Supreme Court of India

Padman Bibhar v. State of Odisha

Neutral citation
Reported as [2025] 5 S.C.R. 1116
Bench Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra JJ.
Decided 21 May 2025

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

1 Supreme Court bench has cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

In view of the above discussion, we set aside the impugned conviction and sentence imposed by the High Court and the Trial Court and acquit the appellant for the charges under Sections 302 and 201 IPC. The appellant be set at liberty, if he is not required in any other case.

Judgment, page 12

From the headnote

Issue for Consideration Whether appellant can be convicted only on the basis of evidence on ‘last seen together’. Headnotes† Penal Code, 1860 – ss.302, 201 – Murder – Circumstantial evidence – Last seen theory – Victim-deceased along with PW-1, PW-2 and appellant-accused went to a river to take bath – From there, the appellant/accused and the deceased went to cashew field – The appellant and the deceased did not return for long time, however, PW-1 and PW-2 returned to the village – On the next day, PW-3 (father of deceased) went to the riverside in search of his son and found his dead body

Where later benches applied it

Of those, 1 mentioned

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