Delhi court acquits two men in 2016 murder case, says suspicion cannot replace proof

A Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of murdering their co-worker in 2016, citing the lack of reliable evidence to establish their guilt. Additional Sessions Judge Harvinder Singh heard the case against the pair, who were suspected of stabbing Shahnawaj near Mandoli Jail 10 years ago. The prosecution claimed that Azeem and Nadeem had conspired to kill Shahnawaj after a dispute over a woman.

However, the court found the key witness, the ambulance official, unreliable as he did not report the alleged dying declaration to doctors, the constable, or the deceased's family. Instead, he recorded the statement nearly a month later and only after pressure from police. There were no eyewitnesses to the incident, the murder weapon was never found, and the forensic examination failed to link the accused to the death.

Additionally, the motive was weak as the woman at the center of the dispute did not support the prosecution's version. The court emphasized that strong suspicion, even if convincing to the prosecution, cannot replace jural conviction based on reliable evidence. Consequently, both accused were acquitted, given the benefit of doubt due to the insufficiency of the evidence presented.