When a party is on the verge of death, one rarely finds any motive to tell falsehood. It is for this reason that the requirements of oath and cross- examination are dispensed with in the case of a dying declaration. 31. In Sudhakar vs. State of Madhya Pradesh5, this Court observed thus: 20. The “dying declaration” is the last statement made by a person at a stage when he is in serious apprehension of his death and expects no chances of his survival. At such time, it is expected that a person will speak the truth and only the truth. Normally in such situations the courts attach the 4 (2008) 4 SCC 265 5 (2012) 7 SCC 56932 intrinsic value of truthfulness to such statement. Once such statement has been made voluntarily, it is reliable and is not an attempt by the deceased to cover up the truth or falsely implicate a person, then the courts can safely rely on such dying declaration and it can form the basis of conviction. More so, where the version given by the deceased as dying