In Brief
Appellants (original accused nos. 2-5) were convicted of murder under IPC sections 302 and 149 based solely on the eyewitness account of the victim's mother (PW8), who claimed to identify them during a dark night incident. The Supreme Court allowed their appeal and acquitted them, holding that while conviction can rest on a sole eyewitness, the testimony here contained material contradictions, unexplained improvements (like mention of chimney light not previously stated), and omissions between the witness's police statement and court evidence. The High Court erred by relying on statements recorded under Section 161 CrPC (which are inadmissible as direct evidence) to establish facts not mentioned in court testimony. With no independent corroboration and given the darkness at the time, the appellants were entitled to the benefit of doubt and were acquitted.
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