Supreme Court finds no homicidal death in friend's drowning case

The case concerns a criminal appeal by two accused individuals against their conviction for the murder of a friend who was found drowned in a river. The core issue is whether the evidence supports a finding of homicidal death or if the death was an accidental drowning, as argued by the appellants.

Appellants: Taher Vajiyuddin Rangwala & Anr.; Respondent: The State of Gujarat; Bench: Justice K. Vinod Chandran.

• The Court examined the post-mortem report and medical testimony, finding no evidence of homicidal death and noting that medical evidence favored the defense version of accidental drowning.
• The Court noted that the alleged motive was an afterthought and that the FIR was registered with a delay of approximately four months.
• The Court observed that the testimony of shopkeepers regarding soda bottles did not incriminate the accused of murder, and that the scene was not isolated, making premeditated murder unlikely.
• The Court rejected the reliance on the accused's silence and conduct (such as lying about dropping the victim) as incriminating, given the defense of accidental drowning and panic.

Written from the document by AI, and checked against it. The original below is authoritative.

The original document