In Brief
Surendra Puri was convicted of murder under IPC Section 302 for striking the deceased's neck with a 'Daraanti' (sickle) during an assault in August 1980. The trial court and High Court both found him guilty based on credible eyewitness testimony. In this Article 136 appeal, Puri challenged the concurrent findings, arguing the evidence was weak and a key witness was not examined. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that concurrent findings of fact by two courts cannot be lightly disturbed. The High Court had properly re-appreciated all evidence, found the eyewitnesses credible, and given elaborate reasons for affirming the conviction. Such concurrent findings based on proper evidence re-appraisal are binding.
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