Devdhar @ Devkumar Binjhwar v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
Hostile witness - grain from chaff, partial reliance with corroboration (Koli; Muniappan); benefit of doubt when two views possible (Kali Ram); complete chain of circumstantial evidence (Sharad Birdhichand Sarda); Section 27 Evidence Act discovery statement and recovery not conclusive proof (Damu Gopinath Shinde); culpable homicide vs murder - genus/species, knowledge without intention, sudden quarrel, no premeditation, alteration Section 302 to Section 304 Part-II (Rayavarapu Punnayya; Pulicherla Nagaraju factors - weapon, body part, injuries, premeditation); Section 201 IPC ingredients - causing disappearance of evidence, screening offender, mere knowledge insufficient (M.V. Mahesh); Section 34 common intention - prior meeting of minds, not presumable (Krishnan; Suresh); appellate duty to independently reappreciate evidence (Ghurey Lal; Chandrappa); sentencing proportionality and rehabilitation (Bawa Singh); sentence reduced to period already undergone; release orders and Rs. 25,000 bonds under Section 437-A CrPC / Section 481 BNSS; FSL human blood on seized iron Tangia; strangulation and Tangia-handle assault; Zero FIR and regular Crime No. 385/2022; High Court of Chhattisgarh, criminal appeal under Section 415(2) BNSS, 2026.