In a significant ruling on September 5, the Supreme Court, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, acquitted two individuals previously convicted in a 1989 murder case. The apex court’s decision was based on the observation that the Chhattisgarh High Court had not thoroughly scrutinized the evidence and witness testimonies presented during the trial.
A crucial point highlighted by the Supreme Court was the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR), which was registered the morning following the murder. The bench underscored the importance of meticulous examination of evidence, especially when there’s an unexplained delay in registering the FIR. The court stated,
“The fact that it was a delayed FIR cannot be ignored. When an FIR is delayed, in absence of proper explanation, the courts must be on guard and test the evidence meticulously to rule out the possibility of embellishments in the prosecution story, inasmuch as delay gives opportunity for deliberation and guesswork. More so, in a case where the probability of no one witnessing the incident is high, such as in a case of night occurrence in an open place or a public street.”
The Supreme Court also pointed out several inconsistencies in the prosecution’s narrative. It observed that the lower courts had overlooked the absence of a clear motive linked to the accused. Additionally, the court raised questions about the location of the deceased’s body, which was found three hundred feet away from the purported murder site, and the presence of a ‘lathi’ (stick) beside the body.
The bench further noted that the evidence suggested the victim might have been assaulted by a mob due to his alleged relationship with a village woman. Given these discrepancies and the lack of a clear account of the events leading to the murder, the Supreme Court concluded that the accused deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Consequently, the appeals filed by the accused were accepted, and their prior convictions were annulled. The court’s decision underscores the importance of thorough evidence examination, especially in cases with delayed FIRs, to ensure justice is served.
