Equivalent Citation: 2007CriLJ4289, 2007(9)SCALE689, (2007)10SCC795

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Criminal Appeal Nos. 1049-1050 of 2007 (Arising out of SLP (Crl. Nos. 4!-47 of 200! "e#i$e$ %n& 10.0'.2007 Appellants& State of U.P. Vs. (espon$ent& Govind Das @ Gudda and An . Hon!"#e $ud%es& Arijit Pasayat an$ D.K. Jain) **. Su"'e(t& C i)ina# A(ts*Ru#es*O de s& +n$ian Penal Co$e) 1'!0 - Se#tions ,4 an$ ,02 P io Histo + * Hi%, Cou t Status& -rom t.e *u$gment an$ %r$er $ate$ 17.05.2005 of t.e /ig. Court of *u$i#ature at Alla.a0a$ in Criminal Appeal No. 497' of 2002 an$ Criminal Appeal No. 52,4 of 2002 an$ (eferen#e No. ' of 2002 Case Note& C i)ina# - Mu de - Deat, senten(e a.a ded - Refe en(e to Hi%, Cou t fo (onfi )ation of senten(e - Convi(tion a#so (,a##en%ed - Hi%, Cou t "+ t,e i)/u%ned O de set aside t,e (onvi(tion and senten(e a.a ded - Hen(e / esent a//ea# - He#d0 a// oa(, of t,e Hi%, Cou t unsu//o ta"#e - Hi%, Cou t .as e1ui ed to ana#+se eviden(e to s,o. as to ,o. t,e (on(#usions of t,e T ia# Cou t as e%a ds a((e/ta"i#it+ of t,e eviden(e of an+ .itness .as e oneous0 .,i(, .as not done - Me e fa(t t,at t,e (o-a((used ,ad "een a(1uitted not suffi(ient to dis(a d t,e / ose(ution ve sion in its tota#it+ - In(o e(t )anne ado/ted to dea# .it, an a//ea# o efe en(e fo (onfi )ation of deat, senten(e - I)/u%ned 'ud%)ent set aside and )atte e)itted "a(2 fo f es, (onside ation - A//ea#s a##o.ed Ratio De(idendi& High Court required to analyse evidence to show as to how the conclusions of the Trial Court as regards acceptability of the evidence of any witness is erroneous. $UDGMENT A i'it Pasa+at0 $. 1. Lea1e grante$. 2. 2.ese appeals are against t.e 3u$gment of t.e "i1ision 4en#. of t.e Alla.a0a$ /ig. Court 05 6.i#. it $ire#te$ a#7uittal of t.e respon$ents. 4efore t.e /ig. Court t.e respon$ents .a$ 7uestione$ #orre#tness of t.e 3u$gment passe$ 05 A$$itional Sessions *u$ge) /amirpur) #on1i#ting t.e respon$ents for t.e offen#e punis.a0le un$er Se#tion 302 rea$ 6it. Se#tion 34 of t.e +n$ian Penal Co$e) 1'!0 (in s.ort t.e 8+PC8 9a#. of t.e a##use$ 6as senten#e$ to un$ergo life imprisonment an$ a fine of (s.20)000:- 6it. $efault stipulation. (espon$ent-;o1in$ "as 6as senten#e$ to $eat. for an offen#e punis.a0le un$er

Se#tion 302 +PC. +t is to 0e note$ t.at t.ere 6ere t6o $e#ease$ persons< one 6as Lo=nat. an$ t.e ot.er 6as Na1al >is.ore. A##use$ Sus.ila 6as a#7uitte$ 05 t.e trial Court. Sin#e a##use$ ;o1in$ "as 6as a6ar$e$ $eat. senten#e) t.e matter 6as referre$ to t.e /ig. Court for #onfirmation of t.e senten#e. 2.e t6o a##use$ persons preferre$ appeals 0efore t.e /ig. Court an$ a referen#e 6as ma$e relating to $eat. senten#e a6ar$e$. 45 t.e impugne$ or$er) t.e /ig. Court foun$ t.e a##use$ persons inno#ent an$ set asi$e t.e #on1i#tion an$ senten#e a6ar$e$. ,. 2.oug. man5 points 6ere urge$ in support of t.e appeals) 6e fin$ it unne#essar5 to go into t.ose 0e#ause of t.e #asual an$ summar5 6a5 of $isposal of t.e t6o appeals an$ t.e referen#e relating to t.e $eat. senten#e. 2.e /ig. Court after anal5?ing t.e e1i$en#e an$ stan$ of t.e a##use$ persons an$ t.e prose#ution in its 3u$gment running into 2, pages (in t.e paper 0oo= to t.is Court allo6e$ t.e appeals of t.e a##use$ persons 6it. t.e follo6ing o0ser1ations& @e .a1e #arefull5 s#rutini?e$ t.e e1i$en#e on re#or$. +n our opinion impli#it e1i$en#e #annot 0e pla#e$ on t.e testimonies of 0ot. e5e 6itnesses. 2.e5 .a1e impli#ate$ Smt. Sus.ila in t.e #rime. 2.e in1ol1ement of Smt. Sus.ila 6as to re#on#ile t.e #onfli#t in $ire#t an$ me$i#al e1i$en#e. Sin#e t.e pun#ture$ 6oun$ on t.e 0o$5 of Lo= Nat. 6ere of small $imensions) t.erefore) 6eapon 4ara#..i an$ pointe$ Sari5a 6as intro$u#e$ 05 t.e 6itnesses. After t.e a#7uittal of Smt. Sus.ila pun#ture$ 6oun$ remains uneAplaine$. Learne$ Sessions *u$ge .as alrea$5 .el$ t.at 4allam 6.i#. is allege$ to 0e re#o1ere$ on t.e pointing out of *ai >is.an is not 6eapon of #rime. 2.ere is no #orro0oration of an5 ot.er in$epen$ent testimon5 or of me$i#al e1i$en#e or in1estigation. +n 1ie6 of t.e $is#ussion ma$e a0o1e) 0ot. t.e appeals are allo6e$. 2.e #on1i#tion an$ senten#es a6ar$e$ 05 t.e trial Court are set asi$e. 2.e appellants are a#7uitte$ of t.e #.arges. 2.e appellants are in 3ail. 2.e5 s.all 0e release$ fort.6it. if not 6ante$ in an5 ot.er #ase. 2.e referen#e ma$e 05 learne$ Sessions *u$ge for t.e #onfirmation of $eat. senten#e is re3e#te$. 4. 2o sa5 t.e least) t.e approa#. of t.e /ig. Court is #learl5 unsupporta0le. +t $i$ not 0ot.er to e1en anal5se t.e e1i$en#e an$:or to refer to an5 fin$ing re#or$e$ 05 t.e trial #ourt as to in 6.at 6a5 t.e e1i$en#e 6as not a##epta0le. 2.e mere fa#t t.at t.e #o-a##use$ .a$ 0een a#7uitte$ is not suffi#ient to $is#ar$ t.e prose#ution 1ersion in its totalit5. +t is not un$erstoo$ as to 6.at 6as meant 05 t.e /ig. Court 05 stating t.at t.ere 6as no #orro0oration of 8in1estigation8. 2.is is not t.e 6a5 an appeal or referen#e for #onfirmation of $eat. senten#e is to 0e $ealt 6it.. @.en t.e /ig. Court 6as setting asi$e t.e or$er of #on1i#tion t.e least t.at 6as re7uire$ to 0e $one 6as anal5sis of t.e e1i$en#e to s.o6 as to .o6 t.e #on#lusions of t.e trial Court as regar$s a##epta0ilit5 of t.e e1i$en#e of an5 6itness 6as erroneous. 2.at apparentl5 .as not 0een $one. 5. 2.erefore) 6it.out eApressing an5 opinion on t.e merits of t.e #ase) 6e set asi$e t.e impugne$ 3u$gment of t.e /ig. Court an$ remit t.e matter to it for fres. #onsi$eration. Sin#e t.e matter is pen$ing sin#e long) 6e re7uest t.e /ig. Court to eAplore t.e possi0ilit5 of $isposal of t.e appeals an$ t.e referen#e ma$e to it relating to #onfirmation of $eat. senten#e 6it.in a perio$ of siA mont.s from t.e $ate of re#eipt of #op5 of t.is 3u$gment. 2.e appeals are a##or$ingl5 allo6e$ to t.e aforesai$ eAtent.