The Gujarat High Court has upheld the conviction of a man sentenced to life imprisonment for a 2013 murder in Jamnagar district. The court found that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt through a consistent eyewitness account supported by forensic and medical evidence.
Background of the Case
The case arose from an incident on May 4, 2013, when the deceased had gone to recover money from the accused in a village near Jamjodhpur. According to the prosecution, a confrontation led to the accused firing a shot from an unlicensed country-made gun, causing fatal injuries.
The Sessions Court in Jamnagar had earlier convicted the accused under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25(1B)(a) of the Arms Act, awarding life imprisonment.
Challenging this conviction, the accused approached the High Court, arguing that the case relied heavily on a single witness and lacked independent corroboration.
The defence contended that the prosecution’s case was based mainly on the complainant’s testimony, who was a friend of the deceased. It was argued that other witnesses were either relatives or relied on what they were told after the incident.
The defence also pointed to alleged inconsistencies in the investigation, including the absence of certain physical evidence and doubts regarding the connection between the recovered weapon and the crime.
On the other hand, the State maintained that the complainant was a natural eyewitness whose account was consistent and supported by other witnesses and scientific findings. Minor discrepancies, it argued, did not weaken the overall case.
The bench of Justices Ilesh J. Vora and R.T. Vachhani closely examined the evidence and found the complainant’s testimony to be reliable.
“The deposition of the complainant witness is natural, consistent and trustworthy,” the court observed, noting that he gave a clear account of the incident from beginning to end.
The court also highlighted that the eyewitness version was supported by other witnesses who received immediate information after the incident, without any major contradictions.
Significantly, the bench relied on forensic evidence linking the gun and pellets to the crime. The scientific analysis showed that the weapon was functional and had been used for firing, while the injuries on the deceased were consistent with close-range gunshot wounds.
Further, blood samples collected from the scene matched the deceased, confirming the location of the incident.
Addressing the defence’s concerns, the court remarked that minor inconsistencies or omissions do not necessarily discredit otherwise reliable testimony.
After evaluating oral, documentary, and scientific evidence together, the High Court concluded that the prosecution had successfully established the guilt of the accused.
“The consistent and supporting nature of the evidence leaves no doubt,” the bench noted while affirming the trial court’s findings.
The appeal was dismissed, and the conviction and life sentence awarded by the Sessions Court were upheld.
Case Details
Case Title: Namori Hajibhai Bukera vs State of Gujarat
Case Number: Criminal Appeal No. 2597 of 2022
Judge: Justice Ilesh J. Vora & Justice R. T. Vachhani
Decision Date: 21 April 2026
