In Brief
The appellant was convicted under Section 379-A IPC for snatching a mobile phone and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The Supreme Court allowed his appeal and acquitted him. The victim identified the appellant for the first time in court, over six months after the incident, without a Test Identification Parade and having seen the alleged snatcher only briefly. The mobile phone was recovered based on the co-accused's disclosure statement. The Court held that such delayed identification, without proper procedure and based on a few seconds of observation, creates reasonable doubt about whether the victim could actually identify the appellant. The prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, entitling the accused to the benefit of doubt.
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