Supreme Court Acquits Accused in Homicide Case, Overturning Conviction

Case Name: Govind Mandavi v. State of Chhattisgarh
Citation: 2025 INSC 1399
Date of Judgment/Order: 8th December 2025
Bench: Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta

Held: The Supreme Court set aside the conviction of Govind Mandavi under Section 302 IPC for the murder of Bivan Hidko, acquitting him of all charges due to contradictions and unreliable evidence.

Summary: Govind Mandavi, along with two co-accused, was convicted by the trial court for the murder of Bivan Hidko. However, the High Court upheld the conviction for Mandavi while acquitting the other two co-accused. Upon appeal, the Supreme Court found discrepancies in the prosecution’s case, particularly the failure of key witnesses to consistently identify the accused, and the unreliable nature of physical evidence. The Court also noted the absence of the accused’s name in the initial FIR, which was a critical omission. Based on these factors, the Court acquitted Mandavi and set aside the previous judgments.

Decision: The Supreme Court acquitted Govind Mandavi, overturning the lower court’s judgment. The Court found that the prosecution failed to establish a reliable connection between the accused and the crime, particularly due to contradictions in witness statements and inconclusive forensic evidence.