The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh Police for conducting a “slipshod investigation” in a murder case registered in Agra, after a man spent six years in jail as an undertrial before being acquitted.
Calling him a “victim of the system”, the apex court directed the state government to pay him Rs 6 lakh in compensation.
SC Orders UP Govt To Pay Rs 6 Lakh Compensation
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the man had lost six years of his life because of a “concocted story” based on assumptions rather than credible evidence. The court also criticised the prosecution for its careless handling of the case, calling the outcome a travesty of justice.
The man had been in custody since November 14, 2019. The trial court acquitted him after finding that the prosecution
had failed to establish any of the four circumstances cited against him, including electronic evidence.
“This is a classic case of how an investigation should not be proceeded with, resulting in the prosecution putting into jeopardy a person’s life and liberty,” the bench said.
The court directed the state to pay the compensation within one month, acknowledging that the amount was small compared with the time the man had spent behind bars.
The verdict followed a plea challenging an Allahabad High Court order in January that had denied him bail. The top court had subsequently directed the trial court to conclude the proceedings within three months, following which the man was acquitted.
SC Calls For Police Training In Probe Procedures
Emphasising the responsibility of law enforcement agencies, the bench said the state could not evade its duty to protect citizens, particularly those presumed innocent until proven guilty. It stressed that investigators and prosecutors must work to ensure justice for both victims and accused persons, rather than focus solely on securing convictions.
The bench directed that a copy of its verdict be sent to the Uttar Pradesh director general of police and the state home secretary. It also called for police officers to be trained in proper investigative procedures, highlighting the serious consequences of failures in criminal investigations.
