In Brief
Three accused were convicted of murdering Gokalbhai with axe and knife blows with common intention, and violating the Bombay Police Act. The High Court upheld the conviction. On appeal, the accused challenged the reliability of eyewitness testimony (injured companions of the deceased) claiming contradictions and lack of head injury in the postmortem. The Supreme Court held that injured eyewitnesses carry special credibility and that minor contradictions do not discredit trustworthy testimony. The postmortem showed ante-mortem injuries consistent with the prosecution narrative. The evidence proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt and common intention among the accused, supported by prior quarrel over outstanding rent.
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