News Desk, AnyTV, New Delhi
Published by: Amit Mandal
Updated Mon, 07 Mar 2022 10:27 PM IST
Summary
The apex court said that the evidence of the witnesses cannot be dismissed merely on the ground that they were relatives of the deceased.
The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the decision of the High Courts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, which acquitted three people in a 2007 murder case. The apex court said that the evidence of the witnesses cannot be dismissed merely on the ground that they were relatives of the deceased. The top court restored the trial court’s order in which the three accused were convicted under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to life imprisonment.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna observed that there is no material or material contradiction in the statements of the eyewitnesses and the injured eyewitnesses and they are relevant as far as the three accused are concerned. After going through the arguments made by the High Court, we are of the opinion that the High Court has unnecessarily given importance to some minor contradictions.
The top court delivered its verdict on appeals filed by the state government as well as the original complainant who had challenged the February 2018 decision of the high court. Apart from acquitting three accused, the High Court had also dismissed the appeal filed by the complainant who had challenged the trial court’s order acquitting eight other accused in the case. According to the prosecution, on January 18, 2007, all the accused had an illegal meeting and surrounded a vehicle in which the victim Rajasekhara Reddy and others were traveling.
Expansion
The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the decision of the High Courts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, which acquitted three people in a 2007 murder case. The apex court said that the evidence of the witnesses cannot be dismissed merely on the ground that they were relatives of the deceased. The top court restored the trial court’s order in which the three accused were convicted under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to life imprisonment.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna observed that there is no material or material contradiction in the statements of the eyewitnesses and the injured eyewitnesses and they are relevant as far as the three accused are concerned. After going through the arguments made by the High Court, we are of the opinion that the High Court has unnecessarily given importance to some minor contradictions.
The top court delivered its verdict on appeals filed by the state government as well as the original complainant who had challenged the February 2018 decision of the high court. Apart from acquitting three accused, the High Court had also dismissed the appeal filed by the complainant who had challenged the trial court’s order acquitting eight other accused in the case. According to the prosecution, on January 18, 2007, all the accused had an illegal meeting and surrounded a vehicle in which the victim Rajasekhara Reddy and others were traveling.