Orissa HC acquits murder convict who spent 14 years in jail citing ‘lack of evidence’

The Orissa High Court acquitted Madan Kanhar, a 42-year-old murder convict, after he spent 14 years in jail, citing insufficient proof linking him to the crime. A two-judge bench of Justices Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Chittaranjan Dash overturned his 2008 life sentence on Friday declaring the prosecution’s case ‘unproven beyond reasonable doubt.’

Case Background: A 2005 Murder Mystery

In April 2005, a 20-year-old woman from Titrapanga village in Phulbani district was found dead in a jungle with head injuries after she went missing while collecting firewood. Madan Kanhar, then 25 and a fellow villager, was arrested a day later, as the victim had reportedly quarrelled with him days before her death. A sessions court convicted him in 2008 based on circumstantial evidence.

Kanhar appealed the verdict the same year but remained jailed until the HC granted him bail in 2019, working as an agricultural labourer since his release.

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Court’s Verdict: Gaps in Evidence Chain

The HC highlighted critical flaws in the case, including unreliable witnesses as the eyewitness’s testimony lacked credibility and consistency. Though the postmortem confirmed murder, it failed to tie Kanhar to the crime. Finally, there was no direct proof needed to conclusively prove guilt.

The bench emphasized that convictions cannot rely on ‘mere suspicion’ and stressed that ‘proof beyond reasonable doubt’ is non-negotiable. “The benefit of the doubt must go to the accused when evidence is weak,” the court stated.

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Kanhar’s lawyer, Jambeswar Pati, confirmed his client’s acquittal and said that the court cancelled his bail bonds, formally closing the 19-year legal battle.