In Brief
Balaji was convicted of murder and attempted murder based primarily on the dying declaration of the deceased. The Supreme Court reversed the conviction, finding that the dying declaration contained numerous suspicious circumstances and lacked credible corroboration. The Court observed that the prosecution failed to establish a clear motive and had attempted to strengthen its case through successive revisions. Applying the principle that guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the Court allowed the appeal and granted the benefit of doubt to the accused.
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