In Brief
Udayakumar was convicted of murdering Purushothaman under Section 302 IPC, while being acquitted of conspiracy under Section 120-B. The other two accused were acquitted of both charges. The Supreme Court allowed his appeal, holding that when the High Court disbelieved the conspiracy theory and acquitted the principal conspirators on the same evidence, there was no basis to convict Udayakumar. The sole eyewitness identification was materially contradicted and unreliable, with no independent corroboration. The prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, requiring the Court to grant the benefit of doubt and quash the conviction.",
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.