Purna Chandra Kusal vs State Of Orissa

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellant under Sections 302 and 376 IPC for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl, confirming the trial court's reliance on last seen evidence and recoveries made at the appellant's instance. However, the Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment, emphasizing the circumstantial nature of the evidence and the appellant's socio-economic background. The Court noted that while the crime was heinous, the imposition of the death penalty was not warranted under the circumstances.