In Brief
Murugan was convicted of kidnapping and murder under Sections 364 and 302/34 IPC, based on circumstantial evidence that he and his cousin Kumar invited the deceased (Murugan's father) for dinner, where the deceased died that night. Kumar died before trial; the trial continued against Murugan. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding eight linked circumstances—including Kumar's motive (rejected marriage proposal), their common presence with the deceased until 11 PM, his immediate death thereafter, Kumar's confession, and recovery of the murder weapon—established guilt beyond doubt. The Court held that the co-accused's death does not affect prosecution of the other when common intention is proved, and that Murugan's failure to explain the circumstances or discredit witnesses confirmed guilt.
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