States High court

Telangana High Court Acquits Auto Driver in Murder Case

The Telangana High Court has recently acquitted Wadde Raju, an auto driver from Kodur village in Mahbubnagar district for the murder of one Shanthamma.

Previously, the Family Court-cum-VIII Additional Sessions Judge in Mahbubnagar had convicted and sentenced Raju to life imprisonment on May 11, 2015, prompting him to appeal to the High Court.

In addition to the life sentence, Raju had also been sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment for theft under Section 379 IPC and three years of simple imprisonment for causing the disappearance of evidence under Section 201 IPC. All sentences were set to run concurrently, and a fine of Rs 5,000 was imposed.

Upon hearing Raju’s appeal, a bench of Justice K Surender and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti found that the sessions judge had convicted him based on witness testimonies, including that of the deceased’s son, and evidence such as the seizure of items allegedly belonging to the victim. However, the bench found the evidence to be highly inconsistent and the prosecution’s case to be riddled with discrepancies.

One major point of contention was the testimony of the deceased’s son, who identified his mother’s body and personal items. He later stated in cross-examination that he only learned of his mother’s death on May 7, 2014, well after the body had been cremated on April 29, 2014. This contradiction raised serious doubts about the reliability of the identification process.

The division bench also found that Raju’s confession was obtained in the presence of police personnel and therefore inadmissible under Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act. The only exception to this rule is evidence of recovery under Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act.

Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International

Nunnem Gangte

Recent Posts

Pune Porsche Case: SC Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Father Of Minor Driver’s Friend

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to Arunkumar Devnath Singh, whose son is a…

47 mins ago

SC Dumps Plea Against Quashing LOC For Sushant Singh Rajput’s Ex-House Help

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Centre's appeal against a Bombay High Court order…

1 hour ago

Rape Case: SC Issues Notice On Ex-Army Officer’s Plea For Quashing Charge sheet

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has agreed to review a plea from retired Army Captain…

2 hours ago

Chhattisgarh NAN Scam: FIR Against 2 Retired IAS Officers, Former AG

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday has registered a case against 2 retired IAS officers…

2 hours ago

“Not All Private Properties Can Be Acquired Under Article 39(b)”: SC

A 9-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling on Tuesday regarding the…

2 hours ago

Karnataka HC Notices CM On Plea To Transfer MUDA Case To CBI

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and…

4 hours ago