June 25, 2024
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court of India has acquitted Krishan, the person accused of a double murder dating back to 2004. The bench, led by Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, raised significant doubts about the reliability and accuracy of the evidence presented, including the recovery of the alleged murder weapon.
The case, titled Krishan vs. the State of Haryana, revolved around a double homicide committed with a country-made pistol in January 2004. Krishan, the accused, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007 by a Gurgaon court. This conviction was later upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2011. Challenging these decisions, Krishan appealed to the Supreme Court.
During the review, Justices Abhay and Ujjal scrutinized the claims of the prosecution, especially regarding the weapon's retrieval. They expressed skepticism over the fact that the weapon was found a month after the crime in a public garden, buried deeply, raising concerns about potential tampering and the credibility of the prosecution's narrative.
Furthermore, discrepancies emerged regarding the recovery location of the deceased's body, which was not corroborated by eyewitness accounts. These inconsistencies led the apex court to question the genuineness of the prosecution's case.
Concluding that the evidence against Krishan was insufficient, the court overturned his life sentence, stating that the case lacked credible evidence, as the eyewitnesses did not support the prosecution's claims. The court underscored the importance of presenting reliable and accurate evidence for a fair and just trial and emphasized the crucial role of scrutinizing evidence to protect the rights of the accused and convicted individuals.
The Supreme Court's decision to acquit Krishan and order his immediate release is a significant reminder of the judiciary's role in ensuring justice and the need for meticulous evidence handling in criminal cases.