In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of India has acquitted six individuals previously convicted in a 2011 murder case, citing a lack of credible evidence due to the majority of witnesses turning hostile. Out of 87 witnesses, 71 retracted their earlier statements during the trial, including a young boy who had initially testified to witnessing his father’s murder.

The case had seen the Karnataka High Court overturn the trial court’s acquittal and convict the six accused. However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran, reinstated the trial court’s decision. Justice Chandran, delivering the verdict, expressed deep concern over the failure of the prosecution, stating, “With a heavy heart for the unsolved crime, but with absolutely no misgivings on the issue of lack of evidence… we acquit the accused.”

The court emphasized that convictions cannot rest solely on police testimony, especially when the majority of prosecution witnesses have turned hostile. This case highlights the challenges in the Indian judicial system, particularly regarding witness protection and the reliability of testimonies.

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