Dying Declaration Doesn’t Need to be Specified to a Particular Person: Orissa High Court

The Odisha High Court ruled that a dying declaration need not be addressed to a specific person to be valid and can be accepted if the court is satisfied with its truthfulness and voluntariness.

The Court upheld a man's conviction for murdering his brother and observed that a dying declaration is considered substantive evidence because a person in acute agony is unlikely to lie and is expected to speak the truth.

In this case, the police found the prima facie involvement of the appellant and his wife in the alleged murder of his brother.

After the charge sheet and evidence were examined, both the Trial Court and High Court convicted him under Sections 302 and 201 of IPC.