In Brief
Seven appellants convicted of murder and kidnapping under IPC Sections 302 and 364 read with Section 120B appealed their life sentences. The Supreme Court allowed their appeals and acquitted all appellants. The Court found serious defects in the prosecution case: PW 5, whose role was similar to the accused, testified without proper legal procedure (no Section 306 CrPC application for pardon) and lacked material corroboration. Key prosecution witnesses were declared hostile. The victim's name and one accused (Bharat Gurjar) were suspiciously absent from the original FIR, and no genuine abduction motive existed. The Court concluded the charge was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.
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