New Delhi – The Supreme Court overturned a death‑sentence verdict after a 2017 rape and murder case of a seven‑year‑old girl. A three‑judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath said the trial was “lopsided” and did not give the accused a fair chance to defend himself.
The judge cited four key problems. First, the accused never had a defense lawyer when charges were announced, and critical documents were delayed, denying him the basics of a fair trial. Second, the court rejected the prosecution’s “last‑seen‑together” theory because an eyewitness testimony could not be verified and the evidence was broken. Third, the famous CCTV clip that “saw” the accused was never produced; investigators failed to retrieve footage from the digital recorder, and the court ruled this as a clear fabrication. Fourth, the police relied on the accused’s confessional statements and subsequent discoveries to build the case, but those statements were mishandled and the investigation officer’s recording was apparently pulled from the evidence.
Because of these flaws, the bench found that the trial court and the Madras High Court had largely ignored the case’s weaknesses. The Supreme Court also slammed the harshness of the death penalty, noting that the sentencing schedule was rushed – there was no record of mitigating factors, psychological evaluation, or a detailed discussion of aggravating circumstances.
With the conviction and death sentence set aside, the court cleared the accused of all charges and ordered the return of any withheld evidence. The ruling underscores the court’s stance that denying an accused the right to effective defense violates fundamental justice.
Source: ianslive
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