The Supreme Court has acquitted an accused in a murder case dating back 42 years in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district. The judgment delivered by the bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan was based on the principle of "beyond reasonable doubt," emphasizing the need for a solid and conclusive case against the accused.

The murder case, which involved the killing of a woman, had seen the conviction and life sentence of the appellant, Ram Singh, upheld by the Allahabad High Court in February 2018. 

However, the Supreme Court's recent ruling has overturned this decision, highlighting critical discrepancies in the prosecution's evidence and underlining the importance of a fair and thorough trial process.

The Court pointed out that one of the co-accused had already been acquitted by the trial court based on the same evidence, leading the bench to extend the benefit of doubt to Ram Singh. 

The justices emphasized that doubts about an accused's involvement in a crime must weigh heavily on the court's decision, and in such situations, the benefit of doubt should be granted to the accused.

One of the key factors leading to the acquittal was the presence of several inconsistencies in the version of the eyewitness accounts. The court observed that details such as the seating arrangement of the deceased and the point from which she was shot differed among witnesses. 

Additionally, the failure to examine two of the deceased's sons during the trial and the non-recovery of the murder weapon further weakened the prosecution's case.

"It is evident that there are glaring inconsistencies in the prosecution version which have been magnified by the absence of the testimony of the material witnesses and the ballistic report coupled with the non-recovery of the weapon of crime," the Court noted.

The accused had approached the Supreme Court against the High Court's refusal to set aside the conviction and life sentence imposed by the trial court. The recent decision not only set aside the conviction and sentence but also directed the immediate release of Ram Singh from jail.

Case: RAM SINGH vs. THE STATE OF U.P.,

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 206 OF 2024.

Click to read/download judgment.