The Supreme Court of India acquitted two men convicted of murder on Tuesday, ruling that the unusual conduct of family members and police in transporting an injured victim directly to a police station rather than a hospital constituted a suspicious circumstance that undermined the prosecution’s case.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Rajesh Bindal set aside the concurrent conviction and life imprisonment sentences affirmed by the High Court. The case involved an alleged violent assault where prosecution witnesses claimed the critically wounded victim succumbed to injuries while being ferried directly to a local police outpost to register a first information report before seeking medical intervention.
The bench observed that natural human instinct and medical protocol dictate taking an injured person immediately to the nearest healthcare facility to preserve life. The court held that bypassing medical treatment centers in order to formulate a police complaint indicates premeditation and manipulation of initial eyewitness depositions by interested parties.
Highlighting serious forensic discrepancies in the inquest and post-mortem timelines, the apex court noted that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond all reasonable doubt. The bench ordered the immediate release of both appellants, reaffirming that criminal convictions cannot stand upon speculative or procedural contrivances.
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Sources:
https://www.livelaw.in/amp/supreme-court/supreme-court-taking-dead-body-police-station-instead-hospital-suspicious-circumstance-549373