RELYING ON "LAST SEEN" THEORY NOT JUSTIFIED

Yes, the Supreme Court has ruled that a court should not solely rely on the "last seen" theory to convict an accused. The court has stated that the "last seen" doctrine has limited application and that other evidence is required to establish a connection between the accused and the crime.

Here are some examples of cases where the Supreme Court ruled that the "last seen" theory was not sufficient to justify a conviction:

Jabir v. State of Uttarakhand

In this 2023 case, the Supreme Court set aside the conviction of a murder accused because the "last seen" theory was not justified. The court found that the conviction was not justified for several reasons, including:

• The time lag between the last seen and the murder was significant?
• A witness's statement was recorded more than two months after the investigation began
• The witnesses' testimonies were inconsistent and flawed
• There was no evidence connecting the accused with the crime