State of Punjab v. Randhir Singh
Case brief
What is this about?
Appeal against acquittal in murder case where two dying declarations contradicted each other. Supreme Court affirmed High Court's acquittal due to lack of corroborative evidence and manifest contradictions in prosecution's dying declaration.
What did the court decide?
Appeals dismissed; acquittal affirmed.
What the court decided
NON-REPORTABLE
2024 INSC 489
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO(S). 660-661 OF 2015
STATE OF PUNJAB .…APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
RANDHIR SINGH ETC. ….RESPONDENT(S)
J U D G M E N T
Mehta, J.
- These appeals by special leave have been preferred by the State of Punjab to assail the judgment dated 17th July, 2014 rendered by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in Criminal Appeal Nos. 580 of 2002 and 606 of 2002 whereby, the learned Division Bench, allowed the appeals preferred by the respondents(accused) and acquitted them while reversing the judgment dated 12th July, 2002 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Faridkot(hereinafter referred to as ‘trial Court’) in
Sessions Case No. 118 of 1998. The learned trial Court had Signature Not Verified Digitally signed by geeta ahuja Date: 2024.07.09 16:18:10 IST c onvicted and sentenced the accused as below: - Reason:
Issues for consideration
3 issues framed by the court
Whether the dying declaration recorded by the ASI was reliable given contradictions with the dying declaration recorded by the Executive Magistrate and oral statements from hospital witnesses.
Whether the prosecution successfully established that the accused poured kerosene and set the victim on fire to eliminate her.
Whether the High Court correctly acquitted the accused in an appeal against acquittal.
Parties & counsel
- appellant
State of Punjab
- respondent
Randhir Singh
- respondent
Surjit Kaur alias Seeto
- respondent
Baldev Singh
- respondent
Karamjit Kaur
Case details
As recorded by the court registry
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Decided on
- · July
- Case no.
- 2024 INSC 489
- CNR
- 8743/2015
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