In Brief
In this 1998 murder case, the Trial Court convicted four accused for killing two Scheduled Caste victims, relying partly on documents admitted as genuine by defence counsel under Section 294 CrPC and eyewitness testimony. The Allahabad High Court remitted the case for retrial, holding the accused had been deprived of fair trial. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and set aside the High Court's remand order, holding that Section 294 CrPC permits conviction based on admitted documents without formal proof of author signatures. The Trial Court properly appreciated credible eyewitness evidence and was not obliged to recall formal witnesses when defence counsel had deliberately and repeatedly admitted documents. The High Court was directed to decide the criminal appeals afresh on merits.
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