In Brief
Dr. Subbiah, a Chennai neurologist, was brutally attacked and killed in a land dispute. A multi-year conspiracy led by his antagonists to seize a disputed 2-acre property culminated in his murder on September 14, 2013, by hired assailants. The trial court convicted all nine conspirators. The High Court acquitted them, heavily doubting the approver's evidence and discrediting eyewitnesses. The Supreme Court reversed the acquittal, holding that the approver's testimony—which improved after gaining judicial pardon from his accused status—was lawfully admissible and stood corroborated by independent evidence. The court emphasized that conspiracies need not always remain secret and restored all convictions, sentencing the conspirators to life imprisonment.
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