Question

Given below are Legal Principles followed by a Factual Situation. Apply the principles followed by a factual Situation. Apply the principle to it and select the most appropriate answer for question among the four choices given.
LEGAL PRINCIPLE: Confession made in the court should be free and voluntary.
FACTUAL SITUATION: Sumeet wanted to give an expensive gift to his girl friend on her birthday. But he did not have the enough money. So he snatched a gold chain from an old lady. Police arrested Sumeet on suspicion and in the lock up the investing officer told him that him that if he would admit his guilt he shall be set free. Sumeet confesses his guilt in the court.

• A. Sumeet shall be released as he admitted his guilt
• B. Court will set him free because of his truthfulness
• C. Sumeet shall not be punished as the police officer has promised him release
• D. Sumeet shall not be punished merely on the basis of this suggested confession

Answer 1

The correct option is D Sumeet shall not be punished merely on the basis of this suggested confession

The legal principle says that a confession must be free and voluntary. That means it should be without coercion or undue influence. In this case, Sumeet did not admit to his guilt freely. Investigation Officer suggesting that he will be set free on the admission of his guilt acted as an incentive for him to admit his guilt and in the absence of such Incentive, he would have not admitted to his guilt.

Another way to solve such question which is ambiguous in some aspect is to rule out other options

Options A, B and C are not related to the legal principle in the question. Since the legal principle is silent about what happens on the admission of guilt. Therefore, option A,B an C will not be the answer.