The Supreme Court acquitted the appellants, accused no.1 and accused no.2, of charges under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The appellants were previously convicted by the Trial Court, a decision that was upheld by the High Court. However, the Supreme Court found significant issues with the prosecution's case, primarily focusing on the fact that the key witnesses were tutored by the police a day before their testimony. This blatant interference in the judicial process led to the discarding of the witnesses' testimonies and the acquittal of the appellants. The Court also ordered an inquiry into the conduct of the police officials involved in the tutoring of witnesses.
Background and Prosecution Case:
The case revolved around the murder of Balamurugan, who was allegedly killed by the appellants following a dispute over the non-delivery of idlis. The deceased was assaulted with a billhook by accused no.1, with accused no.2 allegedly holding the deceased during the fatal attack.
Submissions by the Defense:
The defense argued that the timing of the incident as recorded in the FIR did not match the time of death mentioned in the post-mortem report. Furthermore, the defense highlighted that only relatives of the deceased were examined as witnesses, raising concerns about their reliability and possible tutoring.
Findings by the Supreme Court:
The Supreme Court found that the key witnesses, PW-1 to PW-5, were indeed tutored by the police a day before their testimony. This tutoring significantly compromised the integrity of their evidence. The Court observed that the prosecution failed to examine independent witnesses, leading to serious doubts about the genuineness of the case.
Acquittal and Further Directions:
The Supreme Court set aside the convictions of the appellants, granting them the benefit of doubt. Additionally, the Court ordered an inquiry into the conduct of the police officials involved in tutoring the witnesses, emphasizing the gross misuse of power by the police.
Impact:
This judgment underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity of the judicial process and highlights the severe consequences of witness tampering by law enforcement officials. The appellants, having spent over 10 years in incarceration, were acquitted, and the case called into question the practices of the Tamil Nadu police involved in the case.
Case Title: Manikandan Versus State by the Inspector of Police
Citation: 2024 LawText (SC) (4) 56
Case Number: CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1609 OF 2011 WITH CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 407 OF 2019
Date of Decision: 2024-04-05