In Brief
The appellant was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for allegedly drowning his stepmother in a village pond after a land dispute. The prosecution relied on an extra-judicial confession to a village officer and testimony that the appellant was last seen dragging the deceased. The Supreme Court acquitted him, holding that the confession was unreliable—contradicted by the witness's examination-in-chief and made to a stranger. The circumstantial evidence lacked corroboration: the deceased had no injury marks despite allegedly being dragged considerable distance, crucial witnesses were not examined, and the post-mortem could not distinguish homicidal from accidental drowning. The 11-year conviction was set aside due to reasonable doubt.
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