Holding

Credible eyewitness testimony outweighs the prosecution’s failure to explain minor injuries or to submit the bullet for forensic examination, and therefore the conviction stands.

Summary

The appellant was convicted of murder under Sections 302 and 34 IPC for shooting the deceased, based primarily on the testimony of three eyewitnesses. The defence argued that the prosecution failed to explain the minor injuries on the accused, did not submit the recovered bullet for chemical/ballistic examination, and did not seize blood from the cot, contending that these omissions should invalidate the conviction. The Supreme Court held that when eyewitness evidence is credible, cogent and trustworthy, the prosecution is not required to explain superficial injuries to the accused nor to submit the bullet for forensic analysis, and such omissions do not corrode the evidentiary value of the testimony. The Court also clarified that the bullet‑pellet confusion was resolved by medical evidence and that the lack of blood sample was a procedural defect but not fatal to the case. Consequently, the conviction of the appellant was upheld and the appeal dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the prosecution’s failure to explain minor injuries sustained by the accused undermines the case against him.
Whether the non‑submission of the recovered bullet for chemical/ballistic examination defeats the prosecution.
Whether the absence of a seized blood sample from the cot affects the credibility of eyewitness testimony.
Whether the confusion between a bullet and a pellet impacts the factual basis of the conviction.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973s. 162, s. 313
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 302, s. 34

Subjects

murdereyewitness testimonyballistic evidencenon‑explanation of injuriesburden of proofSection 302 IPCSection 34 IPCcriminal trial

Judgment

SURENDRA PASWAN A
v.
ST ATE OF JHARKHAND

NOVEMBER 28, 2003

[DORAISWAMY RAJU AND ARIJIT PASAYAT, JJ.] B

Criminal Trial:

Eye witnesses had seen bullet fired by the accused on the deceased-
Later on, a bullet was found embodied in the dead body of the deceased- C
Bullet not sent for chemical examination-Whether fatal to the prosecution
case-Held, no-When the evidence given by the eyewitnesses are credible,
cogent and trustworthy, merely because the bullet was not sent for ballistic
examination, it would not outweigh the testimonial worth ofthe eyewitness.

Minor injuries on the body of the accused in the same occurrence- D
Medical evidence not brought before the court-Whether fatal-No-It is
not an invariable rule that the prosecution has to explain the injuries
sustained by the accused-When the prosecution comes with a definite case
that the offence has been committed by the accused and prow~s its case
beyond any reasonable doubt it becomes hardly necess~ry for the pros- E
ecution to again explain how and under what circumstances injuries have
been inflicted on the person of the accused.

The deceased and accused were in the same trade union. Deceased
joined another union. When deceased and his son PW-4 had gone to F
take tea near the shop of PW-5, PW-1 and PW-2 were also sitting near
the shop. Suddenly the four accused persons came from the side of the
road. A3 came towards PW-4 and the deceased and directed that the
deceased should be assaulted. On hearing this, the Appellant took out
a pistol from his waist and fired at the deceased. Bullet hit the left eye
of the deceased as a result of which he fell on the ground. He was taken G ·
to hospital where he was declared dead.

Placing reliance on th~ evidence of the eyewitnesses, the trial
court convicted the accused persons. Appeal was file~ before the High
Court. A-I died during the pendency of the appeal, A-2 and A-3 were H
~., 1
322 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. 6 S.C.R.
A given benefit of doubt and were acquitted. However the conviction of
Appellant was confirmed by the High Court. Hence the appeal.

It was contended by the Appellant that though the prosecution
.
case was that one bullet was fired, tlie investigating officer during the
~

B course of evidence had stated that he recovered a pallet; that the bullet
which was found embodied on the body of the deceased was extracted
by the doctor who had handed it over to police and the same was not
sent for chemical examination; the injuries on the accused were not
explained by the prosecution and the investigation was perfunctory as
the medical report of the Appellant was not even collected and seized
C bullet was not sent for ballistic examination which was fatal to the
prosecution case.

It was contended by the State that three eyewitnesses specifically
deposed regarding the place of occurrence, the manner of assault and
D gave detailed description of the entire scenario; that the Trial Court
as well as the High Court had found the evidence credible, cogent and
trustworthy; that merely ,because th~ bullet was not sent for chemical
examination, it would not be a factor which would outweigh the
testimonial worth of the eyewitnesses.
E
Dismissing the Appeal, the Court

HELD : 1. Non-explanation of injuries by the prosecution would
not affect the prosecution case where injuries sustained by the accused
F were minor or superficial or where the evidence was so clear and
cogent, so independent and disinterested, so' probable, consistent and
creditworthy~ that it outweighs the effect of the omissiOn on t~e part
of the prosecution to explain the injuries. Prosecution is not called upon
in all. cases to e~plain the injuries received by the accused persons. It
is for the defence to put question to the prosec_.tion witness regarding
G the injuries of the accused persons. When t!tat is not done, there is no
occasion for the prosecution witnes~ to explain any injury on the
person o( an accused. Obligation of the prosecution to explain ,the
injuries·sustained by the accused in the same occurrence may not arise
in each and every case. When the prosecution comes with a definite
.H case that the offence has been committed by the accused and proves
SURENDRA PASW AN v. ST ATE OF JHARKHAND 323

it beyond any reasonable doubt, it becomes hardly necessary for tl)e A
prosecution to again explain how and under what circumstances the
injuries have been inflicted on the person of the accused. It is not so
when the injuries are simple or superficial in nature. In the case at
hand, trifle and superficial injUTies on 2ccused are of little assistance
to them to throw doubt on the veracity of prosecution case. B
(328-E-H; 329-A, BJ

1.2. Non-explanation of injuries may assume greater importance
wllere the defence gives a version, which competes in probability with
that of the prosecution. But where the evidence is clear, cogent and C
creditworthy and where the court can distinguish the truth from
falsehood the mere fact that the injuries are not explained by the
prosecution cannot by itself be a sole basis to reject such evidence and
consequently the whole case. (328-C-D)

.Mohan Rai and Bharat Rai v. The State of Bihar, (1968) 3 SCR 525; D
Lakshmi Singn & Ors. v. State of Bihar, (1976) 4 SCC 394 and Vijayee
Singh Ors. v. State of U.P., AIR (1990) SC 1459, relied on:

Sukhwant Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR (1995) SC 1601; Ramlagan
Singh v. State of Bihar, AIR (1972) SC 2593 and Hare Krishan Singh & E
Ors. v. State of Bihar, AIR (1988) SC 863, referred to.

2. So far as the non-seizure of blood from the cot is concerned, the
investigating officer had stated that he found blood stained earth at the
place of occurrence and had seized it. Merely because it was not sent for
chemical examination, it may be a defect in the investigation but does not F
corrode the evidentiary value of the eyewitnesses. The investigating officer ·
did not find presence of the blood on the cot. The trial court and the High
Court had analyzed this aspect. It has been found that after receiving the
bullet injury, the deceased leaned forward and whatever blood was
profusing spilled over to .the earth. (329-C-D)
G
3. The prosecution case will not fail only because the bullet having
been not sent for chemical examination. (329-E)

Sukhwant Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR (1995) SC 1601, distin-
guished. H
324 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. 6 S.C.R.

A 4. It has to be ncted that there was not even· a suggestion to any
of the prosecution witness· that the injuries were sustained by the
accused appellant in the manner indicated by him, as stated for the first
time in the stiltement unde.r Section 313 Cr.P.C. (329-G)

B 5. So far as tlie confusion relating to bullet and· pallet is concerned
the same has been claritied•by the doctor's evidence in his examination
who liad categorically stated'that there was only one injury on the body
of the deceased and no other injury was found anyw~ete on the person
of the d~ceas-ed. Tlierefore, the question of the deceased having
received any injury by a pallet_ stated to have been recovered by the
C inves,tigating officer is not established: The investigating officer had
cfa~ified that the butlet ~mbc:idied was given· to the police officials by
the docto~, which was initially not produced' as it·was in the Mikhana
but subsequently the witness was recalled and it was produced in court
[329;.ff; 330:.A-B)
D
CRIMINAL A~PELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No.
26 of 2003.

From the Judgment and Order dated 22.4.2002 of the Jharkhand High
Court at Ranchi in Crl. A. No. J-12 of 1996 (R).
E
A. Sharan; Mrs~ Poonam Sinha, Samir Ali Khan and Irshad Ahma!i
for the Appellant.

Anil Kumar Jha for the Respondent.

F The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

A·RIJJT PASA VAT, J; 0ne Barban Das (hereinafter referred· to as
the deceased) paid price for changing his loyalty from·one trade union to
another and Surendra(hereinafter referred to as the 'accused') was said ·to
be instrumental in taking-away his life. Four persons faced trial· for alleged
Q commission of offence punishable under Section 302' read with Section 34
of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short the 'IP€'). The trial Court
convicted· them accordingly.. The matter was carried in appeal before the
Jharkhand High Court which by the impugned order dismissed the appeal
filed by the accused-appellant and held that accusations·under Section 302
H IPC have· been made out against him who was accused· No. 4 before the
SURENDRA PASWAN v. STATE Of JHARKHAND [PASAYAT, J.] 325

trial Court. Kedar Dusadh (A-1) died during the pendency of the appeal A
before the High Court. Chandrika Das (A-2) and Krishna Kumar (A-3)
were given the benefit of doubt and their acquittal was directed.

Prosecution version as unfolded during trial is as follows:

At about 9 .30 a.m. on 1.8.1995 the deceased a:id !:is son Satyendra' B
Das (PW-4) had gone to take tea near the sh11>p of one ~iyaram (PW-5).
Hira Sao (PW- I) and Ravindra Sao (PW-2) were also sitting near the shop.
Suddenly, the four accused persons came from the side of the road.
Accused Krishna Kumar came towards the informant (PW-4) and the
deceased ·and directed that the deceased should be ·assaulted. On hearing C
this, accused appellant Surendra took out a pistol from his waist and fired
at the deceased. The bullet hit left eye of the deceased. After such firing
all the four accused persons fled away. On receiving the bullet injury,
deceased fell down and became unconscious. The informant with the help
of others took him to nearby hospital where he was declared dead. D
According to the infonnation given at the police station on which
investigation was started; the four accused persons were working in the
Katras Colliery. The deceased was a labour leader. Since he left the union
to which the accused persons belonged and joined another union, this has
caused annoyance to the accused persons and.because of this, the murder
was committed. After completion of investigation charge sheet was placed.' E
The accused persons pleaded false implication.

Placing reliance on the evidence of the eye-witnesses, the trial Court·
convicted the accused persons and the conviction was maintained by the
High Court so far as only the accused appellant is concerned. The High F
Court's judgment is under challenge in this appeal.

Learned counsel for the appellant submitted that the infonnation
given by the informant cannot be treated as a first information report as
the police officials had already received information about the incident.
Therefore, the statement made was hit by provisions of Section 162 of the G
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (in short the 'Cr.P.C.'). The place of
occurrence has been changed as no blood was seized from the cot where
the deceased was purportedly sitting at the time of attack. The so-called
eye witnesses had stated that blood had spilled over to the cot. Though the
prosecution case is that one bullet was fired, the investigating officer at H
326 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2003]SUPP. 6 S.C.R.
A certain stages in his statement in Court has stated that he recovered a pellet.'
Bullet and pellet are different things. The prosecution has suppressed the
actual scenario·and this is evident from the different types ofammunitiori
deposed about. The bullet which was found embodied on the body of the
deceased was extracted by the doctor who had handed it over to the police
B'. officials. The same was not sent for chemical examination. Therefore, the
conviction cannot be maintained. Additionally, the investigating officer
had accepted that the accused appellant was found at a distance of about
50 feet from the place of occurrence in an injured and unconscious stage
which necessitated his admission to hospital. The injuries ori the accused
were not explained by the prosecution and the investigation was perfunc-
'
C tory as is evident from the accepted fact that the medical. report of the
accused-appellant was not even collected and seized bullet was not sent ...
for ballistic examination. Strong reliance was placed on the decision of this_
Court in Sukhwant Singh v. State of Pu11Jab, AIR (1995) SC 1601 to
contend that same was fatal to the prosecution case. In the statement urider
]) Section 313 of the Cr.P.C. the accused appellant had taken a definite starid
that a shot was fired by the deceased which did not hit him and the deceased
and Satyendra Das, Munna Das, Hira Sao and Ravindra Sao assaulted him
and made him senseless. The injuries were of serious nature. The defence
version was more probable and therefore the conviction should be set aside
E was the plea.
'
In response, learned counsel for the State submitted that three eye-
witnesses specifically deposed regarding the place of occurrence, the
manner of assault and gave detailed description of the entire scenario. The
trial Court and the High Court have analysed their evidence and found to
F be credible, cogent and trustworthy. That being the posi.tion, there is no
scope for interference in this appeal. Further, there was a confusion
between bullet and pellet which has been clarified by the investigating
officer. Merely because the bullet whkh was extracted by the doctor was
not sent for chemical examination, it would not be a .factor which would
G outweigh the testimonial worth of the eye-witnesses. The injuries have not
been established by the accused to have been sustained in course of the
incident as per the prosecution version. There was not even a11y suggestion
about the defence version to any of the prosecution witnesses and for the
first tiine while giving statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. the plea has
H been taken.
SU~NDRA PASWAN v. STATE OF JHARKHAND [PASAYAT, J.J 327

We shall first deal with the question regarding non-explanation of A
injuries on the accused. Issue is if there is no such explanation what would
be its effect? We are not prepared to agree with the learned counsei for
the defence that in each and every case where prosecution fails to explain
the injuries found on some of the accused, the prosecution case should
automatically be rejected, without any further probe. In Mohar Rai and B
Bharath Rai v. The State of Bihar, [ 1968] 3 SCR 525, it was observed:

" .. .In our judgment, the failure of the prosecution to offer any
explanation in that regard shows that evidence of the prosecution
witnesses relating to the incident is not true or at any rate not
wholly true. Further those injuries probabilise the plea taken by C
the appellants."

In another important case Lakshmi Singh and Ors. v. State of Bihar, [1976]
4 SCC 394, after referring to the ratio laid down in Mohar Rai 's case
(supra), this Court observed: D
"Where the prosecution fails to explain the injuries on the
accused, two results follow:

(1) that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses is untrue; E
and (2) that the injuries probabilise the plea taken by the
appel Iants."

It was further observed that:

"In a murder case, the non-explanation of the injuries sustained p
by the accused at about the time of the occurrence or in the course
of altercation is a very important circumstance from which the
Comt can draw the following inferences:

(I) that the prosecution has suppressed the genesis and the G
origin of the occurrence and has thus not presented the true
version;

(2) that the witnesses who have denied the presence of the
injuries on the person of the accused are lying on a most material
point and, therefore, their evidence is unreliable; H
328 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. 6 S.C.R.

-- A (3) that in case there is a defence version which explains the
injuries on the· person of the accused assumes much greater
importance where the evidence consists of interested or inimical
witnesses or where the defence gives a version which competes
in probability with that of the prosecution one."
B
In Mohar Rai 's case (supra) it is made clear that failure of the
prosecution to offer any explanation ~egarding the ir.juries found on the
accused may show that the evidence related to the incident is not true or
at any rate not wholly true. Likewise in Lakshmi Singh 's case (supra) it
is observed that any non-explanation of the injuries on the accused by the
C prosecution may affect the prosecution case. But such a non-explanation
may assume greater importance where the defence gives a version which
competes in probability with that of the prosecution. But where the
evidence is clear, cogent and creditworthy and where the Court can
distinguish the truth from falsehood the mere fact that the injuries are not
D explained by the prosecution cannot by itself be a sole basis to reject·such
evidence, and consequently the whole ·case. Much depends on the facts and
circumstances of each case. These aspects were highlighted by this Court
in Vijayee Singh and Ors. v. State of U.P., AIR (1990) SC 1459.

E Non-explanation of injuries by the prosecution will not affect
prosecution case where injuries sustained by the accused are minor and
superficial or where the evidence is so clear and cogent, so independent
and disinterested, so probable, consistent and creditworthy, that it out-
weighs the effect of the omission on the part of prosecution to explain the
F injuries. As observed by this Court in Ramlagan Singh v. State of Bihar,
AIR (1972) SC 2593 prosecution Is not called upon i_n all cases to explain
the injuries received by the accused persons. It is for the defence to put
questions to the prosecution witnesses regarding the injuries of the accused
persons. When that is not done, there is no occasion for the prosecution
witnesses to explain any injury on the person of an accused. In Hare
G Krishna Singh and Ors. v. State of Bihar, AIR (1988) SC 863, it was
observed that the obligation of the prosecution to explain the injuries
sustained by the accused in the same occurrence may not arise in each and
every case. In other words, it is not an invariable rule that the prosecution
has to explain the injuries sustained by the accused in the same occurrence.
H If the witnesses examined on behalf of the prosecution are believed by the
SURENDRA PASWAN v. STATE OF JHARKHAND [PASAYAT, J.} 329

Court in proof of guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt, question A
of obligation of prosecution to explain injuries sustained by the accused
will not arise. When the prosecution comes with a definite case that the
offence has been committed by the accused and proves its case beyond any
reasonable doubt, it becomes hardly necessary for the prosecution to again
explain how and under what circumstances injuries have been inflicted on B
the person of the accused. It is more so when the injuries are simple or
superficial in nature. In the case at hand, trifle and superficial injuries on
accused are of little assistance to them to throw doubt on veracity of
prosecution case.

So far as the non seizure of blood from the cot is concerned, the c
investigating officer has stated that he found blood stained earth at the place
of occurrence and had seized it. Merely because it was not sent for chemical
examination, it may be a defect in the investigation but does not corrode
, the evidentiary value of the eye-witnesses. The investigating officer did not
find presence of blood on the cot. The trial Court and the High Court have D
analysed this aspect. It has been found that after receiving the bullet injury
the deceased leaned forward and whatever blood was profusing spilled
over to the earth.

So far as the effect of the bullet being not sent for chemical
examination, it has to be noted that Sukhwant Singh 's case (supra) is not E
an authority for the proposition as submitted that whenever a bullet is not
sent for chemical examination the prosecution has to fail. In that case one
of the factors which weighed with this Court for not finding the accused
guilty was the prosecution's failure to send the weapon and the bullet for
ballistic examination. In the instant case, the weapon was not seized. That F
makes a significant factual difference between Sukhwant Singh 's case
(supra) and the present case.

It has to be noted that there was not even a suggestion to any of
the prosecution witnesses that the injuries were sustained by the accused- G
appellant in the manner indicated by hiin, as stated for the first time in ·
the statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C.

So far as the confusion relating to bullet and pellet is concerned, the
same has been clarified by the doctor's evidence. In his examination the
doctor (PW-3) has categorically stated that there was only one injury on H
330 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. 6 S.C.R.

A the body of the deceased and no other injury was found anywhere on the
person of the deceased. Therefore, the question of the deceased having
received any injury by a pellet stated to have been ,recovered by the
investigating officer is not established. The investigating officer has
clarified that the bullet embodied was given to.the police officials by the
B doctor which was initially not produced as it was in the. Malkhana but
subsequently the witness was recalled and it was .produced in Court.

Though it may not be having any determinative .value, certain
suggestions given to the witnesses make interesting reading~ A question
was put to PW-4 in cross examination which reads as follows:
c [
"x x x x x

It is not correct that Hira, Ravindra did not run to .catch the
accused persons, rather they themselves ran away".

D This in a way p~obabilises the prosecution version and does not i~
any way establish the defence version as is indicated for the first
. . . . .
time in' )
the statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. and has pleaded be.fore this ~oui:t
to be a ground for doubting the veracity of the prosecution version. ·

E The well reasoned judgments of the trial Court .and the High Court
do not need any interference. The appeal is withqut any m~rit and is
- •I !~J

dismissed. ' l ' ..:: ~

l
R.K.S. Appeal dismissed.
. ..

.,