Uttarakhand High Court Overturns Life Sentence in Attempted Murder Case
The Uttarakhand High Court has acquitted a man previously convicted of attempted murder. The court set aside a lower court's order that sentenced him to life imprisonment. The High Court granted him the "benefit of doubt" after determining the prosecution failed to prove the charges "beyond reasonable doubt."
Court Proceedings and Original Conviction
A division bench comprising Justices Ravindra Maithani and Ashish Naithani delivered this verdict on January 10. They overturned the conviction and sentence imposed by a lower court on Jalaluddin, a resident of Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district.
According to the case details, home guards on duty at Kashipur Sugar Mill spotted some suspects on the night of September 22, 2015. The prosecution alleged that when these home guards tried to stop the suspects, Jalaluddin fired at home guard Vijay Pal Singh using a country-made pistol. This action seriously injured Singh. Police subsequently registered a case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
The court of the additional district and sessions judge in Kashipur convicted Jalaluddin on October 23, 2019. That court sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000. Dissatisfied with this verdict, Jalaluddin challenged it in the High Court.
Key Flaws Identified by the High Court
The High Court identified serious inconsistencies in the prosecution's version of events. The bench noted that the main witness, Khemkaran, whose testimony formed the basis for identifying the accused, did not support the prosecution's case during court proceedings.
Furthermore, the court found contradictions in witness statements regarding the timing of the incident. The High Court also raised questions about the investigation process. Investigators failed to recover any cartridges from the crime scene. They did not produce the blood-stained clothes of the injured party as evidence.
The court highlighted another significant point. The accused had already received an acquittal in a related case concerning the recovery of the weapon shown in this incident.
Suspicious Delay in FIR Registration
The High Court treated the ten-hour delay in filing the First Information Report as suspicious. Despite the police station being located only 500 meters away from the crime scene, authorities registered the FIR in the morning. Police had received information about the incident during the night. The court stated such a delay cast serious doubt on the prosecution's narrative.
The bench clarified an important legal principle. A conviction cannot rest solely on the statement of the injured party if that statement fails to corroborate the FIR and other surrounding circumstances.
Final Verdict and Immediate Release
Based on these findings, the Uttarakhand High Court acquitted Jalaluddin of all charges. The court ordered jail authorities to release him immediately, provided he was not wanted in connection with any other case. This decision underscores the judiciary's commitment to ensuring convictions rely on solid, incontrovertible evidence rather than procedural lapses or unsubstantiated claims.
