In Brief
Two appellants were convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC (read with Section 34) and sentenced to life imprisonment based primarily on the sole eyewitness testimony of Parminder Singh, brother of the deceased victim. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction, holding that the witness's conduct was wholly unnatural and inconsistent with ordinary human behaviour—he made no attempt to rescue his brother despite being nearby, did not seek immediate medical aid from a nearby clinic, and failed to notify police or family. Combined with material discrepancies between the witness's account (5-minute incident) and medical evidence (15 injuries requiring considerable time), and investigative failures (blunt-tipped knife not shown to doctor), the Court found the sole testimony unsafe without corroboration and allowed the appeal, granting the appellants the benefit of doubt.",
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