Zainul vs The State Of Bihar

insc-2025-1192 Supreme Court of India 7 October 2025 • CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1187 OF 2014; CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1188 OF 2014 • 87 min read
31 cases cited (0 SG, 31 foreign) Cited by 1 case

Practice Areas

Arms Act Indian Penal Code, 1860

Judges (2)

J.B. Pardiwala Delivered R. Mahadevan Coram

Parties (3)

State of Bihar Respondent Sattar Appellant Zainul Appellant

Case Significance

Zainul vs The State Of Bihar is a Supreme Court of India decision dated October 7, 2025 (citation: insc-2025-1192). Appellants convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC challenged their conviction. The Supreme Court allowed the appeals and acquitted the appellants, finding the prosecution case was riddled with contradictions among eyewitnesses, the FIR was of doubtful genuineness, and the chain of events was not reliably established. The bench comprised Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan. The judgment was delivered by Justice J.B. Pardiwala.

This case has been cited by 1 subsequent judgment. The judgment references 31 case citations.

Summary

Appellants convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC challenged their conviction. The Supreme Court allowed the appeals and acquitted the appellants, finding the prosecution case was riddled with contradictions among eyewitnesses, the FIR was of doubtful genuineness, and the chain of events was not reliably established.

What was the outcome of Zainul vs The State Of Bihar?

Appellants convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC challenged their conviction. The Supreme Court allowed the appeals and acquitted the appellants, finding the prosecution cas...

Statutes Cited

Arms Act
s 27
Indian Penal Code, 1860
s 149

Cases Cited (31)

IN (31)
(1952) 2 SCC 560 (1964) 8 SCR 133 (1975) 4 SCC 497 (1975) 4 SCC 511 (1977) 1 SCC 733 (1978) 4 SCC 385 (1988) 4 SCC 302 (1995) 4 SCC 392 (2003) 12 SCC 395 (2003) 12 SCC 616 (2004) 4 SCC 205 (2009) 13 SCC 542 (2009) 7 SCC 415 (2010) 1 SCC (Cri) 1112 (2010) 10 SCC 259 (2012) 8 SCC 651 (2013) 4 SCC 607 (2013) 5 SCC 655 (2023) 13 SCC 365 (2023) 14 SCC 41 (2024) 8 SCC 102 1958 SCC OnLine SC 95 1964 SCC OnLine SC 30 2025 INSC 1192 2025 SCC OnLine SC 337 2025 SCC OnLine SC 390 AIR 1954 SC 15 AIR 1963 SC 174 AIR 1965 SC 202 AIR 1975 SC 1727 AIR 1988 SC 2154

Cited By (1)

insc-2025-1192
Zainul vs The State Of Bihar

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official India Courts portal.

Read on Indian Kanoon

Source: Indian Kanoon (insc-2025-1192)