In Brief
The State of Maharashtra appealed the High Court's acquittal of an accused charged under IPC Sections 201 and 34 for allegedly destroying evidence of murder. The sole eyewitness (PW7) had observed the crime in darkness without electricity and failed to identify the accused. She delayed reporting by one and a half months despite living in a densely populated area and did not raise an alarm immediately after witnessing the brutal crime. The Supreme Court, applying established principles on sole eyewitness testimony, held that such evidence must be reliable, confidence-inspiring, and corroborated by other material. Finding the eyewitness's account unreliable and unnatural, the Court affirmed the High Court's acquittal and dismissed the appeal.
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