Tajima Bibi v. State of Assam
Case brief
What is this about?
Criminal appeal dismissed; Gauhati High Court upholds conviction under Section 304 (Part-II) Indian Penal Code for a single kick to the abdomen of an eight-months-pregnant woman causing death of mother and foetus; reliability and retention of eyewitness testimony including independent witness (PW-2) and related witnesses (daughters of deceased); minor inconsistencies/'exigencies' insufficient to discard testimony; 'falsus in uno falsus in omnibus' not applied mechanically; interested/partisan witnesses scrutinised with care and caution; medical and post-mortem corroboration (blunt-force antemortem contusion right hypochondriac region; syncope from ventricular fibrillation); rejection of rain-slip/accident 'two views' theory; Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, requisite knowledge of likelihood of death; precedents relied upon: Laxman v. State of Maharashtra (AIR 1974 SC 308), Anvaruddin v. Shakoor ((1990) 3 SCC 266), State of U.P. v. Noorie ((1996) 9 SCC 104); Sessions Case No. 137(K)/2008; G.R. Case No. 2774/05, Kamrup; identifiers GAHC010007662011 and 2025:GAU-AS:2446; bench: Justice Kaushik Goswami; judgment date 06.03.2025.