Sidram Atmaram Kamble v. the State of Karnataka
Case brief
What is this about?
Karnataka High Court, Dharwad Bench (Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty, 04.08.2025): de facto complainant's appeal under S.372 CrPC against acquittal in Special Case No.16/2012 (offences under IPC Ss.147, 323, 504, 506, 427 r/w 34 and S.3(1)(x) SC/ST (POA) Act, 1989). Acquittal upheld: hostile mahazar panch (PW4) as sole independent witness; no eyewitness to caste-name abuse; wound certificate not produced; doctor and Investigating Officer not examined; prosecution's failure to produce material witnesses for over six months; acquittal not perverse or illegal; appeal dismissed.
What did the court decide?
The prosecution failed to prove the charge sheeted offences: it examined no independent witness to the alleged caste-name abuse of PW3 and PW5 to PW8, and although PW3 and PW5 were said to be injured victims, the injuries were not proved — the wound certificate was not produced and the doctor who medically examined the victims was not examined; the Investigation Officer was also not examined.