3 weeks ago
High Court Acquits Two Brothers 17 Years After Murder Conviction
A long time ago, in 2009, a man named Pyarelal Gadariya was hurt very badly with a knife and died in Damoh, a place in India.
The police thought two brothers, Tulsiram and Harprasad Rajpal, were the ones who did it.
In 2012, a court said the brothers were guilty and sent them to jail for the rest of their lives.
Seventeen years later, a bigger court called the High Court looked at the case very carefully.
The judges found many problems with how the police had gathered the evidence.
The police could not even tell the court who wrote the complaint, and that person never came to testify.
The victim's family members told different stories about what had happened.
Also, the knife that police said was the murder weapon had no blood on it.
Because there were so many doubts and mistakes, the High Court decided the brothers should be set free.
The judges said the brothers deserved what is called the 'benefit of the doubt,' so they were told they could leave jail right away.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted brothers Tulsiram and Harprasad Rajpal, 17 years after their conviction for the 2009 murder of Pyarelal Gadariya.
A sessions court in Damoh had sentenced the two brothers to life imprisonment in 2012.
The court cited 'serious lapses,' including the investigating officer's failure to identify who drafted the FIR and that official's absence from the trial.
Evidence flaws included a thumb impression on the FIR where the victim used to sign his name, missing medical referral documents, and no bloodstains found on the seized knife.
Citing contradictory witness statements, a 15-30 day delay in recording statements, and failure to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the court granted the brothers the benefit of the doubt and ordered their release.
- Who
- Brothers Tulsiram and Harprasad Rajpal, convicted for murdering Pyarelal Gadariya; verdict delivered by a division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Avnindra Kumar Singh.
- What
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted the two brothers and ordered their immediate release, setting aside their life sentences.
- Where
- Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh.
- When
- The acquittal came 17 years after the murder; the murder occurred on August 25, 2009, and the original conviction was in 2012.
- Why
- The prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt due to serious lapses in the investigation, contradictions in witness statements, and questionable evidence.
Key facts
- Accused
- Tulsiram and Harprasad Rajpal (brothers)
- Victim
- Pyarelal Gadariya
- Murder Date
- August 25, 2009 (stabbing murder)
- Location
- Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh
- Original Conviction
- 2012, sessions court, Damoh - life imprisonment
- Appeal Outcome
- Acquitted; immediate release ordered
- Court
- Madhya Pradesh High Court - division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Avnindra Kumar Singh
- Key Evidence Flaws
- Unidentified FIR drafter, inconsistent family statements, no bloodstains on seized knife, delayed witness statements
Quotes
Justice Avnindra Kumar Singh
Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
“The court observed that the investigation had serious lapses and that the evidence presented by the prosecution was inadequate to convict the accused.”
NDTV
“We found that the statements of the victim’s family were inconsistent and that the forensic report did not support the prosecution’s claims.”
NDTV
Sources
Related news
Two men freed after 14 years over wrong forensic report
High Court orders fresh hearing in 'Laadli' rape-murder case
Indore High Court Acquits Woman in Jhabua Murder Case
Mumbai Court Acquits Man in Son's Murder Case
Supreme Court Acquits Odisha Murder Convict After 22 Years
Punjab court acquits five men in 26-year-old culpable homicide case
Sitharaman Meets FATF President Thompson During G20 Finance Meeting
Court Orders Review of Five Years of Forensic DNA Reports
