HARAPAL SINGH vs DEVINDER SING & ANOTHERWITHCRIMINAL APEAL NO. 549 OF 1988HA

The Supreme Court addressed the acquittal of twelve accused under Section 6 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) for the murder of Jasbir Singh, a student, during campus violence. The Court emphasized the necessity of reliable eyewitness testimony, noting that the trial court found the evidence of the sole eyewitness, Sumer Singh, insufficient to establish guilt due to his affiliation with the rival student group. Consequently, the Court upheld the trial court's acquittal, reinforcing the principle that the prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.