Shillong (Meghalaya), March 18: In a gripping tale of flawed justice, the Meghalaya High Court overturned a conviction, freeing a woman accused of murdering her husband and child. The prosecution’s case, built on shaky ground, fell apart due to a botched investigation and procedural blunders.
The woman’s confession, recorded under Section 164 CrPC, was deemed inadmissible due to multiple infirmities: no reflection time given, blanks in crucial columns, and lack of Magistrate’s endorsement. Without this confession, the remaining evidence – witness testimonies and seized daos – wasn’t enough to prove guilt.
The court slammed the prosecution for relying on Section 106 Evidence Act to shift the burden to the accused. “Prosecution must prove its case independently,” the judgment emphasized. Citing Nagendra Sah v. State of Bihar (2021), the court ruled the chain of circumstances was incomplete, and the accused’s explanation wasn’t required.
With the prosecution’s case crumbling, the court quashed the conviction, acquitting the woman of all charges. “Appellant be set at liberty forthwith,” the order read, bringing an end to a miscarriage of justice.
