The Supreme Court of India on Monday set aside the conviction of Anjani Singh in a 2004 firing incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, holding that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The bench noted serious gaps in the evidence and inconsistencies in the testimony of the lone supporting eyewitness.
The judgment was delivered by a bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Joymalya Bagchi while allowing Criminal Appeal No. 591 of 2020.
Background of the Case
The case arose from an incident on October 20, 2004, during a Durga Puja function in a village in Ballia. A drama performance was underway under a pandal when an altercation allegedly took place between Anjani Singh and the informant, Anugrah Narain Singh, over the informant’s minor son.
According to the prosecution, Anjani Singh later returned with his brother Ravindra Singh and their father Rishabh Dev Singh, armed with firearms and a lathi. Firing allegedly followed, leaving two people dead and several others injured.
Anjani Singh and Ravindra Singh were convicted by the trial court under murder and attempt to murder provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The Allahabad High Court later acquitted the father but upheld the conviction of the two brothers.
During the pendency of the appeal before the Supreme Court, Ravindra Singh passed away, leading to the abatement of proceedings against him. The appeal survived only for Anjani Singh.
Evidence and Trial Issues
The prosecution examined multiple eyewitnesses, many of whom had themselves suffered injuries in the firing. However, except for the informant, none supported the prosecution’s version regarding who actually fired the shots.
Several witnesses stated that the lights went off during the incident as electricity was supplied through a generator. Notably, the generator operator was among those killed.
The case largely rested on the testimony of the informant, who claimed that Anjani Singh fired shots using a country-made pistol. However, the alleged pistol was never recovered. There were also discrepancies regarding the seizure and forensic linkage of the rifle attributed to the co-accused.
Court’s Observations
The Supreme Court subjected the informant’s testimony to close scrutiny and found it unreliable as the sole basis for conviction.
“The testimony of PW-1 is not of such stellar quality as to form the sole basis of conviction,” the bench observed, pointing to inconsistencies about the place of firing, the sequence of events, and the specific role attributed to Anjani Singh.
The judges also noted that while the alleged motive was personal to the informant, two other persons with no apparent connection to the dispute were killed at close range. This, the court said, weakened the prosecution’s theory of accidental or stray firing.
The absence of corroboration from other injured witnesses, the lack of forensic linkage between seized weapons and cartridges, and the non-recovery of the alleged pistol further deepened the doubt.
Final Decision
Concluding that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal and acquitted Anjani Singh of all charges.
“The benefit of doubt ought to have been extended to the appellant,” the bench held while setting aside the conviction and discharging his bail bonds. All pending applications were also disposed of.
Case Title: Anjani Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Case Number: Criminal Appeal No. 591 of 2020
