In a major judgement widening the scope of evidentiary value of dying declarations, the Supreme Court has ruled that the effort of the trial courts should be how to bring such statements made by victims on their death beds within the scope of substantive evidence. This ruling was given by the Bench after upholding a Gujarat High Court order which had reversed the trial court order acquitting a person accused of burning a lady at a public place for allegedly talking to others about his illicit relationship with her sister. The High Court, on reappreciation of evidence, relied on the dying declaration of the lady and convicted the accused of the offence and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Dismissing the appeal of the convict, Justice Thomas, writing the judgement for the Bench, said Section 32(1) of the Evidence Act made two categories of dying declarations admissible in evidence and further made them substantive evidence. Bureau Report