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The Grammar of the Power to Arrest and Search under UAPA

Unlike articles with misleading titles, this article is indeed about grammar. We look at the grammar, or more specifically the (un)grammaticality of, Section-43-A...
HomeState Of Gujarat vs Ashokbhai Parshottambhai Gohil on 17 March, 2026

State Of Gujarat vs Ashokbhai Parshottambhai Gohil on 17 March, 2026

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Gujarat High Court

State Of Gujarat vs Ashokbhai Parshottambhai Gohil on 17 March, 2026

                                                                                                                      NEUTRAL CITATION




                            R/CR.A/1967/2010                                         JUDGMENT DATED: 17/03/2026

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                                     IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

                                               R/CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1967 of 2010

                       ==========================================================
                                                   STATE OF GUJARAT
                                                         Versus
                                         ASHOKBHAI PARSHOTTAMBHAI GOHIL & ORS.
                       ==========================================================
                       Appearance:
                       MS. SHRUTI PATHAK, APP for the Appellant(s) No. 1
                       BAILABLE WARRANT SERVED for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 3
                       MR PARTH S TOLIA(5617) for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 1,2,3
                       ==========================================================

                          CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                                                           Date : 17/03/2026

                                                             JUDGMENT

1. Feeling aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the

judgment and order of acquittal dated 26.08.2010, passed by

SPONSORED

the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Mahuva, in Sessions

Case No.135/2009, for the offences punishable under Sections

498(A), 306 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, the appellant

– State of Gujarat has preferred this appeal under Section

378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short, “the

Code”).

2. The prosecution case as unfolded during the trial

before the trial Court is that the deceased, daughter of the

complainant, was married to original accused No.1 according

to their caste customs. The remaining accused were her in-

laws, all residing together. It is alleged that the accused

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persons continuously harassed the deceased, telling her that

she was of bad character, causing severe mental distress.

Unable to bear the harassment, the deceased committed

suicide by jumping into a well.

3. After investigation, sufficient prima facie evidence

was found against the accused person/s and therefore charge-

sheet was filed in the competent criminal Court. Since the

offence alleged against the accused person/s was exclusively

triable by the Court of Sessions, the learned Magistrate

committed the case to the Sessions Court where it came to

be registered as Sessions Case No.135/2009. The charge was

framed against the accused person/s. The accused pleaded not

guilty and came to be tried.

4. In order to bring home the charge, the prosecution

has examined 13 witnesses and also produced 13

documentary evidences before the trial Court, which are

described in the impugned judgment are as under;

Oral Evidences

Sr.No. Exh.No. Oral Evidence

1. 9 Dr. Ashoklaljibhai Vadher

2. 16 Mansukhbhai Naranbhai

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3. 18 Nathuben Mansukhbhai

4. 19 Maheshbhai Mansukhbhai Bhaliya

5. 20 Vijaybhai Babubhai Bhaliya

6. 21 Bharatbhai Kalubhai

7. 23 Nathubhai Kalabhai

8. 24 Bachubhai Kalubhai

9. 26 Raghavandas Hemubhai Gadhvi

10. 29 Gordhanbhai Ukabhai

11. 30 Savjibhai Ghelabhai

12. 31 Batukbhai Dayaljibhai Thakkar

13. 13 Bavanji Danabhai Rabari

Documentary Evidences

Sr. No. Exh. No. Documentary Evidence

1. 33 Declaration of Ashokbhai Parshottambhai.

2. 17 Complaint of Mansukhbhai Naranbhai.

3. 11 Inquest Panchnama of both the deceased.

4. 12 Posthumous form of the deceased Kailash.

5. 13 Posthumous form of the deceased Hardik.

6. 48 FSL Bhavnagar’s report.

7. 22 Panchnama of the place of offence.

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8. 25 Arrest Panchnama of the accused.

9. 14 PM note of the deceased Kailasben.

10. 15 PM note of the deceased Hardik.

11. 40 Viscera Report.

12. 42 Biological Report.

13. 27 Station Diary.

5. After hearing both the parties and after analysis

of evidence adduced by the prosecution, the learned trial

Judge acquitted the accused for the offences for which the

charge was framed, by holding that the prosecution has failed

to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

6. Learned APP for the appellant – State has

pointed out the facts of the case and having taken this Court

through both, oral and documentary evidence, recorded before

the learned trial Court, would submit that the learned trial

Court has failed to appreciate the evidence in true sense and

perspective; and that the trial Court has committed error in

acquitting the accused. It is submitted that the learned trial

Court ought not to have given much emphasis to the

contradictions and/or omissions appearing in the evidence and

ought to have given weightage to the dots that connect the

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accused with the offence in question. It is submitted that

the learned trial Court has erroneously come to the

conclusion that the prosecution has failed to prove its case. It

is also submitted that the learned Judge ought to have seen

that the evidence produced on record is reliable and

believable and it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that

the accused had committed an offence in question. It is,

therefore, submitted that this Court may allow this appeal by

appreciating the evidence led before the learned trial Court.

7. As against that, learned advocate for the

respondent/s would support the impugned judgment passed by

the learned trial Court and has submitted that the learned

trial Court has not committed any error in acquitting the

accused. The trial Court has taken possible view as the

prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable

doubt. Therefore, it is prayed to dismiss the present appeal

by confirming the impugned judgment and order passed by

the learned trial Court.

8. In the aforesaid background, considering the oral

as well as documentary evidence on record, independently and

dispassionately and considering the impugned judgment and

order of the trial Court, the following aspects weighed with

the Court:

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8.1 The entire case of the prosecution is based on the

complaint filed vide Exh. 17, wherein the father of the

deceased Kailashben has alleged that as the accused were

doubting the character of the deceased Kailasben, and were

mentally and physically harassing her, she had no other

option, but to commit suicide along with her son Hardik,

eventually she fell into the well and drowned herself. The

prosecution has also tried to establish their case that there

were constant quarrels between the deceased and the accused.

For that reason, the deceased used to come to her parental

house, and after settlement she was sent back to her

matrimonial home. It is also stated that the said incident of

harassment had taken place at least around ten times before

she committed suicide.

8.2 It is also stated in the said complaint that on

22.07.2009, the deceased and her minor son Hardik had come

to the parental house and stated that accused no. 1 had

physically assaulted her because of the constant provocation

from accused nos. 2 and 3, and thereafter, on 01.03.2009, the

accused no. 1 had called the brother of the deceased,

Mukesh, and had stated that he talked to the deceased and

told her to reach village Bhadrod, and thereafter he will

come to take deceased Kailasben from Bhadrod to her

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matrimonial home.

8.3 The prosecution has examined vide Exh. 9, Dr.

Ashokbhai Laljibhai, who had conducted the post mortem

report of the deceased Kailasben and son Hardik. As per the

post mortem report, which is produced vide Exh. 14, with

respect to the post mortem of the deceased Kailasben and

the post mortem report of son Hardik, which is produced

vide Exh. 15, state that the cause of death in both cases

was asphyxia resulting from drowning.

8.4 The complainant’s father, Mansukhbhai, has been

examined vide Exh. 16, the mother of the deceased, Mayuben

Mansukbhai, has been examined vide Exh. 18, and the

brother of the deceased has been examined vide Exh. 19 as

PW-4. In his cross-examination, he has stated that after his

sister fell in the well, he has not gone to the village

Chokwa, where the said incident had taken place where the

deceased was having her matrimonial home. He has also

admitted that he or his family members have not gone to

the said matrimonial village of the deceased to find the

reason, as to why the deceased had committed suicide. He

had also stated that he has not gone to the hospital, and

that the police had also not come to him to take his

statement, and all the facts are stated by him for the first

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time. In his cross-examination, he has also admitted that the

deceased was having a temperament of getting emotionally

hurt in small matters also.

8.5 The other cousin brother of the deceased, Vijaybhai

Babubhai, has been examined as PW-5 vide Exh. 20. He was

the person who had received the first phone call about the

incident, and he is the cousin of the deceased, and in his

deposition he has only stated that he has given a general

statement of the alleged harassment that was done on the

deceased by the accused.

8.6 The panchnama of the scene of offence is produced

vide Exh. 22, and the witness to the said panchnama,

Bharatbhai Kalubhai, has been examined vide Exh. 21 as

PW-6. In his cross-examination, he has stated that the police

had informed him that as the deceased was not permitted to

go to her residence, as the accused no. 1 could not manage

the vehicle, the deceased had committed suicide.

8.7 The prosecution had examined Nathubhai Kalubhai,

an independent witness examined as PW-7 vide Exh. 23. He

was the husband of the Sarpanch of the village Chokwa. He

has stated in his deposition that he was not present in the

said village when he got the information about the fact that

somebody had jumped into the well, but he was informed

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about the said fact by a phone call from his son Madhubhai.

In his cross-examination, he has stated that he has not

heard that the deceased was harassed mentally and

physically by the accused. Vide Exh. 24, the prosecution has

examined Bachubhai Kalubhai as PW-8, he had called and

informed Vijaybhai Babubhai, who has been examined at Exh.

20, about the said incident, and in his deposition he has also

stated that he was at village Katasar when he came to know

about the incident that took place at village Chokwa.

8.8 The prosecution has examined Raghavdan

Hemubhai as PW-9, the Police Constable, vide Exh. 26, and

the prosecution has tried to rely on the station diary of

registration of offence, which is produced vide Exh. 32, i.e.,

station diary no. 21/09. The intimation by the husband is

produced vide Exh. 33, and the station diary about the

registration of offence is produced vide Exh. 27. The

prosecution has tried to rely on the evidence of Gordhanbhai,

who has been examined as PW-10.

8.9. The prosecution has also examined an independent

witness, Savjibhai, vide Exh. 30 as PW-11, who is also a

villager and who is of the same caste of accused. He has

also turned hostile and not supported the case of the

prosecution. He was alleged to be the person who had

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accompanied the accused father-in-law when she was to be

brought to the matrimonial home. The P.I Batukbhai

Dayaljibhai has been examined as PW-12 vide Exh. 31, and

the D.Y.S.P. Bavanji Danabhai has been examined vide Exh.

46 as PW-15.

8.10 If the evidence of the mother of the deceased, who

has been examined as PW-3 vide Exh. 18, is taken into

consideration, she has also not deposed as to what had

transpired after the deceased had reached her matrimonial

home from 01.03.2009 to 04.03.2009. The brother of the

deceased has also stated the said facts vide Exh. 18 and 20.

The cousin brother Vijaybhai, though having reached to the

place of offence and had stated that there were other

villagers present near the well, the prosecution has failed to

prove as to what had transpired on the said date or in

proximity of the same date, nor the prosecution has been

able to prove the role of the individual accused in the said

offence.

8.11 Vide Exh. 33, the intimation that has been given

by the husband also states that the deceased had committed

suicide, as the deceased wanted to go to her house, and the

accused no. 1 had stated that the vehicle was not available,

as and when the vehicle would be available, they will take

her to the house. The fact also remains that there is nothing

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on record that the accused had done any act of cruelty which

induced the deceased to end her life by committing suicide.

8.12 The prosecution has failed to prove that the

accused had committed the offence under Sections 306, 498A,

and 114 of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution has also

failed to prove that the accused had driven the deceased to

the point of desperation, leaving her with no option except to

think about suicide. The prosecution has also failed to prove

any incident that had driven the deceased to commit suicide.

Though all the witnesses relied on by the prosecution were

the relatives of the deceased, the fact remains that even

considering their evidence, the prosecution has failed to prove

that the deceased had committed suicide because of the

cruelty and harassment done by the accused.

8.13 Moreover, even as per the post mortem report

produced vide Exh. 14 and 15, there are no external injuries

that have been noted in the post mortem report. The

independent witnesses who have been examined by the

prosecution also do not support the case of the prosecution

that the accused had committed physical and mental cruelty

on the deceased. It also transpires that a case under Section

302 of the Indian Penal Code was also registered against the

wife for throwing the child Hardik in the well, which was

registered as FIR No. 45/2009.

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9. The evidence on record and the glaring omission

on the prosecution as pointed out above leaves no room of

doubt that the order passed by the trial Court is as per law.

The trial Court has rightly held that there was no positive

evidence on record to prove that the accused by way of the

conduct or spoken words, overtly or covertly, actually aided

and abetted or instigated the deceased in such a manner

that it leaves no other option for the deceased but to commit

suicide. In the present case, the prosecution has also not

been able to prove the clear motive of the accused to commit

offence of abatement. There is also no close connection

between the accused action and the deceased’s choice to

commit suicide. In view of the said fact, the prosecution has

not been able to prove that the accused have stimulated the

deceased to commit suicide. In the present case, the

prosecution has also not been able to prove the clear motive

of the accused to commit offence of abatement. There is also

no close connection between the accused action and the

deceased’s choice to commit suicide. In view of the said fact,

the prosecution has not been able to prove that the accused

have stimulated the deceased to commit suicide.

9.1 The prosecution has not proved that there was a

clear motive to commit the offence of abatement. The

prosecution has also not proved that the accused proceeded to

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encourage and/or irritate the deceased through words or

insults and that the accused intended to urge the deceased to

end it all by committing suicide. The prosecution has also

not been able to prove the direct connection between the

incitement and committal of suicide. The prosecution has also

not been able to prove direct or indirect act of incitement to

the commitment of suicide. The prosecution has also not been

able to prove by accusation of harassment without any

positive action on the part of the accused close to the time

of occurrence that led and forced the deceased to commit

suicide.

9.2 The present matter turns on whether the conduct

attributed to the accused satisfies the legal threshold of

abetment of suicide. Therefore, read as a whole, it can be

said that mere occurrence of a suicide does not automatically

trigger rigours of the Section. The penal consequences under

Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code arise when the

prosecution is able to establish that the accused abetted and

had a role in provoking or facilitating that suicide. Therefore,

this twin test distinction is required to be borne in mind.

9.3 Abetment, as understood in criminal jurisprudence,

is not a broad moral expression but a term of precise

statutory meaning. Section 107 IPC delineates its contours:

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instigation, conspiracy, or intentional aiding. Each of these

modes presupposes active involvement. The law does not

punish omission except in some cases, it punishes intentional

encouragement or positive facilitation of a prohibited act.

9.4 It is therefore not sufficient to show that the

deceased was unhappy, distressed, or subjected to unpleasant

treatment. The jurisprudence developed by the Hon’ble

Supreme Court has consistently underscored that routine

domestic disagreements, suspicion between spouses, or

episodes of harassment do not ipso facto amount to

instigation. Rigours of this Section intervene only where there

is clear evidence of mens rea and a direct causal link

between the accused’s conduct and the decision of the

deceased to commit suicide.

9.5 The concept of instigation demands something more

than mere reproach or accusation. It connotes an active

suggestion, an incitement, or conduct of such intensity that it

operates upon the mind of the victim and pushes him or her

toward this drastic and unfortunate step. The prosecution

therefore, must demonstrate either a deliberate intention to

drive the deceased to suicide or knowledge that the conduct

in question was likely to produce that consequence. Equally

indispensable is the requirement of proximity. The law insists

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on a live and immediate nexus between the acts complained

of and the suicide. A remote or generalized allegation is

insufficient. There must be evidence showing that the accused

engaged in conduct so closely connected in time and effect

with the suicide that it can reasonably be said to have

triggered the fatal act.

9.6 No material has been brought on record

demonstrating any proximate act immediately preceding the

suicide which could be construed as instigation. Nor is there

evidence of a positive act amounting to intentional aid. The

essential ingredients of abetment -namely, culpable mental

state coupled with active or proximate conduct-are not

established.

9.7 On an overall assessment of the evidence, the

prosecution has failed to demonstrate the existence of the

foundational elements necessary to sustain a conviction under

Section 306 IPC.

10. In the case of Mahendra K.C. v. State of

Karnataka and another, [(2022) 2 SCC 129], it has been held

by the Hon’ble Supreme Court that the essence of abetment

lies in instigating a person to do a thing or the intentional

doing of that thing by an act or illegal omission. Instigation

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is to goad, urge forward, provoke, incite or encourage to do

“an act”. To satisfy the requirement of instigation though it

is not necessary that actual words must be used to that

effect or what constitutes instigation must necessarily and

specifically be suggestive of the consequence. Yet a reasonable

certainty to incite the consequence must be capable of being

spelt out. A word uttered in the fit of anger or emotion

without intending the consequences to actually follow cannot

be said to be instigation.

10.1 In the case of Mahendra Awase v. State of

Madhya Pradesh, 2025 (1) Crimes 347 (SC), the observations

are made with regard to abetment of suicide. It has been

held that in order to bring a case within purview of Section

306 IPC, there must be a case of suicide and in commission

of said offence, person who is said to have abetted

commission of suicide must have played active role by act of

instigation or by doing certain act to facilitate commission of

suicide. It has been further observed that the act of

abetment by person charged with said offence must be proved

and established by prosecution before he could be convicted

under Section 306 IPC. It is further observed that to satisfy

requirement of instigation, accused by his act or omission or

by a continued course of conduct should have created such

circumstances that deceased was left with no other option,

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except to commit suicide.

10.2 In the case of Amalendu Pal alias Jhantu versus

State of West Bengal, (2010) 1 SCC 707, it has been held

that in a case of alleged abetment of suicide, there must be

proof of direct or indirect act(s) of incitement to the

commission of suicide. Merely on the allegation of harassment

without there being any positive action proximate to the time

of occurrence on the part of the accused which led or

compelled the deceased to commit suicide, conviction in terms

of Section 306 IPC would not be sustainable.

10.3 In the case of Rajesh v. State of Haryana, (2020)

15 SCC 359, after considering the provisions of Sections 306

and 107 of IPC, the Court held that conviction under Section

306 IPC is not sustainable on the allegation of harassment

without there being any positive action proximate to the time

of occurrence on the part of the accused which led or

compelled the person to commit suicide.

10.4 In the case of Amudha v. State, 2024 INSC 244,

it was held that there has to be an act of incitement on the

part of the accused proximate to the date on which the

deceased committed suicide. The act attributed should not

only be proximate to the time of suicide but should also be

of such a nature that the deceased was left with no

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alternative but to take the drastic step of committing suicide.

10.5 The prosecution has not been able to prove that

the abetment to commit suicide which involves a mental

process of instigating a deceased or intentionally aiding a

deceased in the doing of a thing without a positive proximate

act on the part of the accused to instigate or aid in

committing suicide. There are merely allegations of

harassment without there being any positive action proximate

to the time of occurrence on the part of accused which led or

compelled the deceased to commit suicide. Moreover, the word

uttered in the heat of anger or emotion without intending

the consequences to actually follow, cannot be said to be

instigation. The prosecution has not been able to prove that

there was active act or direct act which led the deceased to

commit suicide seeing no other option and the prosecution

has not been able to prove that the act of the accused was

with the intention to push the deceased into such a position

that he/she committed suicide.

10.6 The prosecution has not proved that there was a

clear motive to commit the offence of abatement. The

prosecution has also not proved that the accused proceeded to

encourage and/or irritate the deceased through words or

insults and that the accused intended to urge the deceased to

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end it all by committing suicide. The prosecution has also

not been able to prove the direct connection between the

incitement and committal of suicide. The prosecution has also

not been able to prove direct or indirect act of incitement to

the commitment of suicide. The prosecution has also not been

able to prove by accusation of harassment without any

positive action on the part of the accused close to the time

of occurrence that led and forced the deceased to commit

suicide.

10.7 The prosecution has also not been able to prove

the direct proximity i.e. live link between the accused action

and victim’s death. Moreover, the prosecution has also failed

to prove the act of alleged instigation was near the time of

suicide. The prosecution has also not been able to prove any

evidence of positive, direct act that forced a deceased into a

situation with no other option but to take her life. The

prosecution has not been able to prove a specific incident and

or a recent and direct act of the accused that triggered the

immediate suicide.

11. Further, learned APP is not in a position to show

any evidence to take a contrary view in the matter or that

the approach of the Court below is vitiated by some manifest

illegality or that the decision is perverse or that the Court

below has ignored the material evidence on record. In above

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view of the matter, this Court is of the considered opinion

that the Court below was completely justified in passing

impugned judgment and order.

12. Considering the impugned judgment, the trial

Court has recorded that there was no direct evidence

connecting the accused with the incident and there are

contradictions in the depositions of the prosecution witnesses.

In absence of the direct evidence, it cannot be proved that

the accused are involved in the offence. Further, the motive

of the accused behind the incident is not established. The

trial Court has rightly considered all the evidence on record

and passed the impugned judgment. The trial Court has

rightly evaluated the facts and the evidence on record.

13. It is also a settled legal position that in acquittal

appeal, the appellate court is not required to re-write the

judgment or to give fresh reasoning, when the reasons

assigned by the Court below are found to be just and proper.

Such principle is down by the Apex Court in the case of

State of Karnataka Vs. Hemareddy, reported in AIR 1981 SC

1417 wherein it is held as under:

                                                   "...    This     court     has    observed        in     Girija
                                                   Nandini        Devi      V.      Bigendra            Nandini



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                             R/CR.A/1967/2010                                                    JUDGMENT DATED: 17/03/2026

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                                                 Chaudhary (1967)1 SCR 93: (AIR 1967 SC
                                                 1124)       that     it        is    not    the        duty       of        the

appellate court when it agrees with the
view of the trial court on the evidence to
repeat the narration of the evidence or to
reiterate the reasons given by the trial
court expression of general agreement with
the reasons given by the Court the decision
of which is under appeal, will ordinarily
suffice.”

14. Thus, in case the appellate court agrees with the

reasons and the opinion given by the lower court, then the

discussion of evidence at length is not necessary.

15. In the case of Ram Kumar v. State of Haryana,

reported in AIR 1995 SC 280, Supreme Court has held as

under:

“The powers of the High Court in an
appeal from order of acquittal to reassess
the evidence and reach its own conclusions
under Sections 378 and 379, Cr.P.C. are as
extensive as in any appeal against the
order of conviction. But as a rule of
prudence, it is desirable that the High

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Court should give proper weight and
consideration to the view of the Trial Court
with regard to the credibility of the
witness, the presumption of innocence in
favour of the accused, the right of the
accused to the benefit of any doubt and the
slowness of appellate Court in justifying a
finding of fact arrived at by a Judge who
had the advantage of seeing the witness. It
is settled law that if the main grounds on
which the lower Court has based its order
acquitting the accused are reasonable and
plausible, and the same cannot entirely and

effectively be dislodged or demolished, the

High Court should not disturb the order

of acquittal.”

16. As observed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the

case of Rajesh Singh & Others vs. State of Uttar Pradesh

reported in (2011) 11 SCC 444 and in the case of

Bhaiyamiyan Alias Jardar Khan and Another vs. State of
Madhya Pradesh
reported in (2011) 6 SCC 394, while dealing
with the judgment of acquittal, unless reasoning by the trial

Court is found to be perverse, the acquittal cannot be upset.

It is further observed that High Court’s interference in such

appeal in somewhat circumscribed and if the view taken by

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the trial Court is possible on the evidence, the High Court

should stay its hands and not interfere in the matter in the

belief that if it had been the trial Court, it might have

taken a different view.

17. In the case of Chandrappa v. State of Karnataka,

reported in (2007) 4 SCC 415, the Hon’ble Apex Court has

observed as under:

“42. From the above decisions, in our
considered view, the following general
principles regarding powers of the appellate
court while dealing with an appeal against
an order of acquittal emerge:

(1) An appellate court has full power to
review, reappreciate and reconsider the
evidence upon which the order of acquittal
is founded.

(2) The Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 puts
no limitation, restriction or condition on
exercise of such power and an appellate
court on the evidence before it may reach
its own conclusion, both on questions of fact
and of law.

                                                 (3)      Various        expressions,         such         as,



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                            R/CR.A/1967/2010                                              JUDGMENT DATED: 17/03/2026

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“substantial and compelling reasons”, “good
and sufficient grounds”, “very strong
circumstances”, “distorted conclusions”,
“glaring mistakes”, etc. are not intended to
curtail extensive powers of an appellate
court in an appeal against acquittal. Such
phraseologies are more in the nature of
“flourishes of language” to emphasise the
reluctance of an appellate court to interfere
with acquittal than to curtail the power of
the court to review the evidence and to
come to its own conclusion.

(4) An appellate court, however, must bear
in mind that in case of acquittal, there is
double presumption in favour of the
accused. Firstly, the presumption of
innocence is available to him under the
fundamental principle of criminal
jurisprudence that every person shall be
presumed to be innocent unless he is
proved guilty by a competent court of law.

Secondly, the accused having secured his
acquittal, the presumption of his innocence
is further reinforced, reaffirmed and
strengthened by the trial court.

(5) If two reasonable conclusions are
possible on the basis of the evidence on

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record, the appellate court should not
disturb the finding of acquittal recorded by
the trial court.”

18. The Hon’ble Apex Court, in a recent decision, in

the case of Constable 907 Surendra Singh and Another V/s

State of Uttarakhand reported in (2025) 5 SCC 433, has held
in paragraph 24 as under:

“24. It could thus be seen that it is a settled
legal position that the interference with the
finding of acquittal recorded by the learned trial
Judge would be warranted by the High Court only
if the judgment of acquittal suffers from patent
perversity; that the same is based on a
misreading/omission to consider material evidence
on record; and that no two reasonable views are
possible and only the view consistent with the
guilt of the accused is possible from the evidence
available on record.”

19. Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances

of the case and law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court

while considering the scope of appeal under Section 378 of

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the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 no case is made out to

interfere with the impugned judgment and order of acquittal.

20. In view of above facts and circumstances of the

case, on my careful re-appreciation of the entire evidence, I

found that there is no infirmity or irregularity in the

findings of fact recorded by learned trial Court and under

the circumstances, the learned trial Court has rightly

acquitted the respondent/s – accused for the elaborate reasons

stated in the impugned judgment and I also endorse the

view/finding of the learned trial Court leading to the

acquittal.

21. In view of the above and for the reasons stated

above, the present Criminal Appeal fails and the same

deserves to be dismissed and is dismissed, accordingly. Record

& Proceedings be remitted to the concerned trial Court

forthwith.

(SANJEEV J.THAKER,J)
ADITYA SINGH

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