In Brief
A man was convicted of mobile phone snatching under Section 379-A IPC based on the victim's in-court identification after over six months and recovery of the phone through a co-accused's statement. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction, holding that when an accused is identified by the victim for the first time in court without a proper Test Identification Parade, after a substantial delay, and especially where the victim had only a fleeting glimpse, the identification becomes unreliable. The Court found the prosecution had not established guilt beyond reasonable doubt and acquitted the appellant.
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