Testimony of criminal can be accepted: SC

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court has held
that testimony of even a person with criminal record can be
believed though the fact that it is being made by a person
with dubious credentials has to be borne in mind while relying
on such evidence.

"Therefore, the criminal background, in our opinion,
would not be of much consequence, though while appreciating
their evidence, that fact has to be borne in mind," a bench of
Justices V S Sirpurkar and Cyriac Joseph observed in a
judgement.

The apex court made the remarks while dismissing an
appeal filed by two persons Murli and Heera challenging the
life sentence given to them by a sessions court and upheld by
the Rajasthan High Court. The accused had committed
the murder of Virendra Singh on September 14, 1987.

Counsel for Murli and Heera took the plea that their
conviction was invalid as the same was imposed on the basis of
the testimony of Badri Lal (PW-2) (prosecution witness) who
himself was facing several criminal cases.

However, the argument failed to convince the apex
court which, after perusing the documents, said the material
and circumstantial evidence, coupled with the eye-witnesses
account of Badri Lal and Lokendra Singh, brother of the
deceased, substantiated the prosecution's charge against
the convict. PTI RB
SDE
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