State Of Punjab vs Avtar Singh

The Supreme Court upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court's acquittal of the accused under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, citing significant delays in lodging the FIR and sending it to the Elaka Magistrate, along with inconsistencies between medical and ocular evidence. The Court established that while delays do not automatically invalidate a prosecution, in this case, the cumulative effect of these factors led to a failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Consequently, the appeal by the State was dismissed, affirming the High Court's judgment.