The Tripura High Court overturned a 20-year rape conviction, ruling that the victim’s lone testimony could not stand due to serious inconsistencies and doubtful evidence. The Court held that the prosecution’s case suffered from “fatal infirmities,” making conviction unsafe.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed the conviction of an accused in a 1984 rape case, stating that the absence of injuries on the victim’s private parts does not automatically weaken the prosecution’s case. The court dismissed an appeal challenging the previous decision, which had upheld the conviction under Sections 376 (rape) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC. Emphasizing the importance of overall evidence, the court ruled that physical injuries are not the sole determinant of sexual assault cases.
