Bombay High Court
VILAS S/O. BHASKAR DARADE AND OTHERSversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The conviction was quashed and the applicants were acquitted as the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction.
Summary
The applicants, convicted by the Sessions Court and released under the Probation of Offenders Act, filed a criminal revision challenging the conviction on the ground that the prosecution's case rested on hostile witnesses and a police report. The prosecution alleged that the applicants formed an unlawful assembly and assaulted public servants while executing a non-bailable warrant. During trial, key eyewitnesses turned hostile, leaving only the police constable’s report as evidence. The High Court held that a conviction cannot be sustained on such insufficient and uncorroborated evidence and that the lower courts failed to consider the evidence properly. Consequently, the revision was allowed, the conviction was quashed, and the applicants were acquitted of all charges.
Issues considered
- Whether the conviction can be upheld when the principal eyewitnesses have turned hostile and the prosecution relies solely on a police report.
- Whether the lower courts erred in not giving proper weight to the lack of corroborative evidence.
Subjects
- criminal revision
- conviction
- probation of offenders act
- hostile witnesses
- police report
- acquittal
- evidence evaluation
- criminal procedure
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:40369
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
916 CRIMINAL REVISION APPLICATION NO. 279 OF 2019
VILAS S/O. BHASKAR DARADE AND OTHERS
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA
WITH
CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 2701 OF 2019
IN REVN/279/2019
VILAS S/O. BHASKAR DARADE AND OTHERS
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA
Mr.V.A.Dhakne, Advocate for the Applicants.
Mr.A.A.A.Khan, APP for the Respondent/State.
( CORAM : SUSHIL M. GHODESWAR, J. )
DATE : 1st SEPTEMBER, 2026
PER COURT :
1. Heard the learned Advocate for the Applicants and the
learned APP for State.
2. The Applicants are challenging the order passed by the
learned Sessions Judge wherein the learned Sessions Court was pleased
to maintain the conviction, however, released the Applicants by giving
the benefit of Probation of Offenders Act. According to the learned
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Advocate for the Applicants, the learned Sessions Court as well as the
Trial Court has not considered the evidence in proper perspective. He
submits that the prosecution tries to justify it’s case on the basis of
testimony of witnesses, who have not coroborated to each other. He,
therefore, submits that by going through the evidence brought before
the Trial Court, the conviction cannot be based. As such, the Trial Court
as well as the Appellate Court were required to acquit the Applicants.
He further submits that the learned Courts below have given weightage
to the irrelevant material and failed to consider that the prosecution has
not proved it’s case beyond reasonable doubt.
3. Per contra, the learned APP strongly opposed the revision
application. According to him, the evidence brought before the Trial
Court is sufficient to convict the Applicants for the offences as charged
against them. He submits that the order passed by the learned Sub
Ordinate Courts is correct and proper and requires no interference. He,
therefore, prays for dismissal of the Criminal Revision Application.
4. After hearing the learned Advocates for the parties, it
reveals that the case of the prosecution based upon the report lodged by
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the PI Ramakant Dhondiba Panchal on the ground that P.W.No.1
Anandrao Khade and P.W.No.5 Raju Gulab Desai went to execute the
NBW issued against Applicant No.7 namely Bhaskar Darade. At that
time, the Applicants have formed the unlawful assembly, have assaulted
P.W.Nos.1 and 5 and also prevented the public servants from performing
official duty. On the basis of the complaint, the Applicants came to be
prosecuted for the offences charged against them.
5. During the course of evidence, the prosecution has
examined in all 7 witnesses. P.W.No.1 Anandrao Khade and P.W.No.5
Raju Gulab Desai turned hostile, P.W.No.2 Ramhari panch witness also
turned hostile. The prosecution sought to prove his case on the basis
of evidence of PI. In that view of the matter, since the independent
witnesses have turned hostile, the conviction cannot be based merely
on the basis of evidence of Police Constable, who was alongwith the
team to execute NBW against accused No.7. Both the orders passed by
the learned Sub-ordinate Courts have been perused. It discloses non
consideration of evidence in proper perspective. The evidence is not
sufficient to base conviction of all the accused persons.
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6. In that view of the matter, the conviction order passed by
the Trial Court as well as the Appellate Court deserves to be quashed
and set aside. Hence, I pass the following order :-
Criminal Revision Application is allowed. The Applicants are
acquitted from all the offence levelled against them.
In view of order passed above, Cri.Application No.2701/2019
does not survive, hence also disposed of.
( SUSHIL M. GHODESWAR, J.)
khs/Sept.2026/279
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