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Issues Involved:
1. Reliability of eyewitness testimony. 2. Nature and cause of injuries sustained by the deceased. 3. Time of the occurrence of the incident. 4. Identity of the accused. 5. Justification for the High Court's reversal of the trial court's acquittal. Issue-wise Detailed Analysis: 1. Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony: The prosecution relied on the testimonies of two eyewitnesses, Velunni (PW 1) and Krishnan (PW 2). The High Court based the conviction on their evidence. However, the Supreme Court found the evidence of these witnesses far from convincing. The trial court had provided cogent grounds for rejecting their testimony, noting inconsistencies in their statements regarding the identification of the accused. Velunni initially claimed to have identified the culprits by their faces but later stated he saw only their backs. Krishnan admitted knowing only two of the accused and had no previous acquaintance with the others, which undermined the reliability of their identification. 2. Nature and Cause of Injuries Sustained by the Deceased: Dr. Chandran, who conducted the post-mortem, found five incised wounds, eight contusions, two lacerated wounds, and one abrasion on the body of the deceased, Ananthakrishnan. The doctor opined that the incised wounds, which were clean and pucca, were fatal. Although he mentioned that such wounds could be caused by sticks, he admitted in cross-examination that they appeared to be inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon. The trial court, referencing Modi's "Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology," concluded that the injuries were caused by a sharp-edged weapon, not by sticks as claimed by the eyewitnesses. 3. Time of the Occurrence of the Incident: The trial court determined that the assault occurred before 10 a.m., contrary to the eyewitnesses' statements that it happened around 11 a.m. This conclusion was supported by the testimony of Chokkunny (PW 6), who learned of the death around 9:30 or 10 a.m., and the medical evidence provided by Dr. Chandran, who noted signs of decomposition consistent with an earlier time of death. 4. Identity of the Accused: The trial court found the evidence regarding the identity of the culprits unsatisfactory. Velunni's inconsistent statements and Krishnan's limited acquaintance with the accused cast doubt on their ability to accurately identify the perpetrators. No identification parade was conducted to verify Krishnan's identification of the accused. 5. Justification for the High Court's Reversal of the Trial Court's Acquittal: The Supreme Court emphasized that in an appeal against acquittal, the High Court must give proper weight to the trial judge's view on witness credibility, the presumption of innocence, and the benefit of reasonable doubt. The trial court had provided convincing reasons for acquitting the accused, which the High Court failed to adequately address. The Supreme Court noted that if two conclusions could be drawn from the evidence, the High Court should not disturb the trial court's finding of acquittal unless it was unreasonable. The Supreme Court concluded that the trial court's view was not unreasonable and thus the High Court erred in reversing the acquittal. Conclusion: The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's judgment, and restored the trial court's acquittal of the accused. The Supreme Court found that the High Court had insufficient grounds to reverse the well-reasoned judgment of the trial court.
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