CUTTACK: More than 17 years after a 25-year-old woman walked into a police station in Odisha's Sundargarh district and confessed to killing her husband, the Orissa high court has overturned the life sentence awarded to her, saying the trial court verdict was based on "surmises and conjectures", and was a " miscarriage of justice ".
Laulina Achariya of Barupoda, who is now 42, turned up at Sundargarh town police station on May 28, 2007, claiming to have murdered her husband, Surendra Bag , 31.
Police went to her residence and found Surendra lying in a room, covered with a blanket up to his chest. There was blood everywhere and an axe was seized from the spot.
A murder case was registered, and Laulina was later put on trial. On July 3, 2009, the Sundargarh sessions court awarded her a life term in jail. Laulina, who was on bail since 2014, challenged the verdict in the HC.
Setting aside the trial court verdict on Oct 9, a division bench of justices Debabrata Dash and V Narasingh acquitted Laulina, observing that the conviction and sentencing were "not based on just and proper analysis of the evidence".
"This court is constrained to observe that the case at hand is a glaring instance of miscarriage of justice where the accused has been fastened with guilt on preponderance of probability," the bench said.
While there was no eyewitness to the crime, the court observed that the prosecution had not been able to establish "the last seen theory beyond reasonable doubt".
Laulina Achariya of Barupoda, who is now 42, turned up at Sundargarh town police station on May 28, 2007, claiming to have murdered her husband, Surendra Bag , 31.
Police went to her residence and found Surendra lying in a room, covered with a blanket up to his chest. There was blood everywhere and an axe was seized from the spot.
A murder case was registered, and Laulina was later put on trial. On July 3, 2009, the Sundargarh sessions court awarded her a life term in jail. Laulina, who was on bail since 2014, challenged the verdict in the HC.
Setting aside the trial court verdict on Oct 9, a division bench of justices Debabrata Dash and V Narasingh acquitted Laulina, observing that the conviction and sentencing were "not based on just and proper analysis of the evidence".
"This court is constrained to observe that the case at hand is a glaring instance of miscarriage of justice where the accused has been fastened with guilt on preponderance of probability," the bench said.
While there was no eyewitness to the crime, the court observed that the prosecution had not been able to establish "the last seen theory beyond reasonable doubt".
You may also like
Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Documentary 'Turtle Walker' to Premiere Internationally
The best luxury gifts to give this Christmas from cashmere and perfume to homeware
Luke Littler backed to eclipse David Beckham as teenagers net worth continues to soar
Clint Eastwood's 'final film' dealt massive blow ahead of release 'What a dumpster fire'
BREAKING: Yellow weather warnings blanket UK as powerful winds trigger 'danger to life' alert
Boozers beware: Maharashtra orders sophisticated surveillance of 'watering holes'
GMDA to install smart traffic signals at 32 junctions in Gurugram
Indian airlines receive 10 bomb threats in 48 hours, all hoaxes
Amanda Staveley Tottenham takeover truth explained as investment turbocharges Daniel Levy plan
Sunny Deol finds tranquility in the mountains, shares the breathtaking view
IMD issues 'orange alert' in two districts in Kerala
Latest OTT Releases This Weekend: What To Watch On Netflix, Jio Cinema, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar
'My high-protein Aldi food shop helped me lose 20lbs – here's what I bought'
Chennai Couple Earns Rs 1.5 Lakh Per Month, Still Dreams of Buying a House; Internet Calls It a 'Sad Reality
First picture of Brit, 26, who plunged to his death after climbing highest bridge in Spain
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Highlights Importance of BRI at SCO Meeting in Islamabad
Court grants two days custody of Deepak Boxer to Delhi police
Nayab Singh Saini retained as Haryana CM
PMQs LIVE: Keir Starmer faces grilling from Rishi Sunak as Labour rows rage
"We are here to serve people...": Omar Abdullah asks police to minimise inconvenience during his road movements