Mohan Naik v. The State of Karnataka

Crl.A.No.824(of(2023( R IN,THE,HIGH,COURT,OF,KARNATAKA,AT,BENGALURU, THDATED,THIS,THE,13 ,DAY,OF,MARCH,2026, PRESENT, THE,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,G,BASAVARAJA, CRIMINAL(APPEAL(No.(824(OF(2023( , BETWEEN:, ,

1., MOHAN,NAIK,, S/O,GOVINDA,NAIK,, NOW,AGED,ABOUT,23,YEARS,, R/O,AMMANAPURA,, AVVERAHALLI,POST,, KAILANCH,HOBLI,,, RAMANAGARA,TALUK., RAMANAGARA,DISTRICT-562159, [Now,in,Judicial,Custody], ,

2., APPU,NAIK,, S/O,VINOD,KUMAR,, NOW,AGED,ABOUT,23,YEARS,, R/O,AMMANAPURA,, AVVERAHALLI,POST,, KAILANCH,HOBLI,,, RAMANAGARA,TALUK., RAMANAGARA,DISTRICT-562159, [Now,in,Judicial,Custody], , …APPELLANTS, (BY,SRI,K.A.,CHANDRASHEKARA,,ADVOCATE), , AND:, ,

1., THE,STATE,OF,KARNATAKA, BY,RAMANAGARA,WOMEN,POLICE,STATION, 2 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( RAMANAGARA-562159.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, REPTD,BY,STATE,PUBLIC,PROSECUTOR,, HIGH,COURT,OF,KARNATAKA,, BENGALURU-560001.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,

2., M/S.,GOWRI,BAI, W/O,MANJU,NAIK, R/O,AMMANAPURA, AVVVERAHALLI,POST, KAILANCH,HOBLI,,, RAMANAGARA,TALUK., RAMANAGARA,DISTRICT-562159, , AMENDED,AS,PER,ORDER,DATED,29.07.2025, , , …RESPONDENT, (BY,SRI,B.,LAKSHMAN,,HCGP,FOR,R1;, ,R2,SERVED,,UNREPRESETED), a THIS,CRIMINAL,APPEAL,IS,FILED,UNDER,SECTION,374(2), OF,THE,CODE,OF,CRIMINAL,PROCEDURE,,PRAYING,TO,SET,ASIDE, THE, JUDGMENT, AND, ORDER, OF, CONVICTION, AND, SENTENCE, DATED,28-03-2023/31-03-2023,PASSED,IN,S.C.,NO.26/2022,BY, THE, III, ADDL.,, DISTRICT, AND, SESSIONS, JUDGE, RAMANAGARA, CONVICTING, THE, APPELLANTS, HEREIN, FOR, THE, OFFENCE, PUNISHABLE,UNDER,SECTIONS,376-D,IPC;,AND,ETC., , THIS, CRIMINAL, APPEAL, HAVING, BEEN, HEARD, AND, RESERVED, ON, 18.02.2026,, COMING, ON, FOR, "PRONOUNCEMENT( OF( ORDERS,, THIS,DAY,,THE,COURT,,DELIVERED,THE,FOLLOWING:, CAV(JUDGMENT(

¶1The, appellants, prefer, this, appeal, under, Section, 374(2), of, the, Code, of, Criminal, Procedure,, aggrieved, by, the, judgment, of, th stconviction, and, order, on, sentence, dated, 28 /31 , March,, 2023,, 3 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( passed, in, SC, No.26, of, 2022, by, the, III, Additional, District, and, Sessions, Judge,, Ramanagara, convicting, the, appellants, for, the, offence,under,sections,376-D,IPC,and,sentenced,them,to,undergo, 25,years,rigorous,imprisonment,and,to,pay,a,fine,of,Rs.1,00,000/- each, in, default, of, payment, of, fine,, to, undergo, simple, imprisonment,for,one,year.,

¶2In,the,present,judgment,,I,would,like,to,withhold,the,name, of,the,victim,lady,in,view,of,the,provisions,of,Section,228A,IPC, and,in,pursuance,of,the,observations,of,Hon'ble,Supreme,Court, in,STATE,OF,HIMACHAL,PRADESH,v.,SHREE,KANTH,SHEKARI,(AIR, 2004,SC,4404).,,The,prosecutrix,hereinafter,referred,to,as,"the, victim".,

¶3The, facts,, as, unfolded, by, the, prosecution,, in, short, conspectus,,is,that,on,16.06.2021,at,about,5.30,p.m.,,the,accused, Nos.1,and,2,are,alleged,to,have,visited,the,house,of,C.W.1,,the, victim., It, is, the, case, of, the, prosecution, that, the, accused, were, under, the, influence, of, alcohol, at, the, relevant, point, of, time,, immediately, upon, entering, the, house,, they, are, stated, to, have, bolted,the,main,door,from,inside,and,closed,the,windows,,thereby, 4 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( preventing, any, possibility, of, outside, intervention., Both, the, accused,, having, common, intention,, committed, forcible, sexual, intercourse,upon,the,victim,one,after,the,other,,thereby,attracting, the, offence, punishable, under, Section, 376D, of, the, Indian, Penal, Code.,,Further,,the,accused,attempted,to,strangulate,the,victim,, thereby,causing,injuries,and,committing,an,act,amounting,to,an, offence,punishable,under,Section,307,of,the,Indian,Penal,Code.,

¶4During, the, course, of, investigation,, the, statement, of, the, victim, was, recorded, under, Section, 164, of, the, Code, of, Criminal, Procedure,before,the,jurisdictional,Magistrate,on,21.06.2021.,The, accused, were, apprehended, and, remanded, to, judicial, custody., Upon,completion,of,investigation,,the,Investigating,Officer,laid,the, charge,sheet,before,the,Court,of,the,Principal,Senior,Civil,Judge, and, Chief, Judicial, Magistrate,, Ramanagara,, which,, after, taking, cognizance,of,the,offences,,committed,the,matter,to,the,Court,of, Sessions, by, order, dated, 08.02.2022., , Upon, receipt, of, the, committal,records,,the,Sessions,Court,secured,the,presence,of,the, accused, and,, after, hearing, both, sides,, framed, charges, against, accused,Nos.1,and,2,for,the,offences,punishable,under,Sections,
 





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¶6The,trial,court,,after,hearing,learned,counsel,for,the,parties, and, after, scrutinizing, and, assessing, the, evidence, on, record,, convicted, and, sentenced, the, appellants, herein, for, the, offence, punishable, under, Section, 376-D, IPC, and, sentenced, them, to, undergo, 25, years, rigorous, imprisonment, and, to, pay, a, fine, of, Rs.1,00,000/-, each,, in, default, of, payment, of, fine, to, undergo, simple, imprisonment, for, one, year, and, has, acquitted, for, the, offence, punishable, under, Section, 307, IPC., , Being, aggrieved, by, the,impugned,judgment,of,conviction,and,order,on,sentence,,the, appellants,have,preferred,this,appeal., Submissions(of(Counsel(for(the(Accused/Appellants:(

¶7Sri, Veeranna, G., Tigadi,, learned, counsel, appearing, for, the, appellants,vehemently,contended,that,the,impugned,judgment,of, conviction, and, sentence, passed, by, the, learned, Trial, Court, is, contrary,to,law,,facts,and,probabilities,of,the,case.,It,is,submitted, that,the,Trial,Court,has,failed,to,properly,appreciate,the,evidence, on,record,in,its,proper,perspective,and,has,erroneously,convicted, the,appellants,under,Section,376-D,IPC., 7 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶8It,is,further,submitted,that,the,conviction,is,primarily,based, on, the, solitary, testimony, of, PW4-victim,, whose, evidence,, according, to, the, learned, counsel,, is, riddled, with, material, contradictions,and,inconsistencies.,Though,it,is,a,settled,principle, that, conviction, can, be, based, on, the, sole, testimony, of, the, prosecutrix,,the,same,must,be,of,sterling,quality,and,must,inspire, confidence.,In,the,present,case,,the,evidence,of,PW-4,does,not, meet,that,standard.,

¶9The,learned,counsel,would,draw,the,attention,of,this,Court, to, the, material, admissions, elicited, in, the, cross-examination, of, PW-4,,wherein,victim,has,stated,that, victim, does,not,know,the, accused.,Victim,has,further,deposed,that,victim,is,aged,about,50– 60,years,,married,,having,three,married,sons,and,grandchildren., More, importantly,, victim, has, admitted, that, victim, had, not, seen, the,faces,of,the,persons,who,allegedly,committed,the,offence,and, has,even,stated,that,the,persons,present,before,the,Court,are,not, the, persons, who, committed, rape, on, her., These, admissions,, according, to, the, learned, counsel,, strike, at, the, root, of, the, prosecution,case,and,demolish,the,identification,of,the,accused., 8 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶10It, is, also, contended, that, though, PW-4, stated, that, her, statement,was,recorded,in,the,police,station,,Ex.P-3,reflects,that, written, information, was, submitted;, however,, victim, has, not, affixed,her,LTM,on,the,said,document.,This,discrepancy,creates, serious,doubt,about,the,very,genesis,of,the,complaint.,

¶11The, learned, counsel, further, submits, that, the, prosecution, examined,as,many,as,20,witnesses,to,prove,its,case.,Out,of,them,, PWs3,,9,,10,,14,and,15,were,cited,as,independent,witnesses,to, corroborate, the, testimony, of, PW-4., However,, all, these, material, witnesses, have, not, supported, the, prosecution, case., In, the, absence, of, corroboration, from, independent, witnesses,, the, conviction,solely,on,the,shaky,testimony,of,PW-4,is,unsustainable.,

¶12With, regard, to, the, medical, evidence,, it, is, contended, that, PW-13,, the, Doctor,, has, deposed, that, the, history, given, was, of, "misbehavior, by, two, persons, with, hands.", On, examination,, no, external,injuries,were,found,on,the,body,of,PW-4;,there,was,no, disfigurement,on,her,face,and,no,signs,indicative,of,forcible,sexual, intercourse., The, learned, counsel, would, submit, that, the, medical, evidence,does,not,corroborate,the,allegation,of,gang,rape.,Even, 9 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( the, FSL, report, does, not, support, the, prosecution, case., There, is, also, inconsistency, regarding, who, accompanied, PW-4, to, the, hospital,,as,the,version,of,PW-13,is,not,in,consonance,with,that,of, PW-12.,

¶13It, is, further, contended, that, the, essential, ingredients, of, Section, 375, IPC, have, not, been, established,, and, much, less, the, additional, requirement, under, Section, 376-D, IPC, of, common, intention, and, participation, of, more, than, one, accused, in, the, commission,of,gang,rape.,,Mere,use,of,the,expression,"rape",by, PW4,, without, proof, of, the, foundational, facts, constituting, the, offence,,is,not,sufficient,to,sustain,a,conviction,under,Section,376-D,IPC.,At,the,highest,,the,allegations,,even,if,taken,at,face,value,, may,attract,an,offence,under,Section,354,IPC,,but,certainly,not, the,offence,of,gang,rape.,

¶14The,learned,counsel,would,also,place,reliance,on,Exhibits,P-30, and, P31, to, contend, that, accused, No.1, had, earlier, lodged, a, complaint,in,Crime,No.121/2021,before,Ramanagara,Rural,Police, against,PWs,14,and,15,for,offences,under,Sections,324,,504,and, 506,read,with,Section,34,IPC.,,It,is,submitted,that,due,to,prior, 10 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( enmity,and,ill-will,,the,appellants,have,been,falsely,implicated,in, the, present, case,, and, this, aspect, has, not, been, properly, appreciated,by,the,learned,Sessions,Judge.,

¶15It, is, further, argued, that, the, Trial, Court, has, acquitted, the, appellants,of,the,charge,under,Section,307,IPC,,holding,that,the, prosecution, failed, to, prove, the, said, offence., Having, disbelieved, the,prosecution,case,in,respect,of,one,serious,charge,,the,learned, Judge,ought,to,have,exercised,similar,caution,while,appreciating, the,evidence,for,the,charge,under,Section,376-D,IPC.,

¶16The,learned,counsel,submits,that,the,entire,prosecution,case, is,doubtful,from,its,inception,and,appears,to,be,an,afterthought,, possibly, the, result, of, deliberation, and, previous, animosity., The, learned,Trial,Judge,,without,extending,the,benefit,of,doubt,to,the, appellants,, has, proceeded, on, presumptions, and, has, misapplied, the,legal,principles,governing,criminal,jurisprudence.,

¶17It, is, finally, contended, that, in, criminal, law,, the, burden, is, always,on,the,prosecution,to,prove,its,case,beyond,all,reasonable, doubt.,In,the,present,case,,the,prosecution,has,miserably,failed,to, 11 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( discharge, that, burden., Therefore,, the, appellants, are, entitled, to, the,benefit,of,doubt,and,consequent,acquittal.,, Submissions(on(behalf(of(the(respondent-State:,

¶18Per, contra,, Sri, B., Lakshman,, learned, High, Court, Government, Pleader, appearing, for, the, respondent-State,, would, stoutly,support,the,impugned,judgment,of,conviction,and,order,on, sentence,and,contend,that,the,same,is,legal,,proper,and,based,on, sound,appreciation,of,oral,and,documentary,evidence,on,record.,

¶19It, is, submitted, that, the, learned, Sessions, Judge, has, meticulously,examined,the,entire,material,placed,before,the,Court, and,has,rightly,come,to,the,conclusion,that,the,prosecution,has, proved,the,guilt,of,the,appellants,beyond,all,reasonable,doubt,for, the,offence,punishable,under,Section,376-D,IPC.,

¶20He, would, further, contend, that, the, evidence, of, PW-4,, the, victim,,is,natural,,cogent,and,trustworthy.,It,is,a,settled,principle, of,law,that,the,testimony,of,the,prosecutrix,stands,on,par,with, that,of,an,injured,witness,and,,if,found,reliable,,can,form,the,sole, basis,for,conviction,without,the,necessity,of,corroboration.,In,the, 12 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( present,case,,PW-4,has,clearly,narrated,the,manner,in,which,the, accused,came,to,her,house,and,committed,the,offence.,Nothing, substantial,has,been,elicited,in,her,cross-examination,to,discredit, her,core,version,regarding,the,commission,of,the,offence.,

¶21It,is,further,submitted,that,minor,discrepancies,or,omissions, in,the,evidence,of,a,rustic,witness,cannot,be,magnified,to,discard, the, entire, prosecution, case., The, learned, Trial, Judge, has, rightly, observed,that,trivial,contradictions,,which,do,not,go,to,the,root,of, the,matter,,cannot,be,made,a,ground,to,extend,benefit,of,doubt, to,the,accused.,

¶22With, regard, to, the, contention, that, certain, independent, witnesses,have,not,supported,the,prosecution,,the,learned,High, Court, Government, Pleader, would, submit, that, merely, because, some, witnesses, have, turned, hostile,, the, prosecution, case, does, not,fail,,particularly,when,the,testimony,of,the,victim,is,clear,and, consistent.,,The,evidence,of,a,hostile,witness,need,not,be,rejected, in, toto, and, can, be, relied, upon, to, the, extent, it, supports, the, prosecution,case., 13 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶23As, regards, the, medical, evidence,, it, is, submitted, that, absence, of, external, injuries, is, not, fatal, to, the, case, of, the, prosecution,in,an,offence,of,rape,,especially,when,the,victim,is,a, grown-up,woman.,The,medical,evidence,in,the,present,case,does, not,rule,out,sexual,assault.,The,history,noted,by,the,Doctor,and, the,findings,on,examination,are,consistent,with,the,version,of,PW-

4., It, is, well, settled, that, medical, evidence, is, corroborative, in, nature,and,when,the,ocular,testimony,of,the,victim,is,trustworthy,, minor, inconsistencies, in, medical, evidence, do, not, discredit, the, prosecution,case.,

¶24It,is,further,contended,that,the,ingredients,of,Section,376-D, IPC,are,clearly,made,out,from,the,evidence,on,record.,The,victim, has,specifically,deposed,about,the,involvement,of,more,than,one, accused, acting, in, furtherance, of, their, common, intention., The, learned, Trial, Judge,, after, proper, analysis, of, the, evidence,, has, rightly, recorded, a, finding, that, the, offence, of, gang, rape, stands, proved.,

¶25With,regard,to,the,alleged,prior,complaint,filed,by,accused, No.1,,it,is,submitted,that,the,same,has,no,bearing,on,the,present, 14 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( case.,The,defence,theory,of,false,implication,on,account,of,prior, enmity, is, a, mere, bald, suggestion, without, any, substantive, evidence., The, learned, Trial, Court, has, rightly, rejected, the, said, defence,as,an,afterthought.,

¶26It,is,also,contended,that,the,acquittal,of,the,appellants,for, the,offence,under,Section,307,IPC,does,not,in,any,manner,dilute, the, prosecution, case, with, regard, to, the, offence, under, Section, 376-D,IPC.,,Each,charge,has,to,be,independently,assessed,on,the, basis,of,evidence,available,,and,the,learned,Sessions,Judge,has, done,so,in,accordance,with,law.,

¶27Finally,,he,submitted,that,the,impugned,judgment,reflects, proper, appreciation, of, evidence, and, correct, application, of, legal, principles., The, findings, recorded, by, the, Trial, Court, are, neither, perverse,nor,contrary,to,the,material,on,record,so,as,to,warrant, interference, by, this, Court, in, an, appeal, against, conviction.,, Accordingly,,sought,for,dismissal,of,the,appeal.,,

¶28Upon, hearing, the, rival, contentions, urged, by, , the, learned, counsel,for,the,appellants,and,the,learned(HCGP,for,the,State,,and, 15 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( upon,perusal,of,the,oral,and,documentary,evidence,available,on, record,,the,following,points,arise,for,consideration,in,this,appeal:,,

(i) Whether,appellants/accused,have,made,out,a, case,to,interfere,with,the,impugned,judgment, conviction, and, order, on, sentence, passed, by, the,trial,Court?,,

(ii) What,Order?,,

¶29My,answer,to,the,above,points,is,as,under:, , Point,No.1:,in,affirmative, , Point,No.2:,as,per,final,order, Regarding(Point(No.1:,

¶30I, have, given, my, anxious, consideration, to, the, arguments, advanced,by,the,learned,counsel,for,the,parties.,I,have,carefully, perused, the, entire, oral, and, documentary, evidence, on, record,, including,the,original,records,secured,from,the,Trial,Court.,Being, an,appellate,Court,under,Section,374(2),of,the,Cr.PC,,this,Court,is, 16 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( duty-bound,to,re-appreciate,the,evidence,in,its,entirety,and,arrive, at,an,independent,conclusion.,

¶31In,order,to,attract,Section,376-D,IPC,,the,prosecution,must, establish, not, merely, the, commission, of, rape,, but, also, the, participation,of,more,than,one,person,acting,in,furtherance,of,a, common,intention.,The,statutory,requirement,is,not,satisfied,by, proving,the,act,of,sexual,assault,alone;,it,must,be,demonstrated, through,clear,,cogent,and,convincing,evidence,that,each,accused, was, present, and, actively, involved, in, the, commission, of, the, offence,, sharing, a, common, intention., The, evidence, on, record, must,, therefore,, unequivocally, establish, both, the, presence, and, participation, of, the, accused, in, the, alleged, occurrence., Before, adverting,to,the,appreciation,of,evidence,in,the,present,case,,it,is, necessary,to,revisit,the,settled,principles,laid,down,by,the,Hon'ble, Supreme,Court,regarding,the,evidentiary,value,to,be,attached,to, the, testimony, of, a, prosecutrix, in, cases, of, sexual, assault,, particularly,where,the,prosecution,case,rests,substantially,,if,not, entirely,,on,her,evidence.,It,is,well,settled,that,the,testimony,of, the,victim,of,a,sexual,offence,stands,on,a,higher,pedestal,and,,if, 17 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( found,to,be,trustworthy,and,credible,,can,form,the,sole,basis,for, conviction, without, the, necessity, of, corroboration., At, the, same, time,, such, testimony, must, be, evaluated, with, due, care,, caution, and,sensitivity,,keeping,in,view,the,overall,circumstances,of,the, case.,

¶32The, law, is, equally, well, settled, that, oral, testimony, may, broadly, be, classified, into, three, categories,, namely:, (i), wholly, reliable;,(ii),wholly,unreliable;,and,(iii),neither,wholly,reliable,nor, wholly, unreliable., In, cases, falling, under, the, first, category,, the, Court,may,safely,base,a,conviction,on,the,testimony,of,a,single, witness,without,corroboration.,In,cases,falling,under,the,second, category,,the,testimony,is,to,be,rejected,outright.,However,,it,is,in, the, third, category—where, the, witness, is, neither, wholly, reliable, nor, wholly, unreliable—that, the, Court, must, exercise, greater, circumspection.,In,such,cases,,as,a,rule,of,prudence,,the,Court, looks, for, corroboration, in, material, particulars,, either, through, direct, or, circumstantial, evidence,, before, recording, a, finding, of, guilt., 18 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶33In, RAI, SANDEEP, v., STATE, (NCT, OF, DELHI), reported, in,

(2012),8,SCC,21,,the,Court,found,totally,conflicting,versions,of, the,prosecutrix,,from,what,was,stated,in,the,complaint,and,what, was, deposed, before, Court,, resulting, in, material, inconsistencies., Reversing,the,conviction,and,holding,that,the,prosecutrix,cannot, be,held,to,be,a,'sterling,witness',,the,Courtm,at,paragraph,22,of, the,judgment,,has,opined,thus:,, ,, "22., In, our, considered, opinion,, the, 'sterling, witness', should, be, of, a, very, high, quality, and, calibre, whose, version, should,, therefore,, be, unassailable., The, court,considering,the,version,of,such,witness,should,be,in, a, position, to, accept, it, for, its, face, value, without, any, hesitation., To, test, the, quality, of, such, a, witness,, the, status,of,the,witness,would,be,immaterial,and,what,would, be,relevant,is,the,truthfulness,of,the,statement,made,by, such,a,witness.,What,would,be,more,relevant,would,be, the,consistency,of,the,statement,right,from,the,starting, point,till,the,end,,namely,,at,the,time,when,the,witness, makes, the, initial, statement, and, ultimately, before, the, court.,It,should,be,natural,and,consistent,with,the,case,of, the,prosecution,qua,the,accused.,There,should,not,be,any, prevarication, in, the, version, of, such, a, witness., The, witness, should, be, in, a, position, to, withstand, the, cross-examination, of, any, length, and, howsoever, strenuous, it, may,be,and,under,no,circumstance,should,give,room,for, 19 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( any,doubt,as,to,the,factum,of,the,occurrence,,the,persons, involved,, as, well, as, the, sequence, of, it., Such, a, version, should,have,co-relation,with,each,and,every,one,of,other, supporting, material, such, as, the, recoveries, made,, the, weapons, used,, the, manner, of, offence, committed,, the, scientific, evidence, and, the, expert, opinion., The, said, version, should, consistently, match, with, the, version, of, every,other,witness.,It,can,even,be,stated,that,it,should, be,akin,to,the,test,applied,in,the,case,of,circumstantial, evidence,where,there,should,not,be,any,missing,link,in, the,chain,of,circumstances,to,hold,the,accused,guilty,of, the, offence, alleged, against, him., Only, if, the, version, of, such,a,witness,qualifies,the,above,test,as,well,as,all,other, such,similar,tests,to,be,applied,,can,it,be,held,that,such,a, witness,can,be,called,as,a,'sterling,witness',whose,version, can,be,accepted,by,the,court,without,any,corroboration, and, based, on, which, the, guilty, can, be, punished., To, be, more,precise,,the,version,of,the,said,witness,on,the,core, spectrum,of,the,crime,should,remain,intact,while,all,other, attendant, materials,, namely,, oral,, documentary, and, material,objects,should,match,the,said,version,in,material, particulars,in,order,to,enable,the,court,trying,the,offence, to,rely,on,the,core,version,to,sieve,the,other,supporting, materials, for, holding, the, offender, guilt, of, the, charge, alleged.",,

¶34In,KRISHAN,KUMAR,MALIK,v.,STATE,OF,HARYANA,reported, in,(2011)7,SCC,130,,the,Hon'ble,Supreme,Court,laid,down,that, 20 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( although,the,victim's,solitary,evidence,in,matters,related,to,sexual, offences,is,generally,deemed,sufficient,to,hold,an,accused,guilty,, the,conviction,cannot,be,sustained,if,the,prosecutrix's,testimony,is, found, unreliable, and, insufficient, due, to, identified, flaws, and, lacunae.,It,was,held,thus:,, , "31., No, doubt,, it, is,true, that, to, hold, an, accused, guilty,for,commission,of,an,offence,of,rape,,the,solitary, evidence, of, the, prosecutrix, is, sufficient, provided, the, same, inspires, confidence, and, appears, to, be, absolutely, trustworthy,, unblemished, and, should, be, of, sterling, quality., But,, in, the, case, in, hand,, the, evidence, of, the, prosecutrix,,showing,several,lacunae,,which,have,already, been,projected,hereinabove,,would,go,to,show,that,her, evidence, does, not, fall, in, that, category, and, cannot, be, relied, upon, to, hold, the, appellant, guilty, of, the, said, offences., , 32.,Indeed,there,are,several,significant,variations, in, material, facts, in, her, Section, 164, statement,, Section, 161,statement,(CrPC),,FIR,and,deposition,in,court.,Thus,, it, was, necessary, to, get, her, evidence, corroborated, independently,, which, they, could, have, done, either, by, examination,of,Ritu,,her,sister,or,Bimla,Devi,,who,were, present,in,the,house,at,the,time,of,her,alleged,abduction., The, record, shows, that, Bimla, Devi, though, cited, as, a, witness, was, not, examined, and, later, given, up, by, the, 21 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( public, prosecutor, on, the, ground, that, victim, been, won, over,by,the,appellant.",,,

¶35The, entire, oral, and, documentary, evidence, on, record, has, been, re-appreciated,, as, is, required, in, an, appeal, against, conviction.,,The,principal,contention,of,the,learned,counsel,for,the, appellants,is,that,the,conviction,is,based,solely,on,the,testimony, of,PW-4,,the,victim,,and,that,her,evidence,is,not,of,such,quality,as, to,inspire,confidence.,It,is,urged,that,material,contradictions,and, admissions,elicited,in,her,cross-examination,go,to,the,root,of,the, prosecution,case,,particularly,with,regard,to,identification,of,the, accused.,,It,is,well,settled,that,the,testimony,of,a,prosecutrix,,if, found, credible, and, trustworthy,, can, form, the, sole, basis, of, conviction,and,does,not,require,corroboration,as,a,matter,of,rule., The,evidence,of,the,victim,stands,on,par,with,that,of,an,injured, witness., However,, where, the, testimony, suffers, from, inherent, improbabilities,, material, inconsistencies, or, serious, doubts, regarding,identification,of,the,accused,,the,Court,is,duty-bound,to, scrutinize,the,same,with,greater,circumspection., 22 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶36In,the,present,case,,PW-4,has,narrated,in,her,examination-in-chief,that,accused,Nos.1,and,2,entered,her,house,,bolted,the, doors, and, windows,, gagged, her, and, committed, forcible, sexual, intercourse,one,after,the,other.,Victim,has,also,spoken,about,an, attempt, to, strangulate, her., Her, statement, under, Section, 164, Cr.PC., marked, as, Ex.P-27,, is, stated, to, be, consistent, with, her, version, before, the, Court., However,, in, the, cross-examination,, certain,significant,admissions,have,been,elicited.,Victim,has,stated, that,victim,did,not,know,the,accused,earlier.,More,importantly,,it, is,brought,on,record,that,victim,has,deposed,that,victim,had,not, seen,the,faces,of,the,persons,who,allegedly,committed,the,offence, and, that, the, persons, present, before, the, Court, were, not, the, persons,who,committed,rape,on,her.,Such,an,admission,,if,read,in, its, plain, terms,, strikes, at, the, very, foundation, of, identification., Identification, of, the, accused, is, a, foundational, fact, in, a, criminal, trial,, and, where, the, same, is, rendered, doubtful,, the, entire, prosecution,case,stands,on,a,fragile,footing.,

¶37The, prosecution, has, examined, as, many, as, twenty, witnesses., PWs3,, 9,, 10,, 14, and, 15,, who, were, cited, as, 23 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( independent,witnesses,,have,not,supported,the,prosecution,case., Though,it,is,true,that,the,evidence,of,hostile,witnesses,need,not, be,rejected,in,toto,,in,the,present,case,,their,evidence,does,not, lend,any,meaningful,corroboration,to,the,testimony,of,PW-4.,

¶38The, medical, evidence, also, requires, careful, consideration., PW-13,, the, Doctor,, has, deposed, that, the, history, furnished, was, one,of,"misbehavior,by,two,persons,with,hands.",On,examination,, no, external, injuries, were, found, on, the, body;, there, was, no, disfigurement,and,no,definite,signs,suggestive,of,forcible,sexual, intercourse.,While,it,is,trite,that,absence,of,injuries,is,not,by,itself, fatal,to,a,prosecution,for,rape,,especially,in,the,case,of,a,grown-up,woman,,the,medical,evidence,must,at,least,not,contradict,the, ocular,testimony.,In,the,present,case,,the,medical,evidence,does, not, positively, corroborate, the, allegation, of, gang, rape., The, FSL, report, also, does, not, provide, any, conclusive, support, to, the, prosecution,version.,

¶39Another, aspect, that, merits, attention, is, the, discrepancy, relating,to,the,lodging,of,the,complaint.,Though,PW-4,has,stated, that,her,statement,was,recorded,at,the,police,station,,Ex.P-3,is, 24 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( shown,as,written,information,,and,it,is,contended,that,victim,has, not, affixed, her, LTM, on, the, said, document., The, genesis, of, the, complaint,,therefore,,assumes,significance,in,the,backdrop,of,the, defence,plea,of,false,implication,due,to,prior,enmity.,

¶40The,defence,has,also,placed,reliance,upon,Exs.P-30,and,P-31, to, demonstrate, that, accused, No.1, had, earlier, lodged, a, complaint, in, Crime, No.121/2021, against, certain, prosecution, witnesses., Though, prior, enmity, by, itself, cannot, be, a, ground, to, discard, the, prosecution, case,, it, assumes, relevance, where, the, prosecution, evidence, is, otherwise, shaky, and, doubtful., , The, learned, Trial, Judge, has, acquitted, the, appellants, of, the, offence, under,Section,307,IPC,on,the,ground,that,the,prosecution,failed,to, establish,the,same,beyond,reasonable,doubt.,While,it,is,true,that, each, charge, must, be, independently, assessed,, the, overall, appreciation, of, evidence, must, be, consistent, and, guided, by, the, cardinal,principle,that,the,prosecution,must,prove,its,case,beyond, reasonable,doubt.,

¶41On,perusal,of,complaint-Ex.P3,dated,17.06.2021,registered, in,Crime,No.64/2021,of,Ramanagara,Women,Police,Station,,it,is, 25 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( seen, that, the, complaint, was, lodged, at, about, 11.45, am, on,

17.06.2021., , Exhibit, P21, is, the, First, Information, Report., , In, Exhibit,P3,,victim-PW4,,has,narrated,that,at,about,5.30,p.m.,on,

16.06.2021,,the,accused,came,to,her,house,,asked,for,food,and,, treating, them, like, her,children,,victim,served,food.,,Thereafter,, under, the, influence, of, alcohol,, they, allegedly, molested, her, by, touching,her,breasts,and,committed,sexual,assault.,,Victim,has, further, stated, that, when, she, screamed,, they, attempted, to, strangulate,her,and,at,that,time,,one,Jayasimha,Naik,(her,uncle's, son),,rushed,and,rescued,her,,and,subsequently,Ramaswamy,and, Kumar,assaulted,the,accused,and,saved,her.,,Victim,was,taken,to, the,hospital,at,midnight.,,She,has,also,alleged,that,the,accused, were, involved, in, illegal, activities, and, sale, of, liquor, and, sought, protection.,

¶42Ex.P5,is,the,statement,recorded,under,Section,164,Cr.PC,on,

21.06.2021,before,the,learned,Additional,Civil,Judge,(Sr.,Dn.),&, JMFC,, Ramanagara., , Exhibit, P14, indicates, that, FSL, report, was, pending, at, the, relevant, time., , Exhibit, P20, is, the, FSL, acknowledgment,spoken,to,by,PW17.,
 





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,<*1)?)-.1)'* '? 1;< .--+0<, )0 . ?'+*,.1)'*./ ?.-1 .*, 27 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( when,the,victim,herself,disowns,identification,,the,substratum,of, the,prosecution,case,becomes,doubtful.,

¶45PW-13,, the, Doctor,, examined, the, victim, at, 2.58, a.m., on,

17.06.2021., He, has, deposed, that, the, history, given, was, of, "misbehaviour, by, two, of, her, relatives", and, that, no, external, injuries,were,found.,PW-4,herself,has,stated,that,victim,has,not, sustained,any,injuries.,The,absence,of,injuries,,though,not,always, fatal,, assumes, significance, in, the, present, case, in, view, of, the, allegation,of,forcible,gang,rape,and,attempted,strangulation.,

¶46PW19-Dr.,Geetha,,has,not,examined,the,victim.,Victim,has, merely,identified,the,handwriting,and,signature,of,Dr.,Mamatha,, who, allegedly, examined, the, victim., Dr., Mamatha, has, not, been, examined.,Thus,,the,medical,evidence,is,not,proved,in,accordance, with, law, through, the, author, of, the, document., This, omission, affects,the,evidentiary,value,of,the,medical,records.,

¶47The, final, FSL, opinion-Exhibit, P19, indicates, that, seminal, stains,were,detected,on,Item,No.3,and,that,possibility,of,recent, sexual,intercourse,could,be,concluded.,However,,the,prosecution, has, not, established, that, MOs1, to, 8, (including, undergarments), 28 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( belonged,to,the,victim.,PW-12,has,deposed,that,victim,procured, eight, objects, from, the, victim, and, sealed, them,, but, during, the, evidence,of,PW-4,and,PW-12,,M.O.,Nos.1,to,8,were,not,shown., They,were,marked,for,the,first,time,during,the,evidence,of,PW-18., This, creates, serious, doubt, about, the, proper, identification, and, proof,of,material,objects.,

¶48PW6-Dr.,Syed,Nadeem,,examined,accused,No.1,and,issued, wound,certificate,Ex.P7.,Though,police,records,indicate,arrest,on,

17.06.2021,, Ex.P7, shows, that, accused, No.1, was, examined, on,

22.06.2021,and,the,injuries,were,noted,as,five,days,old.,Column, No.9,of,Ex.P7,(history,of,injuries),is,left,blank.,PW-6,has,admitted, that, he, has, not, mentioned, the, history, of, assault., This, inconsistency,in,arrest,and,medical,examination,dates,casts,doubt, on,the,prosecution,version,regarding,arrest,and,alleged,assault,by, public.

¶49The,order,sheet,of,the,committal,Court,reveals,that,accused, No.2, was, produced, on, 17.06.2021, and, accused, No.1, on,

22.06.2021., However,, PW-7, has, deposed, that, he, arrested, both, accused, on, 17.06.2021, and, produced, them, before, higher, 29 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( authorities., The, alleged, arrest, report, is, not, produced., The, Investigating, Officer, (PW-18), has, not, explained, these, discrepancies., Such, inconsistencies, in, arrest, and, production, before, Court, go, to, the, root, of, the, investigation., Another, significant,aspect,is,the,discrepancy,regarding,the,time,of,incident, In,Ex.P3,and,Ex.P5,(Section,164,statement),,the,time,of,incident, is, stated, as, 5.30, p.m., However,, certain, witnesses, and, police, records,indicate,the,time,as,between,10.00,p.m.,to,11.00,p.m., Such, material, contradiction, regarding, the, time, of, occurrence, affects,the,credibility,of,the,prosecution,case.,,As,the,Ex.P5,is,the, statement, recorded, under, Section, 164, Cr.P.C., on, 21.06.2021, before, the, learned, Additional, Civil, Judge, (Sr., Dn.), &, JMFC,, Ramanagara,,it,is,significant,to,notice,that,the,alleged,incident,has, happened, on, 16.06.2021, at, about, 5.30, p.m.,, by, , the, accused, Nos.1, and, 2, ,, however, the, 164, statement, was, recorded, on,

21.06.2021,there,is,a,delay,in,recording,the,statement,of,victim, which,is,not,explained,by,the,prosecution.,,,,

¶50The, Hon'ble, Supreme, Court,, in, the, case, of, STATE, OF, KARNATAKA, BY, NONAVINAKERE, v., SHIVANNA, @, TARKARI, 30 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( SHIVANNA, reported, in, AIR, ONLINE, 2014, SC, 233,, has, issued, guidelines,,which,are,as,follows:, , "9.,On,considering,the,same,,we,have,accepted,the, suggestion,offered,by,the,learned,counsel,who,appeared, before, us, and, hence, exercising, powers, under, Article, 142,of,the,Constitution,,we,are,pleased,to,issue,interim, directions, in, the, form, of, mandamus, to, all, the, police, station, in, charge, in, the, entire, country, to, follow, the, direction,of,this,Court,which,are,as,follows:,

(i), Upon, receipt, of, information, relating, to, the, commission,of,offence,of,rape,,the,Investigating, Officer, shall, make, immediate, steps, to, take, the, victim, to, any, Metropolitan/preferably, Judicial, Magistrate, for, the, purpose, of, recording, her, statement, under, Section, 164, Cr.P.C., A, copy, of, the,statement,under,Section,164,Cr.P.C.,should, be, handed, over, to, the, Investigating, Officer, immediately, with, a, specific, direction, that, the, contents, of, such, statement, under, Section, 164, Cr.P.C.,should,not,be,disclosed,to,any,person,till, charge,sheet/report,under,Section,173,Cr.P.C.,is, filed.,

(ii),, The,Investigating,Officer,shall,,as,far,as,possible,, take, the, victim, to, the, nearest, Lady, Metropolitan/preferably,Lady,Judicial,Magistrate.,

(iii),,The,Investigating,Officer,shall,record,specifically, the,date,and,the,time,at,which,he,learnt,about, the, commission, of, the, offence, of, rape, and, the, date,and,time,at,which,he,took,the,victim,to,the, Metropolitan/preferably, Lady, Judicial, Magistrate, as,aforesaid., 31 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

(iv),,If,there,is,any,delay,exceeding,24,hours,in,taking, the, victim, to, the, Magistrate,, the, Investigating, Officer,should,record,the,reasons,for,the,same,in, the,case,diary,and,hand,over,a,copy,of,the,same, to,the,Magistrate.,

(v),, Medical,Examination,of,the,victim:,Section,164,A, Cr.P.C., (inserted, by, Act, 25, of, 2005, in,Cr.PC., imposes,an,obligation,on,the,part,of,Investigating, Officer,to,get,the,victim,of,the,rape,immediately, medically, examined.), , , A, copy, of, the, report, of, such,medical,examination,should,be,immediately, handed,over,to,the,,Magistrate,who,records,the, statement,of,the,victim,under,Section,164,Cr.P.C.,

10., A, copy, of, this, order, thus, be, circulated, to, all, the, Director,Generals,of,Police,of,all,the,States/Commissioner, of,Police,in,Metropolitan,cities,/,Commissioner,of,Police,of, Union,Territories,who,are,then,directed,to,send,a,copy,of, this, order, to, all, the, police, stations, in, charge, in, their, States/Union,Territories,for,its,compliance,in,cases,which, are,registered,on,or,after,the,receipt,of,a,copy,of,these, directions., Necessary, instructions, by, the, DGPs/, Commissioners,of,Police,be,also,issued,to,all,the,police, station, incharge, by, the, DGPs/Commissioner, of, Police, incorporating, the, directions, issued, by, us, and, recorded, hereinbefore.,

11., The, matter, be, posted, again, after, four, weeks, to, ensure, compliance, of, this, order, by, the, DGS, &, Commissioners, of, Police, in, the, country, before, the, appropriate,Bench,and,also,for,such,other,further,order,or, orders,which,may,be,considered,necessary., 32 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( The, IO, has, not, followed, the, mandatory, guidelines, and, has, handled,the,case,in,a,very,negligent,manner,by,not,explaining,the, delay,in,producing,the,victim,before,the,Magistrate,to,record,the, statement,under,Section,164(5),of,Cr.PC.,

¶51The,demeanor,of,the,victim,,as,recorded,by,the,Trial,Court,, also,assumes,relevance.,,It,is,noted,that,victim,was,murmuring,to, herself,, was, earning, livelihood, by, begging,, used, to, scream, and, was, not, properly, dressed., Though, demeanor, alone, cannot, discredit,testimony,,when,read,along,with,the,inconsistencies,and, admissions,, it, raises, doubt, regarding, reliability., , It, is, further, observed,that,during,cross-examination,,the,learned,Trial,Judge, recorded,certain,observations,,which,are,as,under:, , "28. ಘಟ/ೆ ;ಾ.ಾಗ ನVೆQತು ಎಂದು Fಖರ.ಾI 1ೇಳಲು ಬರುವOwಲ : ಎಂದ0ೆ ಸ(. ನನ9 CೖCೕ(ೆ ಒಂದು )ೆ0ೆಯಷುU ಕೂಡ )ಾಯ ಆIಲ : ಎಂದ0ೆ ಸ(. ;ಾವOjೇ ಅ4ಾ2Cಾರ ?ಾ`ಲ : ಮತು 3 ಸುಳY7 1ೇಳYL3jೆ]ೕ/ೆ ಎಂದ0ೆ ಸ(ಯಲ:. /ಾನು ಈಗ ?ಾತ/ಾ`ರುವOದನು9 ಇನು9 5 Ffಷದ? : ಮ0ೆಯು4ೆ3ೕ/ೆ ಎಂದ0ೆ ಸ(ಯಲ.: (7ಾ@jಾರಳY ತಮ?ಷU2ೆH 4ಾ.ೇ ಏ/ೇ/ೋ )ೊಣI2ೊಳY74ಾ3 ಇರು4ಾ30ೆ ಎನು9ವOದನು9 ಈ /ಾ2;ಾಲಯ ಗಮFPjೆ.)", 33 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

55.,,Section,165,of,the,Indian,Evidence,Act,,1872,confers,very, wide,powers,upon,a,trial,Judge,to,put,questions,to,any,witness,,in, any,form,,at,any,stage,of,the,proceedings,,in,order,to,discover,or, obtain, proper, proof, of, relevant, facts., The, provision, expressly, authorises, the, Judge, to, ask, questions, "in, any, form,", which, includes,leading,questions.,Therefore,,as,a,matter,of,law,,a,Judge, can,put,leading,questions,even,to,a,rape-victim,during,trial.,This, power, operates, notwithstanding, the, restrictions, contained, in, Sections, 141, to, 143, of, the, Evidence, Act, relating, to, leading, questions., However,, though, the, power, is, extensive,, it, is, not, arbitrary, or, unregulated;, it, must, be, exercised, judiciously,, cautiously,, and, in, furtherance, of, justice., , In, trials, for, offences, under,Section,376,of,the,Indian,Penal,Code,,the,recording,of,the, victim's, evidence, carries, additional, sensitivity., Statutory, safeguards,such,as,the,proviso,to,Section,146,of,the,Evidence,Act,, Section,53A,of,the,Evidence,Act,,and,Section,327(2),of,the,Code, of, Criminal, Procedure, mandate, protection, of, the, dignity, and, privacy,of,the, prosecutrix.,The,Court, is,required, to,ensure,that, victim,is,not,subjected,to,humiliating,or,irrelevant,questioning,and, that, the, atmosphere, of, the, courtroom, does, not, become, 34 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( intimidating.,,In,this,context,,the,Judge,is,not,expected,to,remain, a, silent, spectator;, rather,, the, Judge, may, intervene, to, clarify, ambiguities,,to,ensure,that,the,testimony,is,properly,understood,, or,to,prevent,confusion,created,during,cross-examination.(,

3.a ಅವ(ಬlರೂ2 0ೇ62 ?ಾಡಲು2 ಬಂದರು.2 ಮುಖ22 3Cಾರ‡ೆ2 jಾಖಲು2 ?ಾಡುL3ರುವ2 ಸಮಯದ?2: ಆ0ೋWತರ2 ವ"ೕಲರು2 ಪjೇ2 ಪjೇ2 ಮಧ22 ಪ%.ೇaಸುLದ3 ು,] a ಆದ](ಂದ2 /ಾ/ೇ2 ಸ=ತಃ2 7ಾ@jಾರ()ೆ2 ಆ0ೋWತರು2 Fಮ?2Cೕ(ೆ2 0ೇ62 ?ಾ`jಾ]0ಾ2 ಎಂದು2 2ೇ6jಾಗ2 ಆ2ೆ2 ಸEಷU.ಾI2 0ೇ62 ?ಾ`jಾ]0ೆ2 ಎಂದು21ೇ6ರು4ಾ30ೆ.)a

4.aಪOನಃ2ಆ0ೋWತರ2ವ"ೕಲರ22ೋ(2ೆಯ2Cೕ0ೆ)ೆ2ಪOನಃ2ಪ%a9Pjಾಗ20ೇ62?ಾಡಲು2ಪ%ಯತ92ಪಟUರು2 ಎನು94ಾ30ೆ."a In,the,case,on,hand,the,trial,court,has,interfered,in,the,recording, of,evidence.,,The,role,of,the,judge,while,recording,the,evidence,is, to, facilitate, all, the, stake, holders, of, the, case,, that, too, in, the, matters, of, offences, against, women., , The, adversial, system, of, criminal,jurisprudence,expects,the,same.,

¶52The, Supreme, Court, in, STATE, OF, RAJASTHAN, v., ANI,,

(1997)6, SCC, 162,, cautioned, that, judicial, intervention, must, not, appear,to,fill,up,lacunae,in,the,prosecution,case.,These,principles, apply,with,equal,force,in,rape,trials.,,Thus,,although,a,Judge,may, legally,ask,leading,questions,to,a,rape,victim,under,Section,165,, 35 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( such,power,must,be,exercised,only,for,clarification,and,to,obtain, proper,proof,of,relevant,facts.,The,Judge,cannot,suggest,answers,, introduce,material,facts,not,already,spoken,to,by,the,witness,,or, supply,essential,ingredients,of,the,offence—such,as,penetration— if,the,witness,herself,has,not,deposed,to,them.,Nor,can,the,Judge, neutralize, contradictions, brought, out, in, cross-examination, or, repair,weaknesses,in,the,prosecution,case.,Any,such,intervention, may, give, rise, to, an, apprehension, of, bias, and, may, affect, the, fairness,of,the,trial,,which,is,an,integral,component,of,Article,21,of, the,Constitution.,

¶53In, essence,, the, role, of, the, trial, Judge, in, recording, the, evidence,of,a,rape,victim,is,to,strike,a,careful,balance,between, sensitivity, and, neutrality., The, Court,must, protect, the, dignity, of, the,victim,and,ensure,that,her,testimony,is,clearly,and,properly, recorded,,but,it,must,not,abandon,its,impartial,position,or,assume, the,mantle,of,the,prosecuting,agency.,The,power,under,Section, 165, of, Indian, Evidence, Act, is, meant, to, advance, the, cause, of, justice,and,discovery,of,truth,,not,to,tilt,the,balance,in,favour,of, either,party.,,In,the,present,case,the,Trial,court,has,put,leading, 36 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( question,as,to,the,directly,,commission,of,alleged,offences,by,the, accused, persons, which, has, prompted, the, victim, to, say, affirmatively,,however,when,the,same,question,was,putforth,the, victim,has,answered,that,the,accused,have,attempted,to,commit,, rape,,which,is,against,to,the,jurisprudence,of,role,of,judges,during, trial,of,sexual,assault,cases.,

¶54No,doubt,,it,is,a,settled,principle,of,law,that,conviction,for, the, offence, of, rape, can, be, based, on, the, sole, testimony, of, the, prosecutrix,, provided, her, evidence, inspires, confidence, and, is, found,to,be,wholly,reliable,and,trustworthy.,,It,is,equally,settled, that,no,rule,of,law,requires,corroboration,in,every,case.,However,, this,principle,applies,only,when,the,testimony,of,the,prosecutrix,is, clear,, consistent, and, free, from, material, contradictions., , In, the, present,case,,on,careful,scrutiny,of,the,evidence,,it,is,seen,that, the, testimony, of, the, prosecutrix, suffers, from, several, material, inconsistencies,and,omissions,,as,already,discussed,above.,These, infirmities,are,not,minor,discrepancies,but,go,to,the,root,of,the, prosecution,case.,Therefore,,victim's,evidence,cannot,be,said,to, be, of, such, sterling( quality, so, as, to, form, the, sole, basis, for, 37 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023( conviction, without, corroboration., , A, comparison, of, victim's, statement,under,Section,164,CrPC,,the,contents,of,the,FIR,and, victim's,deposition,before,the,Court,reveals,substantial,variations, on, material, particulars., These, contradictions, relate, to, important, aspects,of,the,alleged,incident,and,affect,the,credibility,of,victim's, version.,In,such,circumstances,,it,would,not,be,safe,to,rely,solely, upon,victim's,,testimony.,As,a,matter,of,prudence,,independent, corroboration, on, material, particulars, was, necessary, before, recording,a,finding,of,guilt,against,the,appellant.,

¶55In,the,present,case,,in,view,of,the,serious,doubt,regarding, identification, and, the, absence, of, convincing, corroboration, from, medical,and,independent,evidence,,this,Court,is,of,the,considered, opinion,that,the,prosecution,has,not,succeeded,in,establishing,the, guilt,of,the,appellants,beyond,all,reasonable,doubt,for,the,offence, punishable, under, Section, 376-D, IPC., , Criminal, jurisprudence, mandates,that,suspicion,,however,strong,,cannot,take,the,place,of, proof.,Where,two,views,are,possible,on,the,evidence,on,record,, the,view,favourable,to,the,accused,must,be,adopted.,,The,benefit, of,doubt,must,necessarily,enure,to,the,accused., 38 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶56Upon, a, comprehensive, re-appreciation, of, the, entire, evidence,on,record,,this,Court,finds,that,the,prosecution,has,failed, to,establish,its,case,beyond,reasonable,doubt.,The,evidence,does, not,disclose,clear,and,consistent,identification,of,the,accused,by, PW-4;, the, medical, evidence, does, not, cogently, prove, forcible, sexual, intercourse;, the, seizure,, custody, and, proof, of, material, objects,suffer,from,serious,infirmities;,the,arrest,and,production,of, the, accused, are, clouded, by, discrepancies;, and, the, independent, witnesses, have, not, furnished, unimpeachable, corroboration., The, cumulative, effect, of, the, non-identification, by, the, victim,, contradictions,regarding,the,time,of,incident,,absence,of,injuries,, defective,proof,of,medical,evidence,,inconsistencies,in,the,arrest, procedure,, improper, marking, of, material, objects,, and, lack, of, reliable,corroboration,,creates,a,substantial,and,reasonable,doubt, as,to,the,guilt,of,the,appellants,under,Section,376-D,IPC.,It,is,a, cardinal, principle, of, criminal, jurisprudence, that, the, burden, lies, entirely,on,the,prosecution,to,prove,its,case,beyond,reasonable, doubt,, and, suspicion,, however, strong,, cannot, take, the, place, of, proof., In, the, present, case,, the, benefit, of, such, doubt, must, necessarily,enure,to,the,appellants., 39 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

¶57Accordingly,,this,Court,is,of,the,considered,opinion,that,the, prosecution,has,failed,to,prove,the,guilt,of,the,appellants,beyond, all, reasonable, doubt., The, appellants, are, therefore, entitled, to, acquittal,by,extending,the,benefit,of,doubt.,,Accordingly,,I,answer, Point, No.1, in, the, affirmative,, holding, that, the, appellants, have, made,out,a,case,for,interference,with,the,impugned,judgment,of, conviction,and,order,on,sentence., Regarding(point(No.2:( , For,the,reasons,aforestated,,I,proceed,to,pass,the,following:, O(R(D(E(R,

(i),, The,appeal,is,allowed;,

(ii),, The, judgment, of, conviction, and, order, on, th stsentence, dated, 28 /31 , March,, 2023, passed, in, SC, No.26, of, 2022, by, the, III, Additional, District, and, Sessions, Judge,, Ramanagara,, convicting, the, appellants, for, the, offence, punishable,under,Section,376-D,IPC,,is,hereby, set,aside;, 40 Crl.A.(No.824(of(2023(

(iii),, The, appellants, are, acquitted, of, the, offence, punishable,under,Section,376-D,IPC;,

(iv),, The,Registrar,(Judicial),shall,communicate,this, order,forthwith,to,the,concerned,jail,authority, through,e-mail,and,the,appellants,shall,be,set, at,liberty,,if,they,are,not,required,in,any,other, case;, , Registry,to,send,the,copy,of,the,judgment,along,with,trial, Court,records,to,the,concerned,Court., Sd/-( (G.(BASAVARAJA)( JUDGE( ( ( ( lnn,