#Section 164 CrPC

Jharkhand High Court sets aside convictions in a double murder case, ruling that a Section 164 CrPC statement lacking inculpatory content and voluntary recording cannot form the sole basis for conviction. The judgment underscores that uncorroborated eyewitness accounts and stale evidence fail to meet the 'beyond reasonable doubt' standard.

The Jharkhand High Court acquitted three accused in a murder case where conviction rested solely on the delayed, inconsistent testimony of a single eyewitness, which directly conflicted with the post-mortem report and was further undermined by hostile witnesses. This ruling reinforces that ocular evidence, however central, cannot sustain a murder conviction without independent corroboration - a critical safeguard against wrongful convictions in eyewitness-dependent cases.

Patna High Court sets aside conviction in a child rape case, ruling that uncorroborated testimony of a hostile victim, absent Section 164 CrPC statement or medical injury, cannot sustain guilt. The judgment reinforces the burden of proof in sexual offence cases where the victim retracts allegations.

Meghalaya High Court ruled that a confession under Section 164 CrPC is inadmissible if procedural safeguards are violated, and circumstantial evidence must form an unbroken chain to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The acquittal in this double murder case reinforces the high burden of proof in criminal trials, impacting future cases relying on confessions or indirect evidence.

Calcutta High Court acquitted an accused in a dowry death case, ruling that a dying declaration recorded without magistrate oversight and amid hostile witnesses cannot sustain a conviction under Section 302 IPC. The judgment underscores the necessity of procedural compliance in recording dying declarations to ensure evidentiary reliability.

In a murder conviction upheld on a child witness’s testimony, the Calcutta High Court ruled that voluntariness and corroboration of a child’s account prevail over doubts about familial association or visibility conditions. The judgment reinforces that child witnesses can be reliable if their statements meet legal tests under Section 164 CrPC, impacting criminal trials relying on minor testimonies.

Bombay High Court suspends sentence where conviction rests solely on uncorroborated judicial confession under Section 164 CrPC, emphasizing parity and evidentiary standards.