Rajasthan High Court Acquits Murder Accused, 'Last Seen' Theory Alone Not Enough for Conviction

The Rajasthan High Court set aside the murder conviction and death sentence previously imposed under the “last-seen” theory, finding insufficient evidence to sustain the charge.

Justice Akil Kureshi noted that merely placing someone near the crime scene, without a clear motive or supporting evidence, does not meet the standard required under Section 106 of the Indian Evidence Act to establish guilt.

The Court observed that the prosecution failed to eliminate all other reasonable possibilities.

Granting the benefit of the doubt, the bench acquitted the accused, reinforcing that the burden of proof in criminal cases must be met beyond a reasonable doubt. (State of Rajasthan v Sharafat & Anr.)