Shillong, Jun 29: The Meghalaya High Court on Monday acquitted a man, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a woman in 2015, after the prosecution failed to establish a complete chain of circumstantial evidence proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
A division bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh reviewed the evidence presented against Ashim Sinha. He had been convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code by an additional sessions judge in August 2023 for the murder of Soma Chettri, whose body was discovered in his rented room in Shillong on November 3, 2015.
The court said that while evidence indicated Chettri’s death was homicidal, the prosecution failed to prove Sinha’s involvement conclusively. Critical gaps emerged, such as the inability to demonstrate Sinha had exclusive possession of the room where the body was found.
Additionally, the court said the prosecution could not establish a motive for the crime or uphold the “last seen” theory. The court said that mere suspicion does not replace the necessity for proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court quashed Sinha’s conviction, directing his immediate release, and ordered a refund of the imposed fine if previously paid.
