Kerala High Court Clarifies Procedure to Prove Contradictions in Testimony

The Kerala High Court held that contradictions in witness testimony must be proved strictly as prescribed under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Justice A. Badharudeen observed that unless a witness is confronted with the prior statement and the same is marked in evidence, any claimed inconsistency carries no evidentiary worth.

The Court clarified that omissions qualify as contradictions only when they are material and relevant to the case’s core issues. Since the appellant failed to follow the statutory procedure for proving contradictions, the prosecution’s version stood unshaken.

Consequently, the Court upheld the findings of the trial court and sustained the appellant’s conviction.