Sudama Pandey And Others vs State Of Bihar

The Supreme Court held that the conviction of the appellants under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, Section 376/511 IPC, and Section 201/34 IPC was flawed due to reliance on circumstantial evidence that did not form a complete chain pointing to their guilt. The Court emphasized that in cases of circumstantial evidence, each incriminating circumstance must be established by reliable evidence, and any reasonable doubt must benefit the accused. Consequently, the Court acquitted the appellants, overturning the High Court's decision that had commuted their death sentence to life imprisonment.