New Delhi/Nabarangpur5 minutes ago
The Supreme Court has acquitted an Odisha man who spent 22 years in prison on a murder conviction, calling the case a “collective failure” of the criminal justice system and criticising both the trial court and the High Court for serious lapses.
In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and J. Vinod Chandran set aside the Odisha High Court’s order and overturned the conviction of 45-year-old Arjun Jani.
SC pulls up trial court, High Court for judicial lapses
The bench said the trial court had failed to properly examine the evidence, while the High Court had remained a “mute spectator”.
It also criticised the High Court for refusing to condone a delay of 3,157 days (more than eight years) in hearing Jani’s jail appeal, despite the fact that he had already spent 12 years behind bars.
By the time the case reached the Supreme Court, Jani had spent 22 years in prison.
‘Access to justice still not easy for prisoners’
Stressing the importance of protecting personal liberty, the court said appeals filed by prisoners should be handled proactively.
“Access to justice is still not easy for those on the margins, especially for convicts in jail. In appeals filed from jail, adopt an active approach and condone the delay.
These appeals are related to someone’s freedom, which is the most valuable fundamental right,” the bench observed.
Eyewitness testimony found unreliable
Jani had been tried for the murder of three women but was convicted in one case primarily on the basis of an eyewitness account.
The Supreme Court said a conviction can be based solely on eyewitness testimony only if it is credible and supported by other evidence. In Jani’s case, the court found the testimony riddled with serious contradictions and therefore unreliable.
Court flags major flaws in police investigation
The Supreme Court also pointed to several shortcomings in the investigation. It noted that the investigating officer failed to prepare a site map of the crime scene and did not explain how the police identified and reached the accused.
The bench observed that the alleged confession obtained after Jani’s arrest was legally inadmissible and noted allegations that police had used third-degree torture to extract it.
The court also found no forensic evidence linking the stones and bricks allegedly used in the murder to the crime, as no bloodstains were detected.
It further highlighted contradictions in the prosecution’s case, noting that while police claimed the objects were recovered from bushes, witnesses testified they were lying near the victims’ bodies.
Released after 22 years, but with no home to return to
The Supreme Court had granted Jani bail in May before finally acquitting him.
After his release, Jani returned to his native village of Hirlidangri in Odisha, only to find that little remained of his former life. His family home has fallen into ruin, his mother has died, and he has no immediate family or permanent place to stay.
According to local residents and village officials, Jani has been seen wandering between the village, the nearby river and surrounding forests, struggling to rebuild his life after spending more than two decades in prison.
