Corroboration of a confession

The judgment referred to precedent cautioning against conviction on confession without corroboration. Corroboration must come from other valid evidence. The prosecution did not establish the surrounding circumstances relied upon. The alleged presence of the accused at a relevant time was not enough by itself. Recoveries and last-seen evidence did not provide necessary corroboration. The statements were not reliable proof of the crime proper. The Court rejected the attempt to use them to bridge evidentiary gaps. The prosecution case lacked an adequate corroborative chain. (Bernard Lyngdoh Phawa v. The State of Meghalaya | 2026 INSC 85)