State of U.P. v. Mithun Singh: Supreme Court Declares Appeal Abated Due to Respondent’s Death

The case of State of U.P. v. Mithun Singh reached the Supreme Court in the form of a criminal appeal filed by the State of Uttar Pradesh. The appeal sought to challenge the acquittal of the sole accused, Mithun Singh, granted by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Criminal Appeal No. 6617/2017. However, the Supreme Court was faced with an unforeseen circumstance that changed the course of the proceedings.

The appellant, the State of Uttar Pradesh, filed an application (I.A. No. 80032/2021) bringing to the Court’s attention that the sole respondent, Mithun Singh, had passed away on October 28, 2019. To substantiate this claim, the State submitted the death certificate of the deceased respondent as Annexure A1.

After considering the provided evidence, the Court ruled that in light of the death of the sole respondent, the appeal against him had abated. As a result, the criminal appeal No. 198/2021 was formally deemed to have come to an end. The judgment was delivered by C.T. Ravikumar, who presided over the case.

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Key Observations by the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court noted that as per well-established legal principles, a criminal appeal against a sole accused or respondent abates upon their death. This principle is followed to ensure that criminal proceedings do not continue against an individual who is no longer alive, as penal consequences cannot be imposed posthumously.

Legal Implications of the Judgment

• The appeal filed by the State of U.P. challenging Mithun Singh’s acquittal could not be adjudicated due to his demise.
• Since the appeal abated, no further legal action or argument was considered by the Supreme Court in this matter.
• This decision aligns with the settled legal precedent that criminal proceedings against a deceased person must be discontinued.

Conclusion

The case of State of U.P. v. Mithun Singh serves as a reminder of the legal doctrine that criminal proceedings abate upon the death of an accused or respondent. The Supreme Court’s decision to close the appeal was based on this principle. The ruling, delivered by Justice C.T. Ravikumar, reaffirmed that justice, though often pursued rigorously, must also conform to the fundamental principles of law, including the cessation of proceedings upon an accused’s death.

Petitioner Name: State of U.P..
Respondent Name: Mithun Singh.
Judgment By: Justice C.T. Ravikumar.
Place Of Incident: Uttar Pradesh.
Judgment Date: 24-09-2021.

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