DHANESWAR MAHAKUD vs STATE OF ORISSA

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellants under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Umakant Barik and Biswanath Barik, affirming the High Court's decision which had confirmed the life imprisonment sentence. The Court found that the evidence of eyewitnesses and medical testimony sufficiently established the intent to kill, rejecting the appellants' claims of self-defense and alibi. The Court emphasized the importance of corroborative evidence in murder cases, particularly when the accused assert self-defense under Section 96 IPC.