In Brief
Padman Bibhar was convicted of murdering Akash Garadia and disposing of his body, based on being the 'last seen together' with the deceased. The Trial Court and High Court upheld the conviction. The Supreme Court acquitted Bibhar, holding that the 'last seen together' circumstance alone, without corroborating evidence such as recovery of the weapon at his instance or clear motive, is insufficient to sustain conviction. The Court emphasized that in circumstantial evidence cases, suspicion—however strong—cannot substitute legal proof, and conviction requires an unbroken chain conclusively pointing to guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
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