In Brief
The appellants were convicted by the High Court for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, reversing the Trial Court's acquittal. The Supreme Court examined whether prosecution evidence proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It found the High Court had improperly re-appreciated evidence, particularly relying on two chance witnesses whose testimonies contained material contradictions and suspicious circumstances. PW-6's failure to immediately report the incident and PW-17's unexplained flight from the locality undermined their credibility. Hostile witnesses' unconfronted police statements could not support conviction. The Court held that absent manifest illegality in the Trial Court's acquittal, the appellate court should not interfere where two interpretations of evidence are possible. The judgment restored the acquittal and released the appellants.",
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