Holding

The dying declaration was not reliable as the prosecution failed to prove the declarant's mental fitness and the statement's voluntariness, leading to the setting aside of the conviction.

Summary

Ukaram was convicted for the murder of his wife and minor daughter based solely on the wife's dying declaration. The wife, Parveena, was alleged to have suffered from mental illness, raising doubts about her capacity to make a reliable statement. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the dying declaration was voluntary, truthful and free from extraneous influence, and whether the mental state of the declarant had been properly ascertained. Citing Tapinder Singh and Dandu Lakshmi Reddy, the Court emphasized that a dying declaration must inspire full confidence and that the court must be satisfied of the declarant's fitness of mind. Finding that the prosecution had not established the wife's mental fitness and had not eliminated the possibility of suicide, the Court held the declaration unreliable. Consequently, the conviction was set aside and the appellant was acquitted.

Issues considered

The reliability of a dying declaration when the declarant is alleged to suffer from mental illness
Whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the dying declaration was voluntary, truthful and untainted
Whether the benefit of doubt applies in the absence of proof of the declarant's mental fitness
Whether corroboration is required for a conviction based solely on a dying declaration

Legislation cited

Indian Evidence Act, 1872s. 32
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 302, s. 326, s. 498, s. 5

Judgment

A UKARAM
v.
STATE OF RAJASTHAN

APRIL 10, 2001

B [K.T. THOMAS, R.P. SETHI AND S.N. PHUKAN, JJ.]

Penal Code, I 860-Sections 302-326 and 498A-<:onviction of ~
accused for murder of his wife and minor daughter by setting on them onfire-
Conviction based on wife's dying declaration-She was suffering from mental
C illness-Reliability of the dying declaration-Held, Dying declaration not
reliable as prosecution failed to prove its validity-<:onviction set aside-
Evidence Act, I 872-Section 32.

Appellant was convicted for murdering his wife and minor daughter
by setting them on fire. The conviction was based on the dying declaration
D made by his wife. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by Trial Court.
High Court confirmed the conviction and sentence. Hence this appeal.

The appellant contended that the deceased was suffering from men-
tal illness which had prompted her to end her life and that of her daughter;
and that the prosecution has not taken any steps to ascertain at the time of
E her making the dying declaration that she was not suffering from mental
illness.

The prosecution contended that the dying declaration was recorded
only after the doctor had declared the deceased to be fit to make the
statement and its genuineness cannot be doubted.
F
Allowing the appeal, the Court

HELD : I. Though a dying declaration is entitled to great weight, yet
it is worthwhile to note that as the make of the statement is not subjected to
cross-examination, it is essential for the Court to insist that the dying
G
declaration should be of such nature as to inspire full confidence of the
Court in its correctness. The Court is obliged to rule out the possibility of
the statement being the result of either tutoring, prompting or vindictive
or product of imagination. Before relying upon a dying declaration, the
Court should be satisfied that the deceased was in a fit state of mind to
H make the statement. Once the Court is satisfied that the dying declaration
1052
UKA RAM v. STATE 1053
was true, voluntary and not influenced by any extraneous consideration, it A
•' can base its conviction without any corroboration as
rule requiring corroboration is not a rule of law but only a rule of pru-
dence. [1056-A-C]

Tapinder Singh v. State of Punjab, [1970) 2 SCR 113 and· Dandu
Lakshmi Reddy v. State ofA.P., [1999] 7 SCC 69, relied on. B

2.1. The prosecution is ,under a legal obligation to prove its case
beyond all reasonable doubts and the accused is only to probabilise his
defence. From the evidence on record, the plea regarding the mental
condition and illness of the deceased was not an after-thought in the c
instant case. During the whole trial, the appellant has been trying to cross- •
examine the witnesses to probabilise that the deceased was suffering from
mental illness which could be a reason for her to commit suicide or alter-
natively the dying declaration cannot be held to be voluntarily made or not
made under any extraneous influences. In her dying declaration, the
deceased had not referred to any reason which allegedly prompted the
D
appellant to commit the crime. [1057-E-F; 1058-B]

2.2. The prosecution had not proved, beyond doubt, that the dying
declaration was true, voluntary and not influenced by any extraneous
consideration. Despite knowing the fact that the deceased was a mental E
patient, the investigation agency did not take any precaution to ensure that
the incident was suicidal or homicidal. The probability of the deceased
committing suicide bas not been eliminated. There also exists a doubt
about the mental condition of the deceased at the time she made dying
declaration. The medical certificate only states to her physical condition to
make a statement but does not refer to her mental condition even at that
F
time. The Trial Court and the High Court appear to have ignored this
aspect of the matter while convicting and sentencing the appellant. It is a
fit case in which the appellant is entitled to benefit of doubt. [1058-C-E]

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal No. 749 G
of 2000.

From the Judgment and order dated 11.8.98 of the Rajasthan High
Court in D.B.Crl. Jail A. No. 81 of 1996.

Ms. Minakshi Vij, (A.C.) for the Appellant. H
1054 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2001] 2 S.C.R.
A Sushi! Kr. Jain, A. Misra, Ms. Alijali Doshi and A.P. Dhamija for the
-f
Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

SETIII, J. Solely relying upon the dying declaration of Parveena, the
B deceased, the trial court held the appellant guilty for the murder of his wife
and daughter Kurnari Dharmistha aged 16 months. Upon conviction for the
offences under Sections 302, 326 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, the
appellant was sentenced to imprisonment for life for the main offence. Appeal
against the aforesaid conviction and sentence was dismissed by the High
c Court vide judgment impugned herein.
• The facts of the case are that on the intervening night of 6nth May,
1994, Nonji (PW!) submitted a complaint before the incharge of the police
station Bheenmal to the effect that when he was at the Chakki of Tarararn ~
at about 11.30-12.00 in the midnight he heard voice raising the noise saying
D "Mare Mare" from the side of the house of the appellant. On hearing the
noise, the informant came out from the Chakki and saw Smt. Parveena, wife
of appellant in blazes rushing out from her house. She tore her clothes and
was sitting in naked position. After sometime the appellant also came out of.
his house. On being asked Parveena told that the appellant had burnt her by
sprinkling kerosene oil. After registering the case under Sections 324 and -1
E
498A !PC, the police commenced the investigation. Parveena who was
admitted in the hospital died on 8.6.1994 and the daughter of the appellant
died on 2.7.1994 whereafter the offence was changed to Section 302 !PC.

To prove its case, the prosecution examined 21 witnesses at the trial,
F most of whom turned hostile and did not support the case of the prosecution.
Before her death the deceased had made dying declarations Exhibit P-20 ...._
which was recorded by the police at about 3.30 a.m. and Exhibit P-27 which
was recorded by Judicial Magistrate at 3.55 a.m. on 7.5.1994. The oral dying
declarations, allegedly made by the deceased, were sought to be proved by
the testimony of PWs I. 2, 3, 4 and 5. PWs I, 2 and 4 have not supported
G
the prosecution.

In his statement recorded under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, the appellant stated that on 6.5.1994 between 11.30 and 12.00 p.m.
he was sleeping outside his house whereas his wife and daughter were
H sleeping inside the house. After hearing weeping of his daughter he went
UKA RAM v. STATE [SETHI, J.] 1055
inside the house and saw his daughter in the state of burning along with his A
~
wife. He made an attempt to save their lives. He thought that his wife had
burnt his daughter, hence he started abusing her upon which she went outside
at Chabutra while burning. He brought his mother on the scene of occurrence
who was living separately. He went to the hospital along with the burnt wife
and the daughter. According to him his wife was insane and he has been
B
getting her treated for insanity.

From the record it appears that the FIR was received in the police
station on 7.51994 at about 1.30 a.m. The statement Exhibit P-20, obviously
under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, is stated to have been
made by the deceased at about 3.30 a.m. and dying declaration Exhibit P- c
27 was recorded by the Magistrate at about 3.55 a.m. For convicting and
sentencing the appellant, both the trial as well as the High Court have relied
upon dying declaration, Exhibit P-27.

t Statements, written or verbal of relevant facts made by a person who
is dead, or who cannot be found or who has become incapable of giving
D
evidence, or whose attendance cannot be procured without an amount of
delay or expense which under the circumstances of the case appears to the
court unreasonable, are themselves relevant facts under the circumstances
enumerated under sub-sections (1) to (8) of Section 32 of the Act. When the
,_ statement is made by a person as to cause of his death, or as to any of the E
circumstances of the transaction which resulted in his death, in cases in which
the cause of that person's death comes into question is admissible in evidence
being relevant whether the person was or was not, at the time when they were
made, under expectation of death, and whatever may be the nature of the
proceeding in which the cause of his death comes into question. Such
F
statements in law are compendiously called dying declarations. The admis-
sibility of the dying declaration. rests upon the principle that a sense of
impending death produces in a man's mind the same feeling as that of a
conscientious and virtuous man under oath - Nemo moritun's praesumuntur
mentiri. Such statements are admitted, upon consideration that their declara-
tions made in extremity, when the maker is at the point of death and when G
every hope of this world is gone, when every motive to falsehood is silenced
and the mind induced by the most powerful consideration to speak the trnth.
The principle on which the dying declarations are admitted in evidence, is
-(
based upon the legal maxim "Nemo moriturus proesumitur mentin" i.e., a
man will not meet his maker with a lie in his mouth. It has always to be kept H
1056 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001) 2 S.C.R.
A in mind that though a dying declaration is entitled to great weight, yet it is
worthwhile to note that as the maker of the statement is not subjected to cross-
examination, it is essential for the court to insist that dying declaration should
be of such nature as to inspire full confidence of the court in its correctness.
The court is obliged to rule out the possibility of the statement being the result
of either tutoring, prompting or vindictive or product of imagination. Before
B
relying upon a dying declaration, the court should be satisfied that the
deceased was in a fit state of mind to make the statement. Once the court
is satisfied that the dying declaration was true, voluntary and not influenced
by any extraneous consideration, it can base its conviction wifuout any further
corroboration as rule requiring corroboration is not a rule of law but only a
c rule of prudence.

In Tapinder Singh v. State of Punjab, [1970) 2 SCR 113, this Court
held:

"The dying declaration is a statement by a person as to the cause of
D his death or as to any of the circumstances of the transaction which
resulted in his death and it becomes relevant under Section 32(1) of
the Indian Evidence Act in a case in which the cause of that person's
death comes into question. It is true that a dying declaration is not
a deposition in court and it is neither made on oath nor in the presence
of the accused. It is, therefore, not tested by cross-examination on
E
behalf of the accused. But a dying declaration is admitted in evidence
by way of an exception to the general rule against the admissibility
of hearsay evidence, on the principle of necessity. The weak points
of a dying declaration just mentioned merely serve to put the court
on its guard while testing its reliability, imposing on it an obligation
F to closely scrutinise all the relevant attendant circumstances."

This Court in Dandu Lakshmi Reddy v. State of A.P., [1999] 7 SCC 69,
observed that on the fact-situation of a case a judicial mind would tend to
wobble between two equally plausible hypothesis - was it suicide, or was it
homicide? If the dying declaration projected by the prosecution gets credence
G the alternative hypothesis of suicide can be eliminated justifiably. For that
purpose a scrutiny of the dying declaration with meticulous circumspection
is called for. It must be sieved through the judicial cullendar and if it passes
through the gauzes it can be made the basis of a conviction, otherwise not.
It was further held that in view of the impossibility of conducting the test
H on the version in the dying declaration with the touchstone of cross-exarni-
UKA RAM v. STATE [SETHI, J.] 1057
nation, the court has to adopt other tests in order to satisfy its judicial A
~ conscious that the dying declaration contained nothing but the truth.

Ms. Minakshi Vij who appeared as amicus curaie in this case vehe-
mently argued that the trial court as weU as the High Court was not justified
in relying upon the dying declaration (Exhibit P-27) to base the conviction,
as, according to her, the said declaration was not made by a mentally sound
B
and normal person. It is submitted that the deceased was suffering from a
mental iUness which might have prompted her to end her life. Alternatively,
it is argued knowing that Parveena was a mental patient, the prosecution
should have taken steps to ascertain that while making the statement she was
not suffering from any such iUness. In rebuttal Sh. Sushi! Knmar Jain C
submitted that as despite taking such a p!ea the appeJlant has not chosen to
lead any defence evidence, the genuineness of the dying declaration carmot
be doubted. He has further submitted that because before recording the
statement (Exh. P-27) the doctor had declared the deceased to be fit to make
the statement vide Exhibit P-26, no doubt can be created about tl1e mental
D
faculties of the deceased at the tinie of making tl1e statement.

There is no dispute that the prosecution is under a legal obligation to
prove its case beyori all reasonable doubts and the accused is only to
probabilise his defence. From the evidence on record we find that the plea
regarding the mental condition and illness of the deceased was not m1 after- E
thought in the instant case. It is evident that during the whole trial, the
appellant has been trying lo cr0:;s. examine the witnesses to probabilise that
the deceased was suffering from mental illness which could be a reason for
her to commit suicide or alternatively the statement Exhibit P-27 carmot be
held to be voluntarily made or not made under any extraneous influences.
F
Nonji (PWl), the first informant in re.ply to a cnurt question had stated that
Parveena was mad but added that he had heard about her madness. In cross-
examination Lal Singh (FW3) had stated "[ do not know that Parveena was
mad or not. ViUagers were saying that Uka Ram had brought her for medical
treatment". Pabu (PW4) in her cross-examination had stated "Parveena was
mentally mad and my son had brought her for medical treatment". Masra G
(PWlO), the father of the deceased was also cross-examined on this subject
wherein he had stated that "It is wrong to say that previous son-in-laws of
Sathu and Abu Road say that Pravina is insane and it is also wrong that due
to above reasons they left Parvina. I am ill for 5 yedrs. It is wrong to say
that my son Prabhu got treatment of insanity at Palanpur. It is wrong to say H
1058 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2001] 2 S.C.R.

A that treatment of insanity of my two daughters is going on". Prabhu (PWJJ),
who is the real brother of the deceased has stated that "It is true that the
mental treatment of my sister Pravina was going on. She was suffering from
lunatic attack". On this subject statement of accused under Section 313 has
already been noticed. In her dying declaration the deceased had not referred
to any reason which allegedly prompted the appellant to commit the crime.
B
After going thrqugh tire whole of the evidence, perusing the record and
hearing the submissions of the learned counsel for the parties, we are of the
opinion that the prosecution had not proved, beyond doubt, that the dying
declaration was true, voluntary and not influenced by any extraneous con-
c sideration. Despite knowing the fact that the deceased was a mental patient,
the investigating -agency did not take any precaution to ensure that the
incident was suicidal or homicidal. The probability of the deceased commit-
ting suicide has not been eliminated. There also exist a doubt about the mental
condition of the deceased at the time she made dying declaration (Exhibit P-
27). Exhibit P-26, the medical ce1tificate only states to her physical condition
D to make a statement but does not refer to her mental condition even at that
time. The trial as well as the High Court appear to have ignored this aspect
of the matter while convicting and sentencing the appellant. We are satisfied
that it is a fit case in which the appellant is entitled to the benefit of doubt.

As the dying declaration, the sole evidence upon which the conviction
E
is based, is not reliable beyond all reasonable doubts, the conviction and
sentence of the appellant is not justified. Accordingly, the appeai is allowed
by setting aside the impugned judgment. The appellant is acquitted of all the
charges and is directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless required in some
other case.
F
B.S. Appeal allowed.