In Brief
A man was convicted of rape and murder after he forcibly assaulted a young woman and set her ablaze with kerosene oil. The High Court had overturned the rape conviction and reduced the murder charge to causing death by negligence. The Supreme Court reversed the High Court, restoring the original convictions. The Court found the evidence—including the victim's dying declaration, eyewitness testimony from her brother, and the victim's immediate outcry—conclusively established non-consensual rape. The method of burning with kerosene demonstrated clear intent to kill and silence the victim, constituting murder under section 302 IPC, not lesser negligence charges.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.