute arose from a partition of family property where the respondent sought a declaration of title and eviction of the appellants. The appellants relied on a family settlement document (Khararunama) dated 15‑04‑1986 and a receipt of Rs.2,00,000 as evidence of the parties' past arrangements. The trial court admitt…

Ashok Kumar filed a declaratory suit claiming ownership of his parents' coparcenary property, asserting that he is their son. The defendants denied his lineage and sought a DNA test to establish the relationship. The trial court dismissed the DNA test application, but the High Court reversed, ordering the test. The Sup…

Sudam @ Rahul Kaniram Jadhav was convicted under Sections 302 and 201 IPC for the murder of his wife Anita and their four children, based largely on circumstantial evidence, two extra‑judicial confessions and motive. The petitioner sought a review of the Supreme Court's affirmation of his conviction and death sentence,…

The Sessions Judge convicted Palanisamy (Selvan) for murder under s.302 IPC based on two pieces of circumstantial evidence: witnesses 1 and 2 who claimed to have seen the deceased with the accused at 11 p.m. on a dark night, and an alleged extra‑judicial confession made to the village head (PW‑3) on the following morni…

Talwara Cooperative Credit & Service Society Ltd terminated clerk Sushil Kumar after two short spells of employment (1987-1990 and 1995-1997) citing financial losses. The Labour Court awarded reinstatement with full back wages, which the High Court upheld. The Society appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that reinsta…

The appellant Jaipal was convicted by the trial court and the Punjab & Haryana High Court for murdering his wife Prakash Devi by allegedly administering aluminium phosphide (celphos) based on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution relied on the testimony of the sister‑in‑law, the victim's father, medical findings, an…

The appellant, Sukhar, was convicted under Section 307 IPC for allegedly shooting his uncle Nakkal, who later died. The prosecution relied on the FIR, the victim's statements, and the testimony of PW2, who claimed the victim identified Sukhar as the shooter after PW2 arrived at the scene. The Supreme Court held that th…

The case concerned the conviction of Tarun Sharma under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Munish Kumar, based primarily on a dying declaration recorded by a police Sub‑Inspector. The Supreme Court examined whether the dying declaration was reliable, given that the victim had been unconscious for most of the period, the…

The plaintiff claimed title to a Delhi property on the basis of an agreement to sell, a general power of attorney, a receipt of consideration, an affidavit and a registered will executed by his father, Kundan Lal. The trial court and High Court had upheld his claim, but the Supreme Court examined whether these document…

The case involves the murder of a BJP leader in Kerala, allegedly carried out by workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as part of a political rivalry. The victim's wife, along with two other eyewitnesses, identified the assailants, and a dying declaration of the victim corroborated their testimony. The tria…

The appellant Sushil Kumar was convicted of murdering his wife and two young children and was sentenced to death. The prosecution proved the murders through eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and the appellant's own disclosure memo, while the alibi he claimed was rejected as contradictory. The Supreme Court exami…

The deceased Vijay was tied to a cot and brutally assaulted with an iron pipe and wooden stick by six accused, leading to his death. While on his deathbed he gave a dying declaration to his brother (PW9) and mother (PW10) identifying all six assailants. The trial court convicted the principal accused under Section 304 …

The tenant, Mohan Singh, obtained two successive permissions for a limited tenancy under Section 21 of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958. After the second limited period expired, the landlord sought possession and the tenant alleged that the second permission was procured by fraud and that he was absent from the court o…

The dispute concerned the office of mutawalli of the historic Andrott Jumah mosque in Lakshadweep. The senior members of the Pattakal family claimed a hereditary customary right to the office, tracing it to Saint Ubaidulla, the mosque’s founder, while the appellants, representing island residents, argued that the right…

The appellant was accused of raping an eight‑year‑old girl who later died of neurogenic shock. Although the initial FIR did not name him, the investigation recovered the child's shawl and recorded a voluntary confessional statement. The trial court convicted him under IPC sections 376, 302 and 201 and sentenced him to …

The case arose from the murder of Devi Lal, who was killed by Gajanand with an axe while a dispute over grazing goats escalated. The trial court convicted Gajanand under s.302 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted him, accepting his claim of exercising the right of private d…

The appellant had taken a loan and issued post‑dated cheques which were later dishonoured; a legal notice was sent on 17‑01‑2001 and a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act was filed on 20‑04‑2001, later amended to include Section 420 IPC. The High Court held that the amendment to Section 142(b)…

The appellant, a husband, and his parents-in-law were convicted under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for the death of the appellant's wife, who allegedly died after being set on fire. The prosecution's case rested on four dying declarations made by the deceased, which were contradictory: two statements blamed the paren…

The appellant, G. V. Rao, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC based solely on circumstantial evidence, including the identification of the deceased’s skeletal remains, a witness who last saw the victim with the accused, the accused’s extra‑judicial confession, and the recovery of clothing and other items purs…

The Supreme Court examined two criminal appeals arising from a 1980 incident in which a dispute over tubewell irrigation led to a lathi assault followed by simultaneous gunshots that killed the victim, Mangali. The Court held that the two accused who fired the guns (Ram Swarup and Raja Ram) shared a common intention to…

The appellants were charged with murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for allegedly tying a woman to a tree and beating her with heated weapons. The Sessions Court acquitted them, finding the sole eye‑witness, the husband of the deceased, unreliable due to contradictions, omissions and lack of corroboration. The…

The appellant, Manohar Lal, was convicted under Section 3048 of the IPC for the alleged dowry death of his wife, who died from burn injuries within seven years of marriage. The prosecution alleged that the deceased was subjected to cruelty and harassment for dowry, culminating in her death, and charged the appellant un…

The case involved the abduction and murder of Mani alias Parai Mani, a quarry leaseholder, by accused Paramasivam and two others. The prosecution proved motive, the victim's last sighting with the accused, DNA identification of the exhumed body, and recovered incriminating items obtained through confessional statements…

The appellant Duryodhan Rout was convicted of rape, murder and concealment of evidence of a ten‑year‑old girl based solely on circumstantial evidence and his own confession recorded under Section 27 of the Evidence Act. The trial court sentenced him to death for murder, rigorous imprisonment for the rape and concealmen…

Harivadan Babubhai Patel (A‑1) and three others were tried for kidnapping, murder and conspiracy under Sections 342, 346, 302, 1208 and 201 IPC read with Section 34. The trial court convicted A‑1 and A‑2, acquitting A‑3 and A‑4; the High Court later acquitted A‑2 but upheld A‑1's conviction. On appeal, the Supreme Cour…

The case involved a Rs 65 crore investment in CANCIGO units of Canbank Mutual Fund (CMF) by four subscribers, where B. Raghuvir Acharya (Trustee/General Manager) and Hiten P. Dalal (approved broker) were alleged to have obtained a false brokerage of Rs 32.5 lakhs. The Special Court convicted Acharya and Dalal, but acqu…

The appellants were among ten persons named in an FIR for a violent incident but were not listed in the charge‑sheet after the investigating officer concluded they were not present at the scene. The investigating officer and the SHO later applied to a magistrate for their release from judicial custody, which the magist…

The original plaintiff filed a suit for declaration of title and permanent injunction, claiming ownership of a property based on a registered sale deed. The defendants contended that the property had become part of a joint family and that the sale deed was merely a security instrument, not an operative transfer, and th…

The State by Karnataka Lokayukta Police Station appealed against a High Court order that quashed criminal proceedings against M.R. Hiremath on the ground that a certificate under Section 65B(4) of the Evidence Act was not produced. The Court examined whether the certificate must be produced at the stage of filing the c…

The case involved the murder of Satyawati, who was allegedly killed by her in‑laws for refusing to pay dowry. Four family members were tried; Jwala Singh was acquitted while Tribhuwan Singh, Makoi Devi and Chandra Bhawan Singh were convicted by the trial court. The High Court upheld the convictions of Tribhuwan Singh a…

The appellant sought a Letter of Administration on the basis of a Will dated 22‑10‑1973, allegedly executed by the deceased Nathu Singh in favour of the appellant. The trial court held the Will validly executed and granted the administration, but the High Court set aside that order, finding the Will not proved under Se…

The appellant filed an FIR alleging that the respondents forged a will to obtain a mutation order over disputed land. While the criminal trial was pending, the appellant instituted a civil suit seeking declaration of title, injunction and possession of the land. The respondents moved to stay the civil suit on the groun…

Guddi, a 19‑year‑old married woman, died from 99% burn injuries while in the custody of her father‑in‑law and husband. The prosecution relied on three alleged dying declarations: a Parcha Bayan recorded by an ASI, a magistrate‑signed declaration that was never produced, and a statement recorded under Section 161 CrPC b…

The case involved eight accused who were charged with the murder of three members of the Kolhe family in two related incidents. The prosecution relied on the testimony of two child eyewitnesses (aged 11 and 13), a dying declaration, medical reports, and blood‑group matches of recovered weapons. The trial court acquitte…

The appellant filed a testamentary petition for letters of administration of her late husband's estate, which was converted into a testamentary suit after respondent No.1 filed a caveat. Respondent No.2, the appellant’s counsel, filed a miscellaneous application alleging perjury by the appellant and attached audio cass…

The State of Maharashtra prosecuted four accused for abducting and murdering infant children as part of a superstitious ritual to uncover hidden treasure. The trial court relied on a voluntary confessional statement, corroborating circumstantial evidence, and the testimony of a child who escaped two abduction attempts,…

The appellant, Jai Prakash Saini, was an in‑charge of a paddy procurement centre of U.P. Cooperative Federation Ltd. He was served with a charge‑sheet alleging short delivery of paddy and embezzlement of Rs. 2,00,850. A departmental enquiry found the charges proved and dismissed him, also ordering recovery of the amoun…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed against the High Court's acquittal of Subhash @ Pappu for offences under Sections 302 and 148 of the IPC. The facts involved six to seven persons attacking a shop servant, Bengali, with a knife and a hockey stick, resulting in a stab wound; the victim died thirty days later of septic…

The appellant was arrested in 2007 in connection with a bomb‑defusing case and, while in police custody, gave a confessional statement that was recorded by a Superintendent of Police under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. The appellant contended that the confession was not v…

The wife, Santosh Kumari, alleged that her husband Satish Kumar Batra and his relatives subjected her to dowry demands and cruelty, leading to physical assaults and attempts to force her to commit suicide. An FIR was filed under Sections 498A and 406 IPC, and the trial court convicted all accused, sentencing them to tw…

The appellant State of Rajasthan prosecuted Champar Lal for murder under Section 302 IPC, relying primarily on the victim's dying declaration recorded by a police officer in the presence of a doctor. The trial court convicted based on that declaration, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted, holding that the declaratio…

The Supreme Court examined contempt petitions filed by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alleging that senior Tamil Nadu officials (respondents 1‑5) willfully disobeyed a Court order restraining political parties from calling a bandh on 1 October 2007, and that Union Minister T.R. Baalu (respondent …

The respondent, a law‑books seller, filed a writ petition alleging that the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, through an oral assurance by the then Law Minister, had promised to purchase 500 sets of North Eastern Region Local Acts and Rules. The High Court allowed the petition, holding that the doctrine of promissory es…

The State of Maharashtra filed a criminal complaint under IPC sections 338, 109 and 114 alleging medical negligence by Dr. Praful B. Desai and Dr. A.K. Mukherjee, leading to the death of the complainant's wife. The trial court permitted the testimony of a US doctor, Dr. Greenberg, via video‑conferencing; the High Court…

The appellants were charged under Section 8(c) read with Section 20(b)(ii)(c) of the NDPS Act for allegedly transporting about 80 kg of ganja seized from a vehicle. The prosecution relied on a seizure panchnama, samples sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, and confessions recorded by police officers, but failed to …

The appellant, N. Parameswaran Unni, presented two cheques drawn by the first respondent, G. Kannan, which were returned unpaid and received a bank intimation on 8 April 1991. He issued a statutory notice by registered post on 12 April 1991, which was returned marked "addressee absent," and a second notice on 4 May 199…

The case concerned a dacoity‑cummurder on a highway in July 1984 for which eight persons were convicted, largely on the testimony of an approver, Ramcharan, who had been arrested under suspicious circumstances and later granted pardon. The Supreme Court examined the legality of his arrest, the timing of his pardon, and…

The landlord sought eviction of the tenant under Section 14(1)(c) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, alleging that the premises were let for a composite residential and office purpose, which would disqualify the tenancy from protection. The lease deed contained a clause stating the premises were to be used for "Resid…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed the acquittal of Veerpal and another accused who were charged under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC for allegedly burning the deceased after a money dispute. The deceased had given two dying declarations: one to a police officer on 20‑12‑2011 and another to a Sub‑Division…

The appellant Kamesh Panjiyar was convicted under Section 304‑B IPC for the dowry death of his wife, Jaikali Devi, and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment, later reduced to seven years by the High Court. He appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that there was no live link between the alleged dowry demand …

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by Babu Ram and others against the Allahabad High Court, which had set aside a Sessions Court acquittal and convicted the accused of murder under sections 302 and 34 IPC. The Sessions Court had found the prosecution's evidence weak, the witnesses unreliable, and the motive unproven,…