In Vaibhav v. State of Maharashtra (2025 INSC 800), the Supreme Court acquitted a medical student of murder, finding no complete chain of circumstantial evidence to prove he fired the fatal shot. Suspicious acts like hiding clothes and cleaning the scene supported conviction under Section 201 IPC but not under Section 302 IPC. Medical and forensic evidence indicated the shot could have been accidental, with no proven motive or criminal history. The Court set aside the murder conviction but upheld the sentence for destroying evidence.
