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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
P.VELMURUGAN, M.JOTHIRAMAN
State, represented by The Deputy Superintendent of Police – Appellant
Versus
Loganathan – Respondent
ORDER :
P.Velmurugan, J.
This Criminal Appeal has been filed by the State to set aside the judgment of acquittal of the respondent/accused in Special Sessions Case No.1 of 2018 dated 27.11.2018 on the file of the Principal Sessions Judge, Namakkal and convict the respondent/accused for the charges framed against him.
2. The case of the prosecution is that the deceased is a widow. The deceased was staying in her parental home along with her three children. On 16.07.2017 at 5 p.m., the deceased had gone to a spinning mill for coolie work and thereafter, she did not return home on that night. Next day morning i.e. on 17.07.2017 at 6 a.m., one Ilango, informed the father of the deceased/P.W.1 that his daughter/deceased was found dead near Mala Temple, Appaiyamedu. Hence, P.W.1 rushed to the scene of occurrence along with Ilango in his two wheeler and found his daughter dead in mess condition with torn blouse. There were blood stains in the left nose of his daughter and there were empty liquor bottles, meal with meat. Thereafter, he rushed to Tiruchengode Rural Police Station and lodged the complaint/Ex.P.1.
3. Based on the complaint lodged by the father of the deceased, the FIR in Crime No
Prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt; absence of eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidence weakens the case, resulting in acquittal.
Circumstantial evidence must establish a continuous chain without breaks; otherwise, the accused is entitled to acquittal due to reasonable doubt.
The court reaffirmed that conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence requires clear establishment of motive, last seen theory, and connections through unbroken chains of evidence.
The principle that an accused cannot be convicted based on suspicion alone, and the prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, especially in cases relying on circumstantial evidence.
In criminal cases based on circumstantial evidence, it is imperative that the prosecution establishes a clear chain of circumstances that unambiguously points to the guilt of the accused, without alt....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the application of principles for the appreciation of circumstantial evidence and the need for a complete chain of evidence to establish guilt beyo....
The prosecution must establish a complete chain of evidence, including motive, in cases based on circumstantial evidence, and the evidence must be cogent, trustworthy, and exclude every possible hypo....
The judgment establishes the principles of circumstantial evidence, the last seen theory, and the burden of proof under Section 106 of the Indian Evidence Act in establishing guilt in criminal cases.
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