A verdict was delivered on Wednesday in the Roop Kanwar Sati case, which occurred 37 years ago in Diwarala village, Sikar district, Rajasthan. All eight accused in the case were acquitted.

The case dates back to September 4, 1987, when 18-year-old Roop Kanwar committed sati by immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre in Diwarala. This was the last known case of sati in India. Initially, 45 people were charged in connection with the incident. Following the tragedy, a "Chunri Mahotsav" was held on the 13th day after Kanwar’s death, which drew a massive crowd.

The event garnered international attention, as the practice of sati had been outlawed 158 years earlier in December 1829 during British rule.

The Jaipur Metropolitan II Sati Prevention Special Court heard the case on Wednesday, acquitting Shravan Singh, Mahendra Singh, Nihal Singh, Jitendra Singh, Uday Singh, Narayan Singh, Bhanwar Singh, and Dashrath Singh.

Roop Kanwar, 18, had been married to 24-year-old Mal Singh Shekhawat of Divarala. Just seven months after their marriage, Mal Singh fell ill and passed away. Following his death, Kanwar reportedly expressed a desire to commit sati, though police investigations later contested the claim.

After her death, locals deified her as "Sati Maa" and even constructed a temple in her honor. The Chunri Mahotsav was organized in her name, leading to the then Chief Minister Haridev Joshi’s government filing charges against 45 individuals for glorifying the incident.

Since independence, there have been 29 recorded cases of sati in Rajasthan, with Kanwar’s being the last. Her death caused significant controversy and brought disrepute to the state and country. To expedite the case, a special Sati Prevention Court was set up in Jaipur, specifically for this incident.

Previously, on January 31, 2004, the court had acquitted 11 individuals, as the prosecution failed to prove their role in glorifying the act. The accused in that case included notable figures such as Rajendra Rathore, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, and others.