Supreme Court acquits all seven accused in 39-year-old murder case

The Supreme Court of India acquitted all seven accused in a 39-year-old murder case due to lack of evidence. The case involved the abduction and murder of a woman named Neelam in 1985. The trial court had convicted five of the accused in 1992, and the High Court later upheld the convictions and overturned the acquittal of two others. The Supreme Court found that the prosecution’s case was based on circumstantial evidence, which was full of glaring doubts. The court noted the absence of direct evidence linking the accused to the crime and highlighted the unreliable nature of the eye-witness testimonies. The court also criticized the Patna High Court for making unwarranted remarks about the victim’s appearance, emphasizing the need for sensitivity and neutrality in judicial observations. This judgment underscores the importance of concrete evidence in securing convictions in criminal cases.