In Brief
A father was convicted of murdering his teenage son with a licensed shotgun and sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 302 IPC. The appeal challenged the conviction, contending there was no direct evidence, no motive, and the death could be suicide. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding a complete chain of circumstantial evidence: gunshot residue on the accused's dominant right hand, the false narrative (claiming suicide by screwdriver immediately after finding the body), and medical evidence of a close-range chest wound inconsistent with self-infliction. The Court held that while motive is important, its absence does not defeat conviction when circumstantial evidence forms a complete chain pointing only to guilt, not innocence.
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