In Brief
The Supreme Court reversed the High Court's decision that had downgraded a murder conviction to culpable homicide. The accused was charged with killing Virendra Singh using a wooden stick at a wedding celebration in Uttarakhand. While the High Court accepted all eyewitness evidence but reduced the conviction based on the weapon being simple and claiming the assault was a sudden quarrel, the Supreme Court held that the severity of injuries (skull fracture, brain laceration, multiple stitches) and the deliberate targeting of vital body parts demonstrated clear intent to kill. The Court ruled that Exception 4 to Section 300 IPC (sudden fight in heat of passion) could not apply, especially given the time gap between initial altercation and the actual assault at midnight. The conviction for murder under Section 302 IPC was restored with life imprisonment.
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