In Brief
The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed against the High Court's acquittal of three accused charged with the murder of Mahipal on 25 March 1993. The trial court had convicted them under sections 302 and 34, IPC based primarily on eyewitness testimony from the complainant and two alleged eyewitnesses (including the deceased's wife). The Supreme Court upheld the acquittal, finding that the eyewitnesses' evidence was unreliable due to contradictions, unnatural behavior, and lack of internal consistency. The complainant had not witnessed the crime himself, and the eyewitnesses' suspicious conduct—including failure to lodge complaints themselves—undermined their credibility. The court held that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
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