Yesterday, 18th April, The Supreme Court acquitted a man in a significant 1997 murder case. Justices of the Supreme Court cited unreliable witness testimony and lack of substantial evidence linking the accused to the crime as reasons for the acquittal. This decision reverses previous rulings by lower courts and marks a pivotal development in the long-standing legal battle.
New Delhi: On Thursday, the Supreme Court acquitted a man previously sentenced to life for a 1997 murder. Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta stated that besides two unreliable witnesses, the prosecution lacked substantial evidence linking the accused to the crime.
The apex court stated,
“We firmly believe that both these witnesses belong to the second category, meaning they are entirely unreliable. The prosecution did not present any other concrete evidence linking the accused appellant to the crime. the prosecution’s motive narrative is exceedingly weak and appears far-fetched,”
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The Court considered an appeal challenging a February 2008 ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The High Court upheld the conviction and sentence handed down by the trial court in July 2003. The incident occurred in Punjab’s Hoshiapur district.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court highlighted that a Deputy Inspector General ranked officer testified during cross-examination that he found the accused innocent during the investigation. Additionally, the murder weapon not found in possession of the appellant.
The court noted,
“The top court observed that there is no corroborative evidence to support the inconsistent and unreliable testimony of (2 prosecution witnesses) the prosecution did not present any corroborative evidence to support the testimony of these two witnesses,”
The appeal accepted, resulting in the appellant’s conviction being reversed.
Commenting on the case evidence, the bench categorized both witnesses as “wholly unreliable witnesses,” making it risky to rely on their testimony to confirm the accused’s guilt.
Regarding the alleged extrajudicial confession made by one witness, the bench noted its contradiction by another prosecution witness’s evidence.
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The Court ordered,
“The appellant is entitled to acquittal due to reasonable doubt, he is currently out on bail and is not required to surrender; the bail bonds are released,”
Advocate Vineet Jhanji represented the accused, Kirpal Singh.
Advocate Siddhant Sharma represented the State of Punjab.
Read Judgement: [Kirpal Singh vs State of Punjab]
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