In Brief
The Supreme Court overturned a High Court order that had quashed a murder charge (Section 302 RPC) and directed framing a lesser negligence charge (Section 304 RPC) instead. The deceased was made to stand on a live electrical transformer, and the accused deliberately called for the electricity supply knowing death would result. The Court held that at the charge-framing stage, a prima facie opinion based on investigation material suffices; the strict guilt-proof standard applicable at trial should not be applied. The High Court erred by applying trial-stage standards at the charge stage. The murder charge was reinstated.
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