P.V. RADHAKRLSHNAversusSTATE OF KARNATAKA

                           P.V. RADHAKRlSHNA                                      A
                                      v.
                         STA TE OF KARNA TAKA

                               JULY 25, 2003

           [DORAlSWAMY RAJU AND ARIJIT PASAYAT, JJ.]                              B


     Evidence Act, 1872-Section 32:

      Dying Declaration when not corroborated-Evidentiary value of-
He/d: When court is satisfied that dying declaration is not the result of C
tutoring, prompting or product of imagination but made by deceased
voluntarily and also the declarant was in fit state of mind while making
dying declaration, such declaration is credible and cogent and can form
basis for convicting the accused.
                                                                                  D
      Dying declaration-Probability of making-Relevant factors-Held:
Percentage of burns alone does not determine probability or otherwise of
making dying declaration-Nature of burns, part of body affected, impact of
burn on faculties to think and convey idea or facts coming to mind are
relevant factors.
                                                                                  E
      Maxims:

      "Nemo moriturus proesumitur mentiri"-Meaning of

       According to the prosecution, the appellant and his wife quarrelled over
certain domestic differences and the apiiellant-accused poured kerosene and       p
set his wife on fire. She was taken to hospital for treatment where the police
official recorded her statement in the presence of the doctor. She died the
next day. Trial Court relied on the dying declaration and convicted and
sentenced the appellant-accused. High Court upheld the order. Hence the
present appeal.
                                                                                  G
      Appellant-accused contended that the doctor in whose presence the
statement was recorded stated that the deceased had suffered 100% burns
thus, it is highly improbable that the deceased was in a fit state pf mind to
give the dying declaration; that there is no mention in the document that the
deceased was in a fit state of mind to give the statement; that the post-mortem   H
                                     745
    746                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. I S.C.R.

A report stated that the burns suffered were second and third degree burns and
    with those types of burns it is unlikely that the condition of the deceased
    permitted making of a statement and putting of signature; and that the
    conviction is impermissible solely on the basis of dying declaration.

          Respondent-State contended that dying declaration can be the sole basis
B for conviction if it is found to be credible and cogent.
          Dismissing the appeal, the Court

        HELD: I.I. The principle on which dying declaration is admitted in
  evidence is indicated in legal maxim "nemo moriturus proesumitur men/in" -
C a man will not meet his maker with a lie in his mouth." The situation in which
  a person is on deathbed is so solemn and serene when he is dying that the
  grave position in which he is placed, is the reason in law to accept veracity of
  his statement. It is for this reason the requirements of oath and cross-
  examination are dispensed with. Besides, should the dying declaration be
D excluded it will result in miscarriage of justice because the victim being
  generally the only eye-witness in a serious crime, the exclusion of the
  statement would leave the court without a scrap of evidence. (750-F-HI

          1.2. The dying declaration is only a piece of untested evidence and must
    like any other evidence, satisfy the Court that what is stated therein is the
E   unalloyed truth and that it is absolutely safe to act upon it. If after careful
    scrutiny the Court is satisfied that it is true and free from any effort to induce
    the deceased to make a false statement and if it is coherent and consistent,
    there shall be no legal impediment to make it the basis of conviction, even if
    there is no corroboration. (752-F-GJ

F       1.3. There is no hard and fast rule of universal application that the
  percentage of burns suffered is determinative factor to affect the credibility
  of the dying declaration and the improbability of its recording. Much would
  depend upon the nature of the bum, part of the body affected by the bum, impact
  of the burn on the faculties to think and convey the idea or facts coming to
G mind and other relevant factors. Thus, the percentage of burns alone would
  not determine the probability or otherwise of making dying declaration.
                                                                        (753-D-EI

        1.4. In the instant case, there is no material to show that dying
  declaration was result of product of imagination, tutoring or prompting. On
H the contrary, the same appears to have been made by the deceased voluntarily.
         P.V.RADHAKRISHNA v. STATEOFKARNATAKA[PASAYAT,J.]                   747
It is trustworthy and has credibility. Moreover, state of mind was proved by       A
testimony of the doctor who was present when the dying declaration was
recorded. Further such dying declaration is not invalid solely on the ground
that is not certified by the doctor as to the condition of the declarant to make
the dying declaration. Thus the trial court and High Court were justified in
placing reliance on the dying declaration for convicting the appellant-accused.    B
                                                                 (753-A-B, C, Fl

      Munnu Raja and Anr. v. The State of Madhya Pradesh, (1976] 2 SCR
764; Laxmi (Smt.) v. Om Prakash and Ors., (2001] 6 SCC 118; Chacko v. State
of Kera/a, (200311SCC113; Smt. Paniben v. State of Gujarat, AIR (1992)
SC 1817; Gangotri Singh v. State of U.P., JT (1992) 2 SC 417; Goverdhan            C
Raoji Ghyare v. State of Maharashtra, JT (1993) 5 SC 87; Meesala
Ramakrishan v. State of Andhra Pradesh, JT (1994) 3 SC 232; State of
Rajasthan v. Kishore, JT (1996) 2 SC 595; Laxman v. State of Maharashtra,
(2002( 6 SCC 710 and Rambai v. State of Chhattisgarh, (2002] 8 SCC 83 -
referred to.

        R. v. Wood Cock, (1789) 1 Leach 500, referred to.
                                                                                   D
        CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No. I 018 of
2002.

     From the Judgment and Order dated 7.6.2000 of the Karnataka High
Court in Crl. A. No. 665 of 1996.                                                  E
        Pradeep Gupta, Renjith Shanker and K.K. Mohan for the Appellant.

        S. Dave and Sanjay R. Hegde, for the Respondent.

        The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
                                                                                   F
       ARIJIT PASA YAT, J. Accused-api;ellant allegedly committed uxoricide
was found guilty of offence punishable under Section 302 Indian Penal Code,
1860 (for short 'IPC'); and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and a
fine of Rs. 1,000 with default stipulation of one month imprisonment by 22nd
Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bangalore. The appeal before the
High Court of Karnataka having yielded no success, this appeal has been            G
filed.

       Accusations which led to trial of the accused-appellant in essence are
as follows:

        On 7.2.1993 Smt. Dharni (hereinafter referred to as 'the deceased') was    H
    748                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2003] SUPP. I S.C.R.

A in the house with the accused-appellant when they quarrelled over certain
  domestic differences, and the accused poured kerosene and set her on fire.
  On hearing her screams and seeing smoke coming out of the room, their
  landlord V.N. Guptha (PWI) rushed to the spot. He did not find the accused
  there; but was told by the deceased that the accused had poured kerosene
B and set her on fire and run away. On receiving of information about the
  incident Srinivasa Murthy, ASI, (PW6) arrived at the spot along with Sivanna
  (PW4) Police constable. The deceased was taken to the Victoria Hospital for
  treatment. At the hospital PW6 recorded statement of the deceased in the
  presence of Dr. M. Narayana Reddy (PW7). This was treated as FIR. After
  registering the case, investigation was started. In the hospital the deceased
C breathed her last while undergoing treatment on 8.2.1993 at about I 0.25 p.m.
        Dr. Thirunavukkarasu (PW3) conducted the post-mortem and found that
  the deceased had sustained about 80 to 85% ante-mortem bums. On completion
  of investigation, charge sheet was placed. Learned Trial Judge on consideration
  of the evidence on record found the accused guilty, as afore-mentioned, and
D convicted and sentenced him.
          Reliance was placed on the dying declaration which was recorded by
    PW6 in the presence of PW7 and was marked as Exhibit P-7. In appeal before
    the High Court, the accused-appellant contended that the so-called dying
    declaration was not credible and acceptable. But the High Court did not find
E   any substance in the plea, and dismissed the appeal by the impugned judgment.

        Learned counsel appearing for the accused-appellant submitted that the
  so-called dying declaration (Exhibit P-7) cannot by any stretch of imagination
  be considered to be a dying declaration in the sense it is understood in law.
F The same was recorded by PW6, a police official. Though there was ample
  time, as the factual scenario shows, no effort was made to secure the presence
  of a magistrate if really a dying declaration was to be recorded. Furthermore
  PW7 has himself stated that the deceased had suffered I 00% bums. It is
  highly improbable that the deceased was in a fit state of health and mind to
  give the dying declaration. There is no mention in the document treated as
G dying declaration that the deceased was in fit state of mind to give the
  statement. PW6 stated that attempt was made to get permission from the Chief
  Medical Officer. There is no material to substantiate the claim. On the contrary
  PW7 stated that though there was no requisition, being the doctor at the spot
  he had given the permission to record the dying declaration on request by
H PW6.
       P.V. RADHAKR!SHNA v. STATEOFKARNATAKA[PASAYAT,J.)                  749

      The post-mortem report stated that the bums suffered were second and A
third degree burns and with those types of burns it is unlikely that the
condition of the deceased permitted making of a statement and putting of
signature. On the basis of uncorroborated dying declaration, conviction should
not have been made.

      Strong reliance was placed on Munnu Raja and Anr. v. The State of B
Madhya Pradesh, [1976] 3 SCC 104, laxmi (Smt.) v. Om Prakash and Ors.,
[2001] 6SCCI18 and Chacko v. State ofKera/a, [2003] I SCC I 13 to contend
that evidence recorded by a police official as dying declaration is of no
probative value.

      Further, it was contended that conviction is impermissible solely on the   c
basis of dying declaration.

      By way of reply, learned counsel for the State submitted that dying
declaration can be the sole basis for conviction if it is found to be credible
and cogent. There is no hard and fast rule that the dying declaration should D
be recorded by a magistrate only. As a rule of caution it has been said that
it would be advisable to have the statement recorded by a magistrate. There
is nothing irregular or illegal if a police officer records a dying declaration.

      At this juncture, it is relevant to take note of Section 32 of the Indian
Evidence Act, 1872 (in short 'Evidence Act') which deals with cases in which E
statement of relevant fact by person who is dead or cannot be found, etc. is
relevant. The general rule is that all oral evidence must be direct viz., if it
refers to a fact which could be seen it must be the evidence of the witness
who says he saw it, if it refers to a fact which could be heard, it must be the
evidence of the witness who says he heard it, if it refers to a fact which could
be perceived by any other sense, it must be the evidence of the witness who F
says he perceived it by that sense. Similar is the case with opinion. These
aspects are elaborated in Section 60. The eight clauses of Section 32 are
exceptions to the general rule against hearsay just stated. Clause (I) of
Section 32 makes relevant what is generally described as dying declaration,
though such an expression has not been used in any Statute. It essentially G
means statements made by a person as to the cause of his death or as to the
circumstances of the transaction resulting in his death. The grounds of
admission are: firstly, necessity for the victim being generally the only principal
eye-witness to the crime, the exclusion of the statement might deflect the ends
of justice; and secondly, the sense of impending death, which creates a
sanction equal to the obligation of an oath. The general principle on which H
    750                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] SUPP. I S.C.R.

A this species of evidence is admitted is that they are declarations made in
    extremity, when the party is at the point of death and when every hope of
    this world is gone, when every motive to falsehood is silenced, and the mind
    is induced by the most powerful considerations to speak the truth; a situation
    so solemn and so lawful is considered by the law as creating an obligation
B   equal to that which is imposed by a positive oath administered in a Court of
    justice. These aspects have been eloquently stated by Lyre LCR in R. v. Wood
    Cock, (1789) I Leach 500. Shakespeare makes the wounded Melun, finding
    himself disbelieved while announcing the intended treachery of the Dauphin
    Lewis explain:
                   "Have I met hideous
c                                  death within my view,
                   Retaining but a quantity of life,
                   Which bleeds away,
                                      Even as a form of wax,
D                  Resolveth from his figure,
                                      Against the fire?
                   What is the world should
                                      Make me now deceive,
                   Since I must lose the use of all deceit?
E                  Why should I then be false,
                                      Since it is true
                   That I must die here,
                                      Live hence by truth?"

F                                     (See King John, Act 5, Sect. 4)

    The principle on which dying declaration is admitted in evidence is indicated
    in legal maxim "nemo moriturus proesumitur mentiri - a man will not meet his
    maker with a lie in his mouth."

G         This is a case where the basis of conviction of the accused is the dying
    declaration. The situation in which a person is on deathbed is so solemn and
    serene when he is dying that the grave position in which he is placed, is the
    reason in law to accept veracity of his statement. It is for this reason the
    requirements of oath and cross-examination are dispensed with. Besides,
    should the dying declaration be excluded it will result in miscarriage of justice
H   because the victim being generally the only eye-witness in a serious crime,
       P.V. RADHAKRISHNA v. STATEOFKARNATAKA(PASAYAT,.l. J                  751

the exclusion of the statement would leave the Court without a scrap of A
evidence.

       Though a dying declaration is entitled to great weight, it is worthwhile
to note that the accused has no power of cross-examination. Such a power
is essential for eliciting the truth as an obligation of oath could be. This is
the reason the Court also insists that the dying declaration should be of such B
a nature as to inspire full confidence of the Court in its correctness. The Court
has to be on guard that the statement of deceased was not as a result of either
tutoring, or prompting or a product of imagination. The Court must be further
satisfied that the deceased was in a fit state of mind after a clear opportunity
to observe and identify the assailant. Once the Court is satisfied that the C
declaration was true and voluntary, undoubtedly, it can base its conviction
without any further corroboration. It cannot be laid down as an absolute rule
of law that the dying declaration cannot form the sole basis of conviction
unless it is corroborated. The rule requiring corroboration is merely a rule of
prudence. This Court has laid down in several judgments the principles
governing dying declaration, which could be summed up as under as indicated D
in Smt. Paniben v. State of Gujarat, AIR 1992 SC 1817:

            (i) There is neither rule of law nor of prudence that dying
        declaration cannot be acted upon without corroboration. [See Munnu
        Raja and Anr. v. The State of Madhya Pradesh, [1976] 2 SCR 764].
                                                                                    E
           (ii) If the Court is satisfied that the dying declaration is true and
       voluntary it can base conviction on it, without corroboration. [See
       State of Uttar Pradesh v. Ram Sagar Yadav and Ors., AIR (1985) SC
       416 and Ramavati Devi v. State of Bihar, AIR (1983) SC 164].

            (iii) The Court has to scrutinize the dying declaration carefully and   F
      . must ensure that the declaration is not the result of tutoring, prompting
        or imagination. The deceased had an opportunity to observe and
        identify the assailants and was in a fit state to make the declaration.
        [See K. Ramachandra Reddy and Anr. v. The Public Prosecutor, AIR
        (1976) SC 1994].
                                                                                    G
           (iv) Where dying declaration is suspicious, it should not be acted
        upon without corroborative evidence. [See Rasheed Beg v. State of
        Madhya Pradesh, (1974] 4 SCC 264].

           (v) Where the deceased was unconscious and could never make
                                                                                    H
    752                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2003) SUPP. I S.C.R.

A           any dying declaration the evidenc~ with regard to it is to be rejected.
            (See KakaSingh v. State of MP., AIR (1982) SC 1021].

                (vi) A dying declaration which suffers from infirmity cannot form
            the basis of conviction. [See Ram Manorath and Ors. v. State of U.P.,
            [I98IJ 2 sec 654].
B
                (vii) Merely because a dying declaration does not contain the
            details as to the occurrence, it is not to be rejected. [See State of
            Maharashtrav. Krishnamurthi laxmipati Naidu, (AIR) 1981SC617].

                (viii) Equally, merely because it is a brief statement, it is not to be
C           discarded. On the contrary, the shortness of the statement itself
            guarantees truth. [See Surajdeo Oza and Ors. v. State of Bihar, AIR
            (1979) SC 1505].

                (IX) Normally the Court in order to satisfy whether deceased was
            in a fit mental condition to make the dying declaration look up to the
D           medical opinion. But where the eye-witness said that the deceased
            was in a fit and conscious state to make the dying declaration, the
            medical opinion cannot prevail. [See Nanahau Ram and Anr. v. State
            of Madhya Pradesh, AIR (1988) SC 912].

                (x) Where the prosecution version differs from the version as
E           given in the dying declaration, the said declaration cannot be acted
            upon. [See State of U.P. v. Madan Mohan and Ors., AIR (I 989) SC
            1519].

                (Xi) Where there are more than one statement in the nature of
            dying declaration, one first in point of time must be preferred. Of
F           course, if the plurality of dying declaration could be held to be
            trustworthy and reliable, it has to be accepted. [See Mohan/al
            Gangaram Gehani v. State of Maharashtra, AIR (1982) SC 839].

           In the light of the above principles, the acceptability of alleged dying
    declaration in the instant case has to be considered. The dying declaration
G   is only a piece of untested evidence and must like any other evidence, satisfy
    the Court that what is stated therein is the unalloyed truth and that it is
    absolutely safe to act upon it. If after careful scrutiny the Court is satisfied
    that it is true and free from any effort to induce the deceased to make a false
    statement and if it is coherent and consistent, there shall be no lega I impediment
H   to make it basis of conviction, even if there is no corroboration. [See Gangotri
       P.V.RADHAKRISHNA v. STATEOFKARNATAKA[PASAYAT.J.)                  753

Singh v. State of UP., JT (1992) 2 SC 417, Goverdhan Raoji Ghyare v. State A
of Maharashtra, JT (1993) 5 SC 87, Meesala Ramakrishan v. State of Andhra
Pradesh, JT (I 994) 3 SC 232 and State of Rajas than v. Kishore, JT (I 996) 2
SC 595].

      There is no material to show that dying declaration was result of
product of imagination, tutoring or prompting. On the contrary, the same B
appears to have been made by the deceased voluntarily. It is trustworthy and
has credibility.

       It was observed by a Constitution Bench of this Court in Laxman v.
State of Maharashtra, [2002] 6 SCC 710 that where the medical certificate C
indicated that the patient was conscious, it would not be correct to say that
there was no certification as to state of mind of declarant. Moreover, state of
mind was proved by testimony of the doctor who was present when the dying
declaration was recorded. In the aforesaid background it cannot be said that
there was any infirmity. Further ifthe person recording the dying declaration
is satisfied that the declarant is in a fit medical condition to make a dying D
declaration then such dying declaration will not be invalid solely on the
ground that is not certified by the doctor as to the condition of the declarant
to make the dying declaration. [See Rambai v. State of Chhattisgarh, [2002]
s sec 83].
      The residuary question whether the percentage of burns suffered is E
determinative factor to affect the credibility of the dying declaration and the
improbability of its recording. There is no hard and fast rule of universal
application in this regard. Much would dep~nd upon the nature of the burn,
part of the body affected by the burn, impact of the burn on the faculties to
think and convey the idea or facts coming to mind and other relevant factors. F
Percentage of burns alone would not determine the probability or otherwise
of making dying declaration. As noted in Rambai's case (supra) physical state
or injuries on the declarant do not by themselves become determinative of
mental fitness of the declarant to make the statement.

       On the facts of the present case the Trial Court and the High Court were G
justified in placing reliance on the dying declaration for the purpose of
convicting the accused-appellant. We find no infirmity to warrant interference
in this appeal, which is accordingly dismissed.

N.J.                                                      Appeal dismissed.