SC rules, Just because Victim had 100% Burn injuries does not ipso facto means Dying Declaration is rendered unreliable. [Read the Judgement]

13 Jan 2020

The Supreme Court, in one of its recent judgement, has observed that merely because the deceased had suffered 100% burn injuries, it cannot be stated that he/she was incapable to make any kind of statement which could be treated as a 'dying declaration.'

The judgement came out in PURSHOTTAM CHOPRA & ANR. v STATE (GOVT. OF NCT DELHI)

It was contended before the Court that in this case the victim had suffered 100% burns and was already in critical condition.

Further, his condition was regularly deteriorating and therefore in such a critical and deteriorating condition, he couldn't have made proper, coherent and intelligible statements.

The accused in this case were held guilty of causing the victim death by putting him on fire.

A bench comprising of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari rejected this contention and thus observed:

"Irrespective of the extent and gravity of burn injuries, when the doctor had certified him to be in fit state of mind to make the statement; and the person recording the statement was also satisfied with his fitness for making such statement; and when there does not appear any inherent or apparent defect, in our view, the dying declaration cannot be discarded. Contra to what has been argued on behalf of the appellants, we are of the view that the juristic theory regarding the acceptability of statement made by a person who is at the point of death has its fundamentals in the recognition that at the terminal point of life, every motive to falsehood is removed or silenced. To a fire victim like that of the present case, the gravity of injuries is an obvious indicator towards the diminishing hope of life in the victim; and on the accepted principles, acceleration of diminishing of hope of life could only obliterate the likelihood of falsehood or improper motive. Of course, it may not lead to the principle that the gravity of injury would itself lead to the trustworthiness of the dying declaration. As noticed, there could still be some inherent defect for which a statement, even if recorded as dying declaration, cannot be relied upon without corroboration. Suffice would be to observe to present purpose that merely for 100% burn injuries, it cannot be said that the victim was incapable to make a statement which could be acted upon as dying declaration."

Adding to the above, the Court held that a particular statement, when being offered as dying declaration and satisfies all the requirements of judicial scrutiny, cannot be discarded merely because it has not been recorded by a Magistrate or that the Police Officer didn't obtain attestation by any person present at the time of making of the statement.

The particular judgement also included a summarization of the principles enunciated in various precedents. Here's what Court stated:

i) A dying declaration could be the sole basis of conviction even without corroboration if it inspires confidence of the Court.
ii) The Court should be satisfied that the declarant was in a fit state of mind at the time of making the statement; and that it was a voluntary statement, which was not the result of tutoring, prompting or imagination.
iii) Where a dying declaration is suspicious or is suffering from any infirmity such as want of fit state of mind of the declarant or of like nature, it should not be acted upon without corroborative evidence.
iv) When the eye-witnesses affirm that the deceased was not in a fit and conscious state to make the statement, the medical opinion cannot prevail.
v) The law does not provide as to who could record dying declaration nor there is any prescribed format or procedure for the same but the person recording dying declaration must be satisfied that the maker is in a fit state of mind and is capable of making the statement.
vi) Although the presence of a Magistrate is not absolutely necessary for the recording of a dying declaration but to ensure authenticity and credibility, it is expected that a Magistrate is requested to record such dying declaration and/or attestation be obtained from other persons present at the time of recording the dying declaration.
vii) As regards the case of a burn, the percentage and degree of burns would not, by itself, be decisive of the credibility of dying declaration; and the decisive factor would be the quality of evidence about the fit and conscious state of the declarant to make the statement.
viii) If after careful scrutiny, the Court finds the statement placed as dying declaration to be voluntary and also finds it coherent and consistent, there is no legal impediment in recording conviction on its basis even without corroboration.