In Brief
In a 1994 factional violence incident in Andhra Pradesh, four persons were killed in a coordinated attack involving bombs and sharp weapons. The trial court convicted 36 accused; the High Court acquitted all on credibility grounds. The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in wholesale rejection of eyewitness evidence based on minor inconsistencies and witness bias. The court affirmed that even unreliable evidence regarding some accused can support conviction of others if specific acts are consistently attributed and corroborated by medical evidence. Nine accused responsible for deaths caused by sickles and iron pipes were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment; others' acquittals were upheld.
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