Not proper to doubt the evidence of police officers: HC

The Delhi High Court today said courts should not doubt the evidence of police officers and upheld life imprisonment to a man for killing his wife two years back on the basis of statements of police personnel.

The Delhi High Court today said courts should not doubt the evidence of police officers and upheld life imprisonment to a man for killing his wife two years back on the basis of statements of police personnel.

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"The presumption that a person acts honestly and legally applies as much in favour of police officers as of others. It is not proper and permissible to doubt the evidence of police officers," a bench of Justices V K Jain and B D Ahmed said.

The court relied on the evidence of police officers after eye witness turned hostile and no other witness turned up in the murder case in which the husband stabbed his wife to death.

"Judicial approach must not be to distrust and suspect their evidence on oath without good and sufficient ground thereof," the court said.

The court made the remarks on an appeal filed by Ram Dass challenging his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment in the murder case of his wife.

He had contended that the trial court had wrongly convicted him in the murder case as there was no witness to the incident and the court relied on the circumstantial evidence presented by the police on the basis of its investigation.

The High Court, however, was not convinced by his contention and refused to give him any relief.

"We find no merit in the appeal and the same is hereby dismissed. The appellant who is on bail be taken into custody to undergo the remaining part of the sentence awarded to him," the court said.