In Brief
A woman died in suspicious circumstances after repeatedly complaining that her estranged husband was harassing her and threatening to kill her. He was arrested and granted bail by the High Court. Her mother appealed to the Supreme Court after her family—key prosecution witnesses—suddenly turned hostile during trial, retracting earlier statements made within just 20 days. The Supreme Court held that the abrupt reversal suggested witness intimidation. It cancelled the bail, finding cogent evidence that the accused had emboldened opportunity to influence witnesses through money and muscle power. The Court invoked constitutional powers to recall the family witnesses for fresh cross-examination in a protected environment, emphasizing that fair trials require vibrant justice systems where victims' voices are heard and perpetrators do not escape justice.
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