RAMANATHAN vs STATE OF TAMIL NADU

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellant under Sections 302 (two counts), 307, and 460 IPC, affirming the death sentence for the murders committed during a residential burglary. The Court emphasized the importance of identification parades, stating they serve both the prosecution and the accused by verifying witness memory and preventing surprise identifications at trial. The Court rejected the argument that the absence of evidence proving the appellant was kept 'ba parda' invalidated the identification, and affirmed the admissibility of expert testimony regarding firearm identification, regardless of photographic evidence.