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Supreme Court of India 2024-11-05 allowed

Karakkattu Muhammed Basheer vs The State of Kerala

Bench: 2 — Abhay S. Oka, Augustine George Masih

In Brief

The Appellant was convicted by the Sessions Court and the conviction was upheld by the High Court for the murder of a woman named Gouri under Section 302 IPC and causing disappearance of evidence under Section 201 IPC. The prosecution relied entirely on circumstantial evidence, claiming the Appellant murdered Gouri in a jealous rage over an illicit relationship. However, the Supreme Court found critical gaps: the deceased had left the house by 9:00 PM, yet the Appellant was seen entering only at 11:30 PM; witness identifications were based on assumptions rather than positive identification; crucial evidence recoveries lacked proper procedure; and the chain of circumstances was incomplete. The Court acquitted the Appellant, finding the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

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Criminal Law Evidence Circumstantial Evidence Murder Burden of Proof Identification Evidence Recovery Procedure

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