The Allahabad High Court bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh and Justice Sanjiv Kumar observed that when a person stands before the court at the twilight of their life, insisting on punishment decades later reduces justice to a mere formality.
Allahabad HC acquits 100-year-old man after 42 years
Prayagraj: In a significant verdict, the Allahabad High Court acquitted a nearly 100-year-old man who had been convicted in a 1982 murder case, 42 years after the incident. The court stated that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt and that insisting on punishment after such a long judicial delay would be a perversion of the purpose of justice.
Hamirpur Case
The case originated in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The sessions court had sentenced Dhani Ram to life imprisonment under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC in 1984. Dhani Ram had filed an appeal in the High Court challenging the verdict that same year and had been out on bail since then.
“Justice is not just about punishment, but also about a humane perspective”
Bench Observation
The bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh and Justice Sanjiv Kumar observed that when a person stands before the court at the twilight of their life, insisting on punishment decades later reduces justice to a mere formality. The court also acknowledged that the mental stress and social impact of the long-pending trial had itself been a form of punishment for the accused.
Questions Over Testimonies
Analyzing the evidence on record, the High Court found serious contradictions in the testimonies of the key witnesses. Significant omissions in the FIR, doubts regarding the origin of the incident, and the unnatural conduct of the alleged eyewitnesses weakened the prosecution's case.
Main Accused At Large
The main accused in the case, Maiku, could never be apprehended and remains at large. Co-accused Satti died during the pendency of the appeal, leaving Dhani Ram as the sole surviving appellant. The defense argued that Dhani Ram was only given a role in instigating the crime and that he is now nearly 100 years old.
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Bail Cancelled
The court, accepting the appeal, gave Dhani Ram the benefit of the doubt and ordered the cancellation of his bail. The court observed that when criminal proceedings drag on for generations, they become a form of punishment in themselves, rather than a means of ensuring accountability.
