LANDMARK CASE

Zahira Habibulla H. Sheikh v. State of Gujarat

(2004) 4 SCC 158 · Supreme Court of India · Criminal justice

At a glance

Citation: (2004) 4 SCC 158
Court: Supreme Court of India
Area of law: Criminal justice
In one line: The Court ordered a retrial outside Gujarat, holding that a fair trial includes protecting witnesses.

1 Facts

In the Best Bakery case, witnesses turned hostile and the accused were acquitted.

2 Issue

What does a fair trial require when witnesses are intimidated?

3 What the court decided

The Court ordered a retrial outside Gujarat, holding that a fair trial includes protecting witnesses.

4 Why it matters

It emphasised witness protection and the judge's active role.

5 Think about it

Should a judge be a passive umpire in a criminal trial?

6 Analyse it yourself

Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.

7 More cases on Criminal justice

Delhi Domestic Working Women's Forum v. Union of India (1995) 1 SCC 14
Hussainara Khatoon v. Home Secretary, State of Bihar (1980) 1 SCC 81
Laxmi v. Union of India (2014) 4 SCC 427
M.H. Hoskot v. State of Maharashtra (1978) 3 SCC 544
Mahender Chawla v. Union of India (2019) 14 SCC 615
Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) 8 SCC 1

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