In State of Rajasthan v. Hanuman, the Supreme Court dismissed the State’s appeal against the Rajasthan High Court’s acquittal of the respondent in a murder case. The trial court had convicted Hanuman under Section 302 IPC based entirely on circumstantial evidence, including the alleged motive of having an “evil eye” on the victim’s wife and the recovery of a blood-stained weapon on Hanuman’s disclosure. The FSL report showed that the blood group on the weapon matched that of the deceased (B+). However, the High Court acquitted the accused, stating that the prosecution failed to establish a complete and unbroken chain of circumstances necessary to convict in such cases. Upholding the acquittal, the Supreme Court emphasized that mere recovery of a weapon bearing the victim’s blood group is insufficient to sustain a murder conviction. It reiterated that suspicion, however strong, cannot replace legal proof. The Court also noted that the alleged motive lacked clarity and was not backed by consistent evidence. Therefore, in the absence of conclusive proof, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused.