In Ghanshyam Mandal & Ors. v. State of Bihar (Now Jharkhand), the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the accused for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, holding that non-recovery of the murder weapon does not automatically weaken the prosecution case. The case arose from a daylight attack following a dispute over grazing crops, where the accused allegedly dragged the deceased out of their house and assaulted them with sharp-edged weapons and firearms. Four eyewitnesses, who were relatives of the deceased, consistently testified about the incident. The appellants argued that since the alleged weapons were not recovered during investigation, the prosecution case was doubtful. However, the Court observed that recovery of the weapon is not a sine qua non for conviction if the prosecution establishes guilt through reliable evidence. The Bench noted that the eyewitness testimonies were consistent, trustworthy, and supported by medical evidence regarding the injuries suffered by the deceased. The Court further reiterated that lapses or defects in investigation cannot by themselves result in acquittal if the overall evidence proves the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Since both the Trial Court and the High Court had carefully evaluated the evidence and found the eyewitness accounts credible, the Supreme Court found no reason to interfere and dismissed the appeal, thereby affirming the conviction.