Narbada Prasad vs State Of Chhattisgarh on 25 April, 2026

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    Chattisgarh High Court

    Narbada Prasad vs State Of Chhattisgarh on 25 April, 2026

    Author: Ramesh Sinha

    Bench: Ramesh Sinha

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    Digitally signed by                                                      2026:CGHC:19127-DB
    ALOK SHARMA
    Date: 2026.04.28
    10:53:48 +0530                                                                             NAFR
    
                                   HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
    
    
                                                   CRA No. 206 of 2023
    
                          1 - Narbada Prasad S/o Amarsay Cherwa Aged About 40 Years R/o Lie,
                          Mouhripara, Police Station Podi, District-Koriya (C.G.)
                                                                                  ... Appellant(s)
    
                                                           versus
    
                          1 - State of Chhattisgarh Through-Station House Officer, Police Of
                          Police Station-Podi, District Koriya (C.G.)
                                                                          ... Respondent(s)

    For Appellant(s) : Mr. Gyan Prakash Shukla, Advocate.
    For Respondent(s) : Mr. Shailendra Sharma, Advocate.

    Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice
    Hon’ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Judge

    SPONSORED

    Judgment on Board
    Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice.

    25/04/2026

    1. Present is a criminal appeal under Section 374(2) of the Code of

    Criminal Procedure filed by the appellant against the impugned

    judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 24.11.2022 passed

    by the learned Second Additional Sessions Judge, Manendragarh,

    District Koriya (C.G.) in Sessions Case No. 36/2019, whereby the

    learned trial Court has convicted the appellant under Section 302 of the

    Indian Penal Code and sentenced him in the following manner:-
    2

    Conviction Sentence
    U/s 302 of Indian Penal Life Imprisonment and fine amount
    Code. of Rs. 1000/-, in default of payment
    of fine further RI for 15 days.

    2. The brief facts of the case are that on 07.03.2019 the complainant Son

    Sai lodged Dehati Nalishi Ex.P/1, to the Police Assistance Centre,

    Nagpur, Police Station Podi, District Koriya, informing that Up-

    Sarpanch Heeradas Vaishnav informed him that at Mauharipara pit, a

    person in an injured condition is lying. When he went on the spot, the

    injured disclosed his name, Lala alias Suleshwar, a resident of village

    Dugla and informed that they came there on a picnic, and four persons

    had assaulted him, but he could not disclose the names of the persons

    who assaulted him. The Police went there on the spot and then sent

    him to the Community Health Centre, Manendragarh. He was medically

    examined by Dr. Rakesh Soni PW-28, who gave him his report,

    Ex.P/41. He advised an X-ray of the skull and CT-Scan of the head.

    After his primary treatment, he was referred to District Hospital

    Baikunthpur, where he died on 07.03.2019 during treatment. The death

    intimation Ex.P/21 was sent by the doctor to Police Station City Kotwali

    Baikunthpur, where unnumbered merg intimation Ex.P/22 was

    recorded. Inquest Ex.P/11-A of the dead body of the deceased was

    prepared in the presence of the witnesses, and the dead body was

    sent for its post-mortem to District Hospital Baikunthpur. Dr. Surendra

    Painkra PW-17, conducted the post-mortem of the dead body of the

    deceased and gave his report, Ex.P/23. While conducting the post-

    mortem, the doctor found the following injuries on the body:
    3

    Injury:- Stitched wound over vertex of head 5 stitches, 3″

    in size, stitch wound over (L) distal end of leg 1½”, 3 stitch,
    anterior bleeding, abrasion over Rt forearm 4½ × 1 cm, Rt
    lat malleolus 2 × 2 cm, (L) forearm 3″ linear, multiple
    abrasion over (R) elbow region, 2 × 2, 1 × 1 cm., contusion
    over lateral (Rt) buttock 6″ × 4″ bluish, stab wound over
    mid back of hip region 1 × 1 cm.

    3. The doctor has opined that the injuries are ante-mortem, caused by a

    hard, blunt and pointed object, and head injury is sufficient to cause

    death and has also opined that the mode of death is coma due to head

    injury, which is homicidal in nature. The merg intimation was

    transferred to the jurisdictional police of Police Station Podi, District

    Koriya, where numbered merg-intimation Ex.P/27 was recorded. The

    FIR Ex.P/40 was registered against an unknown person for the offence

    under Section 307 of IPC based on Dehati Nalishi Ex.P/1, lodged by

    complainant Son Sai PW-1. Spot Map Ex.P/2 was prepared by the

    Police and Ex.P/39 was prepared by the Patwari. The blood stained

    and plain soil was seized from the spot vide seizure memo Ex.P/3. One

    broken mobile phone and the keys of the motorcycle have also been

    seized from the spot vide seizure memo Ex.P/4. During the

    investigation, it was disclosed that one Krishna Bai was injured in the

    incident, and then she too was sent for her medical examination to

    Community Health Centre, Manendragah, where she was being

    medically examined by Dr Kiran Kishore PW-19, who gave the MLC

    report Ex.P/26 and found a bruise on the right tempro-partial-occipital

    area of scalp and another bruise on back of the right knee. The injuries

    were simple in nature, caused by a hard and blunt object. From the

    statement recorded under section 161 Cr.P.C. of Krishna Bai it also
    4

    disclosed that the appellant committed marpeet with her and the

    deceased Lala and then the appellant was taken into custody on

    10.03.2019, and his memorandum statement Ex.P/15 was recorded.

    Based on his memorandum statement, one leg of the cot and one

    bamboo club having iron nail were seized vide seizure memo Ex.P/16,

    one mobile phone and a blood-stained gamcha were seized from the

    appellant vide seizure memo Ex.P/18. The leg of the cot was sent for

    its query report to the doctor, who gave his query report Ex.P/42, in

    which he answered that the injuries found on the body of the deceased

    could have been caused by the said leg of the cot and for confirmation

    of blood, he referred it for its chemical examination. The bamboo club

    was also sent for its query report to the doctor, and as per the opinion

    of the doctor Ex.P/25, the injury may be caused by the said club and

    for confirmation of blood, it was also referred for its chemical

    examination. The blood-stained and plain soil, gamcha, leg of the cot

    and bamboo club seized from the appellant, full shirt, t-shirt, pant, and

    underwear of the deceased were sent for their chemical examination to

    Regional FSL Ambikapur, District Surguja, from where report Ex.P/37

    was received, and human blood was found on all the sent articles

    except the plain soil. ‘O’ group of human blood was found on the blood-

    stained soil. Statement of the witnesses under Section 161 of Cr.P.C.

    has been recorded, and after completion of the usual investigation

    charge-sheet was filed against the appellant before the learned Judicial

    Magistrate First Class, Manendragarh, for the offence under Section

    307, 302 of IPC.

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    4. The case was committed to the Court of Learned Sessions Judge,

    Koriya, from where it has been transferred to the learned trial Court for

    its trial. The learned trial Court has framed charge against the appellant

    for the offence under Section 307, 302 of IPC. The appellant denied

    the charge and claimed trial.

    5. In order to prove the charge against the appellant, the prosecution has

    examined as many as 28 witnesses. Statement of the appellant under

    Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has also been

    recorded, wherein he denied all the incriminating circumstances

    appearing against him, pleaded innocence and stated that he has been

    falsely implicated in the present case. The appellant did not examine

    any defence witness in support of his case.

    6. After appreciation of the oral and documentary evidence adduced by

    the parties, the learned trial Court convicted and sentenced the

    appellant as mentioned herein above, which has been assailed by way

    of the present appeal

    7. Learned counsel for the appellant would submit that the prosecution

    has failed to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt and that

    there are material omissions and contradictions in the statements of

    the prosecution witnesses, rendering their evidence unreliable. It is

    further contended that the case rests primarily on the testimony of the

    injured eye-witness, PW-3 Krishna Bai, who was allegedly injured by

    the assault made by the appellant, but she turned hostile and has not

    supported the prosecution’s case. The dead body of the deceased was

    found in a pit far away from the house of the appellant, and from the
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    evidence of the witnesses, it clearly reveals that he was not being

    assaulted by the appellant but assaulted by some other person who

    came there to enjoy a picnic. The only piece of evidence against the

    appellant is the human blood found on the gamcha, the leg of the cot

    and the bamboo club allegedly seized from him. In the absence of any

    corroborative evidence, the FSL report and the presence of blood are

    not sufficient to hold the appellant guilty, particularly when the

    prosecution could not establish the blood group of the deceased, as

    well as the blood group of the blood found on the clothes seized from

    the appellant. There is no evidence on record that the appellant was

    last seen with the deceased or that he was having any animosity or

    motive to assault him when the injured witness, PW-3 Krishna Bai,

    herself is not support the prosecution’s case, the deceased himself

    disclosed that he was being assaulted the persons who came in the

    picnic the appellant cannot be convicted, therefore, the appeal may be

    allowed and the appellant may be acquitted.

    8. Per contra, learned counsel appearing for the State has opposed the

    submissions made on behalf of the appellant and submitted that the

    prosecution has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. It is

    contended that the case is based on the testimony of injured

    eyewitness PW-3, though she turned hostile, but she, being the wife of

    the appellant, has not supported the prosecution’s case. From the

    evidence of other witnesses and also from the FSL report. The

    involvement of the appellant in the offence in question has been

    established, and the learned trial Court has rightly convicted him for the
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    alleged offence. The appeal filed by the appellant has no merit, and the

    same is liable to be dismissed.

    9. We have heard learned counsel for the parties, considered the rival

    submissions advanced, and perused the record of the trial Court with

    due circumspection.

    10. The homicidal death of the deceased Lala alias Suleshwar has been

    duly proved by the prosecution on the basis of the medical evidence of

    PW-28/Dr. Rakesh Soni, who medically examined the deceased at

    CHC, Manendragarh, found a lacerated wound on the left posterior

    parietal region of the head, a lacerated wound on the left leg and a

    contusion on the left frontal region of the head and referred for his X-

    ray of the skull and CT scan of the head. The homicidal death of the

    deceased is also proved by the evidence of PW-17 Dr. Surendra

    Painkra, who conducted the post-mortem of the dead body of the

    deceased and found injuries on the dead body and opined that the

    injuries found on the body of the deceased are ante-mortem, caused

    by hard, blunt and pointed object. Head injury is sufficient to cause

    death, and opined that the mode of death is coma due to head injury,

    and the nature of death is homicidal. In the cross-examination of

    witnesses, nothing has been asked by the defence to discredit his

    evidence on the nature and mode of death of the deceased. The

    evidence of these medical doctors has been supported by the evidence

    of PW-8 Feku Ram, who is the witness to the inquest Ex.P/11-A and

    also the evidence of PW-16, R. R. Bhagat, who received the death

    information of the deceased from the hospital. Nothing on record to

    discredit these evidences that the death of the deceased is homicidal
    8

    in nature and thus we found that the consideration of the learned trial

    Court regarding nature and mode of death of the deceased his death

    was homicidal in nature is supported by proper appreciation of

    evidence.

    11. So far as the involvement of the appellant in the offence question is

    concerned, the prosecution has mainly relied upon the evidence of

    Krishna Bai PW-3, who was the injured witness, but she turned hostile

    and has not supported the prosecution’s case. She is the wife of the

    appellant and denied about any incident. She also denied by giving her

    161 Cr.P.C. statement to the Police.

    12. PW-1, Sonsai, was the Sarpanch of Village Lai. He was being informed

    by Bindeshwar Prasad that a person was lying in the pit at

    Mauharipara, when he went there, the injured informed him that he,

    along with his four friends, came there to enjoy a picnic and they threw

    him in the pit and went away. He informed the police through mobile

    phone, and on his report, Dehati Nalishi Ex.P/1, was recorded. The

    witness has also been declared hostile and does not support the

    prosecution’s case. In cross-examination, he admitted that the place of

    the incident is a picnic spot and the number of persons who used to

    visit there. He also admitted that the visitors used to drink liquor there,

    and the quarrel between them after consuming liquor usually occurred

    there. In his evidence, it has not been established that the appellant is

    connected with the offence in any manner.

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    13. PW-2, Amar Sai, is the father of the appellant. He is completely hostile

    and does not support the prosecution’s case. He also denied his police

    statement, Ex.P/6.

    14. PW-4, Ram Sai, is the son of the appellant and also did not support the

    prosecution’s case, and completely turned hostile.

    15. PW-5 Urmila, is the second wife of the appellant. She also has not

    supported the prosecution, and nothing has been stated against the

    appellant.

    16. PW-6, Rajesh Kumar, is the cousin brother of the deceased Lala alias

    Sureshwar. He stated in his evidence that when he was on duty at

    CHC, Mandragarh. He saw his brother, who was being taken to the

    hospital in an injured condition. When he asked about the incident from

    him, he did not disclose anything about the assault. He was shifted to

    Baikunthpur hospital, where he died. He too has not stated anything

    about the appellant or the assailant who caused injuries to the

    deceased.

    17. PW-7, Shyam Singh alias Daroga, is the person who went on the spot

    when they received information about the incident. He too, has turned

    hostile and supported the prosecution’s case.

    18. PW-8, Fekuram, is the father of the deceased Lala alias Suleshwar. He

    stated in his evidence that when he received information about the

    injuries of his son, he also went to Baikunthpur hospital, where he saw

    his dead body. On 10.03.2019, the police called him to the place where

    his son was found in an injured condition. Where the appellant
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    disclosed that he assaulted the deceased Lala alias Suleshwar inside

    his house, and thereafter he ran away from there. He also disclosed

    that he saw the deceased Lala chatting with his wife, and for that

    reason, he assaulted him. In his cross-examination, he admitted that

    he had gone to village Lai after 3 – 4 days of the incident. He

    subsequently came to know that his son had gone along with his two

    friends. He voluntarily stated that he had gone alone. From the

    evidence of this witness, except for the fact that at the place of the

    incident, in the presence of the police, the appellant informed that he

    assaulted the deceased, nothing has been disclosed by him that

    implicates the appellant in the offence in question. He was neither an

    eyewitness to the incident nor the witness about living the house by his

    son.

    19. PW-9, Ranu Sonwani, is the sister of the deceased. She too has stated

    that after 3 days, when Nagpur Police called them, they had gone to

    the house of the appellant along with the police persons, where the

    appellant disclosed that he assaulted the deceased Lala alias

    Suleshwar. He also disclosed the reason that the deceased entered his

    house; therefore, he assaulted him. His father has suspected that the

    injury caused by the rod appeared on the body of the deceased, and

    the deceased could not have died from the assault made by the leg of

    the cot. In cross-examination, she stated that his brother left the house

    at 02:00 pm alone and subsequently, she came to know that two

    persons of his own community accompanied him from Biharpur to

    Kathautiya. The police have not recorded her statement.
    11

    20. PW-10, Smt. Ram Bai is the mother of the deceased. She stated in her

    evidence that after 3 days of the incident, her husband informed her

    that the appellant had admitted before the Police that he had assaulted

    her son. In cross-examination, she admitted that on the day when the

    deceased left the house, she was not there. She also admitted that

    subsequently she came to know that two persons of her own

    community accompanied her son, from Biharpur to Kathautiya.

    21. PW-11 Heera Das Vaishnav and PW-12 Shri Ram are the villagers of

    village Lai. He also saw the injured in a pit and took him out of there.

    He also turned hostile and did not support the prosecution’s case.

    22. PW-13, Samaru Kurre, and PW-14, Sheshnarayan, are the witnesses

    to the memorandum Ex.P/15 and seizure memo Ex.P/16 and Ex.P/18.

    Though initially they did not support the seizure of the weapon of

    offence, but after declaring them hostile, they supported the seizure. In

    cross-examination, he admitted that the deceased Suleshwar alias

    Lala was his nephew. On the date when the post-mortem of the

    deceased was conducted, the police had taken his signature over

    various documents, and thereafter, he never visited the police station.

    At the time he signed the documents, the appellant Narbada was not

    present there.

    23. PW-15 Gender Tirkey, PW-16 R. R. Bhagat, PW-18 Dilip Singh, PW-20

    Sanjay Bhagat, PW-21 Ramnayan Gupta, PW-22 Arvind Kol, PW-24

    Kumar Sai Thakur, PW-26 Samrit Maravi are the police personnel who

    conducted part of the investigation and procedural witnesses.
    12

    24. PW-19, Dr. Kiran Kishor, was medically examined the injured Smt.

    Krishna, when she was taken to CHC, Manendragarh. He found certain

    injuries on his body and gave his report, Ex.P/26. Since Smt. Krishna

    PW-3 have not supported the prosecution’s case; the evidence of this

    witness has no significance even if he found certain injuries on the

    body of Smt. Krishna Bai PW-3. PW-23, Shivlal, is the witness to the

    inquest Ex.P-11-A.

    25. PW-25 Sandeep Singh is the Patwari who prepared the spot map

    Ex.P/39 and Panchnama Ex.P/8.

    26. PW-27, Mahesh Kumar Dubey, is the ward boy who had taken the

    hospital memo Ex.P/21 to the Police Station, City Kotwali Baikunthpur.

    27. From all this evidence, the prosecution could not establish the

    involvement of the appellant in the offence in question. Except for the

    record of the memorandum statement in the presence of the police

    persons, there is no evidence against the appellant which implicate him

    in the alleged offence. The seizure of weapons or clothes is also in

    doubt, as the witnesses have signed the document at the police station

    on the date when the post-mortem of the body was conducted. Even

    otherwise, the memorandum statement is inadmissible in evidence,

    and the involvement of the appellant in the offence cannot be held on

    the basis of the memorandum statement. The only piece of evidence is

    the FSL report in which human blood was found on the gamcha, leg of

    the cot and bamboo club allegedly seized from the appellant. When the

    seizure of these articles from the appellant itself is suspicious, the

    involvement of the appellant by relying on this evidence could not be
    13

    proper. When the deceased was found in a pit, he was in a position to

    talk and disclosed his name, he may have disclosed the name of the

    assailants also because it is alleged that the deceased had gone to the

    house of the appellant and when he was chatting with the wife of the

    appellant the appellant assaulted him and in such position it cannot be

    presumed that he could not know the name of the person of whose

    wife he was chatting. Non-disclosure of the name of the appellant by

    the deceased itself creates a doubt about the prosecution’s case.

    28. In the matter of para Surendra Kumar and Another Vs. State of

    Uttar Pradesh, 2021 (20) SCC 430, the Hon’ble supreme Court has

    held in 11 and 12 as under:-

    “11. As the case against the appellants is entirely based on
    circumstantial evidence, it is necessary to determine whether
    the available evidence lead only to the conclusion of guilt and
    exclude all contrary hypothesis. The enunciation on the law of
    circumstantial evidence stood the test of time since Hanumant
    Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh1
    where Mahajan J., has written
    as under:-

    “10…………It is well to remember that in cases where
    the evidence is of a circumstantial nature, the
    circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt is to
    be drawn should in the first instance be fully
    established, and all the facts so established should be
    consistent only with the hypothesis of the guilt of the
    accused. Again, the circumstances should be of a
    conclusive nature and tendency and they should be
    such as to exclude every hypothesis but the one
    proposed to be proved. In other words, there must be a
    chain of evidence so far complete as not to leave any
    reasonable ground for a conclusion consistent with the
    innocence of the accused and it must be such as to
    show that within all human probability the act must
    have been done by the accused……………”

    12. The nature, character and essential proof required in
    criminal cases was discussed in detail by Fazal Ali J in
    Sharad Birdhichand Sarda vs. State of Maharashtra2 and the
    proposition of law culled out on circumstantial evidence was
    approved in many subsequent judgments and was recently
    reiterated by Krishna Murari J., writing the opinion for a three
    Judges Bench in Shailendra 1 AIR 1952 SC 343 2 (1984) 4
    14

    SCC 116 Rajdev Pasvan & Ors. Vs. State of Gujarat & Ors. 3
    where it was succinctly laid down as under:-

    “17. It is well settled by now that in a case based on
    circumstantial evidence the courts ought to have a
    conscientious approach and conviction ought to be
    recorded only in case all the links of the chain are
    complete pointing to the guilt of the accused. Each link
    unless connected together to form a chain may suggest
    suspicion but the same in itself cannot take place of
    proof and will not be sufficient to convict the accused.”

    29. In the matter of Nagendra Sah Vs. State of Bihar, 2021 (10) SCC 725

    in paragraphs 17 and 18 replying upon the golden principles

    enumerated in case Sharad Birdhichand Sarda Vs. State of

    Maharashtra, 1984 (4) SCC 116, the Supreme Court has held as

    under:

    “17. As the entire case is based on circumstantial evidence,
    we may make a useful reference to a leading decision of this
    Court on the subject. In the case of Sharad Birdhichand Sarda
    v. State of Maharashtra2
    , in paragraph 153, this Court has laid
    down five golden principles (Panchsheel) which govern a case
    based only on circumstantial evidence. Paragraph 153 reads
    thus : –

    “153. A close analysis of this decision would show that
    the following conditions must be fulfilled before a case
    against an accused can be said to be fully established:
    (1) the circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt
    is to be drawn should be fully established.

    It may be noted here that this Court indicated that the
    circumstances concerned ‘must or should’ and not ‘may
    be’ established. There is not only a grammatical but a
    legal distinction between ‘may be proved’ and “must be
    or should be proved” as was held by this Court in
    Shivaji Sahabrao Bobade & Anr. v. State of
    Maharashtra
    where the following observations were
    made:

    19…..Certainly, it is a primary principle that the accused must
    be and not merely may be guilty before a court can convict
    and the mental distance between ‘may be’ and ‘must be’ is
    long and divides vague conjectures from sure conclusions.

    (2) The facts so established should be consistent only
    with the hypothesis of the guilt of the accused, that is to
    say, they should not be explainable on any other
    hypothesis except that the accused is guilty,
    (3) the circumstances should be of a conclusive nature
    and tendency,
    (4) they should exclude every possible hypothesis
    except the one to be proved, and
    15

    (5) there must be a chain of evidence so complete as
    not to leave any reasonable ground for the conclusion
    consistent with the innocence of the accused and must
    show that in all human probability the act must have
    been done by the accused.” (emphasis added).

    18. Paragraphs 158 to 160 of the said decision are also
    relevant which read thus :

    “158. It may be necessary here to notice a very
    forceful argument submitted by the Additional Solicitor-
    General relying on a decision of this Court in
    Deonandan Mishra v. State of Bihar, to supplement his
    argument that if the defence case is false it would
    constitute an additional link so as to fortify the
    prosecution case. With due respect to the learned
    Additional Solicitor-General we are unable to agree
    with the interpretation given by him of the aforesaid
    case, the relevant portion of which may be extracted
    thus:

    9…….But in a case like this where the various
    links as started above have been satisfactorily
    made out and the circumstances point to the
    appellant as the probable assailant, with
    reasonable definiteness and in proximity to the
    deceased as regards time and situation, . . .

    such absence of explanation or false
    explanation would itself be an additional link
    which completes the chain.”

    159. It will be seen that this Court while taking into
    account the absence of explanation or a false
    explanation did hold that it will amount to be an
    additional link to complete the chain but these
    observations must be read in the light of what this
    Court said earlier, viz., before a false explanation can
    be used as additional link, the following essential
    conditions must be satisfied :

    (1) various links in the chain of evidence led by
    the prosecution have been satisfactorily proved,
    (2) the said circumstance points to the guilt of the
    accused with reasonable definiteness, and
    (3) the circumstance is in proximity to the time and
    situation.

    160. If these conditions are fulfilled only then a court
    can use a false explanation or a false defence as an
    additional link to lend an assurance to the court and not
    otherwise. On the facts and circumstances of the
    present case, this does not appear to be such a case.
    This aspect of the matter was examined in Shankarlal
    case where this Court observed thus:

    16

    30……..Besides, falsity of defence cannot take
    the place of proof of facts which the prosecution
    has to establish in order to succeed. A false plea
    can at best be considered as an additional
    circumstance, if other circumstances point
    unfailingly to the guilt of the accused.” (emphasis
    added)”

    30. It is settled principles of law that prosecution has Burden to prove its

    case beyond reasonable doubt and where two views are possible,

    arising based on the same evidence, the view which is favoruable to

    the accused should be taken into consideration and the accused

    should be given benefit of doubt. In the matter of Digambar Vaishnav

    and Another Vs. State of Chhattisgarh, 2019 (4) SCC 522, it has

    been held as under :

    “19. It is also well-settled principle that in criminal cases, if two
    views are possible on evidence adduced in the case, one
    binding to the guilt of the accused and the other is to his
    innocence, the view which is favourable to the accused,
    should be adopted. This principle has a special relevance in
    cases wherein the guilt of the accused is sought to be
    established by circumstantial evidence [See Kali Ram v. State
    of Himachal Pradesh
    , (1973) 2 SCC 808].

    31. Considering the entire facts and evidence available on record and also

    the aforesaid law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the

    evidence available on record is not sufficient and does not clinch

    towards involvement of the appellant in the offence in question. The

    injured eye-witness, P.W. 3 Smt. Krishna Bai, who was the star witness

    of the prosecution, completely turned hostile. The dead body of the

    deceased was found in an open place, far away from the house of the

    appellant, and there is no evidence of the last time they were seen

    together. Except for the FSL report, there is no other incriminating

    evidence against the appellant, which makes him liable for the

    commission of the offence; therefore, we are of the considered opinion

    that the appellant is entitled to the benefit of doubt.

    17

    32. Accordingly, by giving him the benefit of the doubt, the appeal filed by

    the appellant is allowed. The judgment of conviction and sentence is

    hereby set aside, and the appellant is acquitted of all the charged

    offences.

    33. The appellant is reported to have been in jail since 10.03.2019, he

    shall be released forthwith, if not required in any other case.

    34. Keeping in view the provisions of Section 481 of the Bharatiya Nagarik

    Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the appellant- Narbada Prasad is directed to

    furnish a personal bond for a sum of Rs. 25,000/- with one surety in the

    like amount before the Court concerned which shall be effective for a

    period of six months along with an undertaking that in the event of filing

    of Special Leave Petition against the instant judgment or for grant of

    leave, the aforesaid appellant, on receipt of notice thereof, shall appear

    before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

    35. Let a copy of this judgment and the original records be transmitted to

    the trial Court concerned forthwith for necessary information and

    compliance.

                             Sd/-                                             Sd/-
                           Sd     Sd/-                                                 S-
                 (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal)                              (Ramesh Sinha)
                          Judge                                          Chief Justice
    
    
    Alok
     



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