State Of A.P vs E. Satyanarayana

The Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of the respondent by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which found that the extra judicial confession made to the Village Administrative Officer was not established as voluntary or credible, violating Section 24 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The Court reiterated that extra judicial confessions require careful scrutiny of circumstances and corroboration is necessary only as a matter of caution. The ruling emphasized that the prosecution must prove the confession's reliability beyond doubt, leading to the conclusion that the conviction under Section 302 IPC was not sustainable.