Thippeshappa vs The State Of Karnataka on 4 November, 2020
28. It is also well settled that an adverse inference can
be taken against accused only and if the incriminating
materials stood fully established and the accused is not
able to furnish any explanation for the same. It is not
sufficient compliance to string together long series of
facts and ask the accused what he has to say about
them. He must be questioned simply and separately
about each material circumstance which is intended to
be used against him. The provisions of Section 313 of
the Code of Criminal Procedure is intended mainly for
the benefit of the accused and also to help the Court in
finding the truth. The principle on which it is based is
that before the damaging points in the prosecution
evidence are used against the accused for determining
his guilt, it is essential that his pointed attention should
be drawn to them one by one avoiding the form of cross-
examination in order to afford him an opportunity of
giving an explanation consistent with his innocence.
The correct method of performing the duty in Section
28
313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is not to ask
generally if the accused has anything to say about the
charges or the evidence against him, but to place before
him separately one by one in short sentences all the
vital and salient parts of the evidence appearing against
him in the simplest possible language so that he can
realize what things he has got to explain, and to ask
him after putting to the accused each material fact
against him whether he wanted to say anything about
the matter. The real importance of Section 313 is that
there is a duty cast upon the Court to question the
accused properly and fairly so that it is brought home to
the accused in clear words the exact case that the
accused will have to meet and thereby an opportunity is
given to him to explain any such point. Our view is
fortified by the dictum of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in
the case of Parichhat and others vs. State of
Madhya Pradesh reported in AIR 1972 SC 535
wherein, at paragraph 18, it is held as under: