On Thursday, a Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices B.R. Gavai and Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha ruled that a conviction cannot be based solely on suspicion or an alleged extrajudicial confession. The court acquitted a man previously convicted of murder, stating that proof beyond reasonable doubt is essential.
The appellant had been convicted under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The trial court had sentenced him based on the charges, which was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The appellant, dissatisfied with the High Court’s decision, appealed to the Supreme Court. The defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove that the dead body in question was that of the deceased, making the conviction unsustainable.
The Supreme Court observed that the prosecution could not establish a solid chain of events linking the accused to the crime. The bench emphasized that mere suspicion, no matter how strong, cannot replace proof. “An accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the court noted.
In light of these findings, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal, overturning the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s judgment and acquitting the accused.
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