Landmark Judgments

Murarilal Vs. State of M.P., AIR 1981 SC 363 (Uncorroborated testimony of an handwriting expert may be accepted)


Murarilal Vs. State of M.P., AIR 1981 SC 363 (Uncorroborated testimony of an handwriting expert may be accepted)

The Supreme Court said that, there is no rule of law, nor any rule of prudence which has crystallised into a rule of law, that opinion evidence of a handwriting expert must never be acted upon, unless substantially corroborated. But, having due regard to the imperfect nature of the science of identification of handwriting, the approach should be one of caution. In appropriate cases, corroboration may be sought. In cases where the reasons for the opinion are convincing and there is no reliable evidence throwing a doubt, the uncorroborated testimony of an handwriting expert may be accepted. There cannot be any inflexible rule on a matter which, in the ultimate analysis, is no more than a question of testimonial weight.