In Brief
The appellants (original accused nos. 2 to 5) were convicted of murder under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC solely on the testimony of an eyewitness (Mullo Bai, the victim's mother). The Supreme Court allowed their appeal and acquitted them, holding that conviction cannot rest safely on a sole witness testimony rife with material contradictions, omissions and improvements. The witness's statement varied significantly between her examination under Section 161 CrPC and her court testimony regarding who restrained the victim, what weapons were carried, and the location of the incident. The Court emphasised that such contradictory evidence, combined with the dark night conditions and absence of independent corroborating witnesses, entitled the appellants to the benefit of doubt.
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