The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of two individuals accused of assault and offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, establishing that the testimony of a hostile witness cannot be rejected in toto and can be relied upon if it supports the prosecution or the defence.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih allowed the appeal filed by Dadu @ Ankush and Ankit, overturning the judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court dated January 18, 2024.

The primary legal issue before the Apex Court was whether the High Court erred in ignoring the testimony of a hostile witness that supported the defence’s version of events. The Court also examined the sustainability of a conviction base

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