In Brief
Siju Kurian was accused of murdering Jose C Kafan, a farm owner, on 2 December 2011 by striking him with an iron rod. The Trial Court acquitted him, but the High Court reversed the decision and convicted him. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding that the Trial Court had erroneously ignored material evidence. The Court found that the accused was last seen with the deceased, made a voluntary confession to police (admissible despite language issues), led police to the hidden body and stolen articles, and attempted to sell the deceased's land by impersonating his son. The chain of circumstantial evidence—employment, motive, presence, recovery, and attempted fraud—collectively proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court dismissed the appellant's appeal.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.