Ranjith v. State – sllr 2000 volume 3 page 346

In the case between Ranjith (accused-appellant) and the State, the court addressed whether a conviction for murder or culpable homicide not amounting to murder can be sustained exclusively on the basis of dying declarations, particularly when there are contradictions presented by medical evidence and inconsistencies in eyewitness testimonies. It was held that reliance solely on dying declarations, especially in the face of corroborative medical evidence indicating the absence of stab wounds and unreliable eyewitness accounts, is insufficient to sustain a conviction. The principle reaffirmed is that dying declarations, while admissible, require careful scrutiny and corroboration when the circumstances raise doubt as to their reliability. This decision was rooted in the application of eviden