In Brief
Guru Dutt Pathak appealed against his conviction for murder under IPC Sections 302/34. The trial court had acquitted him, but the High Court reversed the acquittal on re-appreciation of evidence. The Supreme Court held that an appellate court may interfere with acquittal in exceptional cases where the judgment is perverse and findings are contrary to evidence. The Court found the trial court's grounds for acquittal (reliance on independent witnesses, absence of firearm injury, unexplained injuries on accused) were flawed. The eyewitness testimonies of PW2 and PW4 were reliable; the place of occurrence was established; and injuries on the accused were explained. The Court dismissed the appeal, upholding the conviction.
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