In Brief
The appellant, convicted of murdering her husband under Section 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment, was acquitted on appeal. The Court found that the prosecution failed to establish an unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence proving guilt beyond doubt. The last seen theory, unnatural conduct (not weeping), and a small recovered knife were insufficient. The post-mortem revealed severe chop wounds incompatible with the recovered weapon, and the appellant's physical capacity to inflict such injuries was questioned. Critically, the trial and High Courts failed to consider her Section 313 defence. The Court emphasised that accused persons must be given the benefit of doubt when prosecution evidence is incomplete.
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