In Brief
The respondent was convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife and minor child by burning them with kerosene. The High Court acquitted him, finding insufficient evidence. The Supreme Court reversed the acquittal, holding that consistent dying declarations—recorded multiple times before doctors, police officers, and civilians—can form the sole basis of conviction without corroboration. The deceased's statements clearly identifying the respondent as the perpetrator and mentioning dowry demands were corroborated by medical evidence, physical evidence (kerosene-soaked soil), and the accused's failure to provide any credible explanation. However, the Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment, finding that the 'rarest of rare cases' doctrine should not apply here.
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