In Brief
Four persons were killed in attacks in Rajasthan in 2013. The appellants were convicted of murder and sentenced to death by a trial court. On appeal, the appellants challenged the conviction because twelve prosecution witnesses had been examined without ensuring the appellants' presence in court, violating Section 273 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The High Court directed a de novo examination of these twelve witnesses in the appellants' presence, rather than declaring the entire trial void. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's order, holding that while Section 273's violation was a breach of procedural fairness, it was curable through re-examination of witnesses. The court dismissed the appeal, ruling that re-examination with the appellants present would protect both procedural fairness and the interests of justice.
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