Section 27 Applies Only to Facts “Distinctly” Discovered; FSL Match of Pistol and Bullets Alone Cannot Prove Guilt: Supreme Court

In a significant judgment clarifying the scope of Section 27 of the Evidence Act and the evidentiary value of forensic reports, the Supreme Court of India has acquitted a man of murder. The Court held that a conviction cannot be sustained merely on a ballistic (FSL) report matching a recovered weapon to bullets, especially when key eyewitnesses turn hostile and the chain of custody is broken.

The bench, comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi , allowed the appeal in Govind v. State of Haryana , setting aside the appellant’s conviction and life sentence under Section 302 IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The Court emphasized that for information leading to a discovery to be admissible under Section 27, it must “distinctly” relate to the fact discovered, a test th