In Brief
Four people, including a three-year-old child, were murdered in broad daylight on 20 February 2006. The sole eyewitness was Kesar Bai (PW-1), the grandmother and mother of three of the deceased. The trial court convicted the accused on her testimony, supported by ballistic and medical evidence, and imposed death penalty. The High Court reversed this, finding contradictions in PW-1's evidence. The Supreme Court allowed the State's appeal, holding that while there were minor discrepancies in PW-1's testimony, they did not undermine her credibility or the prosecution's case. The Court emphasised that the quality of evidence matters more than quantity, and a single reliable witness can sustain conviction, especially when corroborated by expert evidence. The conviction was restored, but the death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment."
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