‘Circumstantial evidence chain broken’; Supreme Court acquits two, including death row convict, in rape and murder of 7-year-old girl
Where two views were possible, the one favourable to the accused had to be adopted. In the instant case, the prosecution failed to prove motive, the ‘last seen theory’ stood contradicted, and the scientific evidence was marred by inconsistencies and loopholes. In such circumstances, it was held wholly unsafe to uphold the conviction, much less the extreme penalty of death.