#Section 161 CrPC

Allahabad High Court acquitted an accused in a rape case, ruling that a dying declaration recorded by police, lacking medical corroboration and marred by unexplained delays, cannot establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The judgment underscores the necessity of independent medical evidence and timely recording to validate dying declarations under Section 32 of the Evidence Act.

J&K High Court rules that charges can be framed based on grave suspicion and corroborated co-accused statements, even without direct evidence, reinforcing that the charge stage only requires a prima facie case. The judgment also validates multiple FIRs for wider conspiracies, impacting criminal proceedings under Sections 419, 420, 468, 120-B RPC and the Essential Commodities Act.

The Gujarat High Court overturned a life sentence, ruling that presence at a crime scene and uncorroborated police statements under Section 161 CrPC cannot substitute for proof beyond reasonable doubt. Conviction under Section 302 IPC requires a prima facie case before Section 106 of the Evidence Act can shift the burden - a threshold the prosecution failed to meet, reinforcing that circumstantial evidence must form an unbroken chain.