CRIMINAL LAW ROUNDUP: A quick recap of the top criminal cases from March 2025
Top criminal cases on quashing of proceedings, arrest, bail, acquittal, and more.
acquittal
1990 Kashmir University VC murder case | Supreme Court upholds acquittal of six accused due to procedural lapses in TADA confessions
“In this case, the procedural safeguards were completely disregarded. The Special Court refrained from explicitly stating or declaring that this amounted to an abuse of power and authority. It was indeed a sad reflection on how the investigation and trial unfolded, where truth and justice, for both the victims and the accused, remained elusive. It was not without reason that such draconian provisions have since been repealed”
Delhi High Court upholds acquittal in Seemapuri robbery and kidnapping case citing lack of evidence
In criminal jurisprudence, the standard of proof required to sustain a conviction is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is significantly higher than the preponderance of probabilities applicable in civil cases.
Supreme Courts acquits convict in 1995 murder case for glaring omissions in evidence of deceased’s parents
“The motive for the commission of the offence was absent and the same was very relevant as the case was based on circumstantial evidence.”
Supreme Court Roundup February 2025 | Stories on Ranveer Allahbadia; AgustaWestland Chopper Scam; Maintenance in Void Marriage; AYUSH Students’ Results; and more
Key rulings and landmark decisions from February 2025 shaping the legal landscape.
‘S. 106 exists to resolve situations where prosecution can’t lead direct evidence’; SC elaborates key principles of Section 106 Evidence Act
The Court found that circumstances in the instant case constituted more than a prima facie case to enable the prosecution to invoke Section 106 of the Evidence Act and shift the burden on the accused husband to explain what had happened on the day & date his wife died.
‘Evidence Act does not prescribe any minimum age for a witness’; SC elucidates principles on appreciation of testimony of a child witness
In the instant case a husband was charged for the murder of his wife who died in mysterious circumstances by the Trial Court; however, MP High Court acquitted the husband as it found the child witness to be tutored.
Dubious conduct & suspicious circumstances of death; SC restores conviction of husband charged with wife’s murder 22 yrs ago
The Court found that circumstances in the case constitute more than a prima facie case to enable the prosecution to invoke Section 106 of the Evidence Act and shift the burden on the accused husband to explain what had happened on the day & date his wife died.
SC acquits man accused of kidnapping & killing 16-year-old alleged girlfriend after 21 years of legal battle
“When one of the three circumstances was disbelieved and discarded by the High Court, then the chain of circumstantial evidence could not have been held to be complete and proved and on that basis to hold the accused guilty of the offence.”
‘Non-signing of witness depositions by Magistrate is fatal to prosecution case’; P&H HC acquits two teachers in assault case
Failure to abide by Section 275(4) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 alone would be sufficient to suffocate the case of the prosecution, since the same is not an inconsequential irregularity, rather it impacts the entire prosecution.
Chhattisgarh HC acquits husband accused of having unnatural sex with wife under S. 377 IPC leading to her death
“If the age of wife is not below the age of 15 years then any sexual intercourse or sexual act by the husband with her wife cannot be termed as rape under the circumstances, as such absence of consent of wife for unnatural act loses its importance, therefore, the offence under Section 376 and 377 of the IPC against the accused was not made out.”
CRIMINAL LAW ROUNDUP: A quick recap of the top criminal cases from January 2025
Top criminal cases on quashing of proceedings, arrest, bail, acquittal, and more.
‘Child witness evidence appears to be result of tutoring’; Telangana HC acquits man convicted of raping 9-year-old girl
“The evidence of a child witness can easily be influenced by the elders in the family. Acceptance of the child witness evidence would be dangerous in the present circumstances of the case as the evidence appears to be a result of tutoring. Not examining the father and grandfather of the victim, who were sleeping by the side of the victim girl is fatal to the prosecution case”.
HIGH COURT DECEMBER 2024 WEEKLY ROUNDUP | Stories on Harsh Beniwal; Swarn Rekha River Revival Project; Sabarimala Pilgrimage; and more
A quick legal roundup to cover important stories from all High Courts this week.
Criminal Law Roundup: A quick recap of the top criminal cases from November 2024
Top criminal cases on quashing of proceedings, arrest, bail, acquittal, and more.
Allahabad High Court acquits seven in 2004 rape and kidnapping case; Raises possibility of victim’s involvement in crime
“The medical evidence on record does not support the allegation made by prosecutrix and there is no other corroboration of the version of the victim.”
‘FIR not an encyclopedia, but can be used to corroborate or contradict informant’; SC upholds acquittal of 3 in 28-year-old murder case
“The prime object of FIR, from the point of view of the informant is to set the criminal law in motion and from the point of the investigating authorities is to obtain information about the alleged activity to enable them to take suitable steps to trace and book the guilty. FIR is an important document, though not a substantial piece of evidence, and may be put in evidence to support or contradict the evidence of its maker viz., the informant.”
Know why Supreme Court decided to acquit and quash death sentence of 2012 Pune Triple Murder accused
The accused was arrested in 2012 on the suspicion of murdering his wife, mother and 2-year-old daughter. In 2016, the Trial Court convicted him and imposed death penalty which was confirmed by Bombay High Court
[1998 Brij Bihari Prasad murder] SC restores life sentence of former MLA Vijay Kr. Shukla & another; Acquits others on benefit of doubt
Brij Bihari Prasad, a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly was murdered in 1998. The High Court reversed the Trial Court’s decision and acquitted the accused persons.
SC acquits all 7 persons convicted in 1985 murder & abduction case as reasonable doubts strike prosecution case’s foundations
The Court emphasised that in order to reverse a finding of acquittal, a higher threshold is required. The presumption of innocence operating in favour of an accused throughout the trial gets concretized with a finding of acquittal by the Trial Court.