Kerala High Court Acquits Man Convicted of Wife’s Murder, Finds Prosecution’s Circumstantial Evidence Inconclusive

The Kerala High Court acquitted a man convicted of murdering his wife, holding that the prosecution’s case rested solely on circumstantial evidence that did not form a complete chain pointing to guilt. The trial court had imposed life imprisonment, but the High Court found that the circumstances relied upon were neither consistent nor conclusive. It stressed that in cases based on circumstantial evidence, each circumstance must be firmly established and collectively point only to the accused’s guilt, excluding all other hypotheses. The Court noted critical gaps and contradictions in the prosecution’s evidence, including absence of credible motive and inconsistencies in forensic support. Declaring the conviction unsafe, it extended the benefit of doubt to the accused. This judgment highlights the judiciary’s caution in criminal trials where life sentences are involved, ensuring that conviction is based on strong, unbroken evidence rather than conjecture.