Victim's Close Relative Not Likely To Foist An Innocent, Can't Be Disregarded Merely By Levelling Them As 'Interested Witnesses': MP High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, led by Justice Prem Narayan Singh, emphasized the credibility of close relatives as witnesses in criminal cases. Rejecting the argument to disregard testimonies due to their relationship with the accused, the Court differentiated between 'relatedness' and being 'interested'. \r

Relying on legal precedents, it upheld convictions based on testimonies even if witnesses turned hostile. In a case involving assault on the accused's daughter, the Court affirmed the seriousness of the offense under Section 326 IPC. \r

While reducing the sentence from five to three years, it increased the fine to Rs. 10,000, considering the appellant's time served and familial ties to the victim.