In Brief
A forest ranger was prosecuted for murder after firing a gun shot at a suspected sandalwood smuggler who was attempting to flee. The High Court had reduced the charge from murder (Section 302) to culpable homicide (Section 304 Part-II). The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant entirely, holding that: (1) the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt as both eyewitnesses were declared hostile; (2) the appellant was justified in exercising the right of private defence as the deceased party had pelted stones, damaged his vehicle, and threatened violence while outnumbering him; and (3) the ancillary charge of giving false information also failed once the main case collapsed.
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