HP High Court: Testimony Based Only on Police-Shown Documents Insufficient for Conviction

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that a witness’s statement, made solely after viewing documents shown by the police, cannot form the basis of a conviction.

Justice Rakesh Kainthla noted the witness lacked personal knowledge and relied solely on police-provided documents, making the testimony unreliable.

The case involved forged agricultural certificates allegedly attached to sale deeds for agricultural land purchases. The Trial Court acquitted the accused, finding the evidence doubtful and the prosecution failed to prove forgery beyond a reasonable doubt.

The High Court upheld this acquittal, emphasising it cannot convert an acquittal into a conviction and that the prosecution did not establish that forged certificates were produced during the sale.