Case brief
What is this about?
Orissa High Court (S.K. Sahoo, J., 04.04.2024) allowed CRLA Nos. 21, 504 & 719 of 2012 against conviction under section 395 IPC for alleged dacoity of 13.06.2010 near Master Canteen/Palasuni, Bhubaneswar (cash Rs.8,000/-, two mobiles, suitcase of informant P.W.4). Held: dacoity requires five or more persons; charge and conviction bad; identification evidence unreliable due to omission of known accused's names from F.I.R., prior police identification destroying sanctity of T.I. parade, non-examination of the Magistrate, and unproved recovery of articles; no material against Baikuntha Bhoi and Prasanta Nayak beyond co-accused confession. Precedents relied on: Ram Lakhan (A.I.R. 1983 Supreme Court 352); Ram Shankar Singh (A.I.R. 1956 Supreme Court 441); Tukuna Rauta ((2021) 84 Orissa Criminal Reports 55); Amitsingh Bhikamsingh Thakur ((2007) 2 Supreme Court Cases 310); Dhananjay Shanker Shetty ((2002) 6 Supreme Court Cases 596); Umesh Chandra ((2021) 17 Supreme Court Cases 616).