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Delhi court acquits two men in 2016 murder case
A Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of murdering their co-worker in 2016, ruling that the prosecution case rested on strong suspicion and lacked reliable evidence. Additional Sessions Judge Harvinder Singh…
A Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of murdering their co-worker in 2016, ruling that the prosecution case rested on strong suspicion and lacked reliable evidence. Additional Sessions Judge Harvinder Singh gave Azeem and Nadeem the benefit of doubt in the death of Shahnawaj, who was stabbed near Mandoli Jail on October 28, 2016.
The court found the alleged oral dying declaration made by Shahnawaj to a CATS ambulance official doubtful. The official did not inform doctors, police or the victim's family about the disclosure, and his statement was recorded nearly a month later. The victim was admitted in a gasping state and declared unfit to make a statement.
The court noted there was no eyewitness, the murder weapon was never recovered, and forensic evidence did not connect the accused. The motive was also weak as the woman involved did not support the prosecution. The judge emphasised that moral conviction cannot replace jural conviction based on evidence.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The case illustrates how Indian courts apply the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt even in serious crimes. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that suspicion, however strong, cannot substitute for evidence. In 2023, the top court acquitted a man in a murder case citing similar lack of corroboration of dying declarations. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, a dying declaration must pass strict scrutiny: it must be recorded by a magistrate or doctor when possible, and any delay in recording by police weakens its evidentiary value. The next step for the prosecution would be to appeal the acquittal before the Delhi High Court, but such appeals face a high bar as appellate courts rarely overturn trial court findings of insufficient evidence.
The key figure to watch is whether the Delhi Police files an appeal before the High Court, which must be done within 90 days of the acquittal order dated August 25.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
