In Brief
A group of assailants, including the appellant Raju Manjhi, committed a dacoity on the night of 11-12 January 1999 at the house of Kamdeo Singh, stealing gold ornaments, cash, and clothing while assaulting the inhabitants. The appellant was convicted under Section 396 of the IPC for dacoity with murder. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, holding that the appellant's confessional statement, combined with recovery of looted articles (wine pouches, money, clothes, chains, bangles) from his possession, satisfied Section 27 of the Evidence Act. Non-identification by witnesses did not vitiate the case as the confession itself established the appellant was guarding outside during the crime. The Court found motive unnecessary given the direct evidence and dismissed the appeal.
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