https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=465109 SC upheld concurrent convictions arising from multiple coordinated murders across several villages, finding identification by lantern light reliable, ocular, medical, ballistic and dying-declaration evidence cogent, and the weapon Ex. P-18 conclusively linked to one principal assailant. It held that, barring one accused whose alleged possession of a "second rifle" remained unproved on the prosecution's own materials, the evidence established guilt beyond reasonable doubt; that accused was given benefit of doubt, acquitted and ordered to be released. Applying the Bachan Singh "rarest of rare" doctrine and aggravating-mitigating balancing, SC confirmed death sentences for three convicts, characterising the series of cold-blooded, multiple murders of helpless women, children, elderly and sleeping victims as warranting the extreme penalty, while maintaining life terms for the remaining convicts. en-us Wed, 20 Jul 1983 00:00:00 +0530 Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:31:11 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=465109 SC upheld concurrent convictions arising from multiple coordinated murders across several villages, finding identification by lantern light reliable, ocular, medical, ballistic and dying-declaration evidence cogent, and the weapon Ex. P-18 conclusively linked to one principal assailant. It held that, barring one accused whose alleged possession of a "second rifle" remained unproved on the prosecution's own materials, the evidence established guilt beyond reasonable doubt; that accused was given benefit of doubt, acquitted and ordered to be released. Applying the Bachan Singh "rarest of rare" doctrine and aggravating-mitigating balancing, SC confirmed death sentences for three convicts, characterising the series of cold-blooded, multiple murders of helpless women, children, elderly and sleeping victims as warranting the extreme penalty, while maintaining life terms for the remaining convicts. Case-Laws Indian Laws Wed, 20 Jul 1983 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=465109