In Brief
Virender Singh was convicted of murdering his 1½-year-old daughter by administering poison and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction was upheld by the High Court. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction on appeal. The principal prosecution witness—the mother and the accused's wife—took a contradictory stand in court, claiming the child had accidentally consumed poison kept in the house. The medical evidence established that death resulted from a head injury, not poisoning. The Court held that once the wife's testimony was discredited and declared hostile, the investigation statements against the accused could not be relied upon. Since the prosecution failed to establish how the accused caused the head injury and offered no opinion on whether poison administration was fatal, conviction could not be sustained. The appeal was allowed and the accused acquitted.">
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