2012 Supreme(UK) 77

2012 (1) N.C.C. 745
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Hon'ble Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur and Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Gyan Sudha Misra
Criminal Appeal No. 1950 of 2009
SAMPATH KUMAR – Appellant
Versus
inspector of police, krishnagiri – Respondent
Decided on : 02.03.2012

Headnote:(A) Circumstantial Evidence — Standard of proof and the test which the circumstantial evidence must satisfy are — (1) The circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt is to be drawn should be fully established — (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 — (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. (Paras 6 and 7)

       (B) Discrepancies and contradictions — Appreciation — Discrepancies in the testimony of a witness which may be caused by memory lapses, acceptable — But, contradictions in the testimony, not — Further held that if the discrepancies between the first version and the evidence in Court were material — It was safer to err in acquitting than in convicting the accused. (Paras 9 to 12)

       (C) Witnesses — Categories of — Credibility — Apex Court classified witnesses into three categories, namely (i) those that are wholly reliable, (ii) those that are wholly unreliable and (iii) who are neither wholly reliable nor wholly unreliable — In the case of the first category the Courts have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion either way — It can convict or acquit the accused on the deposition of a single witness if it is found to be fully reliable — In the second category also there is no difficulty in arriving at an appropriate conclusion for there is no question of placing any reliance upon the deposition of a wholly unreliable witness — It is only in the case of witnesses who are neither wholly reliable nor wholly unreliable that the Courts have to be circumspect and have to look for corroboration, in material particulars by reliable testimony direct or circumstantial. (Paras 12 to 14)

       (D) Motive — Importance — The presence of a motive not enough for supporting a conviction — Also, it is well-settled that the chain of circumstances should be such as to lead to an irresistible conclusion, that is incompatible with the innocence of the accused — Held that motive alone in the absence of any other circumstantial evidence would not be sufficient to convict the appellant. (Paras 14 and 15)

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