The Supreme Court has acquitted an Odisha man who spent 22 years in prison after being convicted in a triple murder case. The court also directed authorities to help him with rehabilitation and resettlement after finding serious doubts in the prosecution’s case.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran allowed the appeal filed by Arjun Jani alias Tuntun, stating that his conviction was based mainly on an unreliable eyewitness account. The court observed that the evidence presented during the trial contained major inconsistencies and investigation flaws.
The Supreme Court criticised the earlier dismissal of his appeal due to a delay in filing and said courts should take a sensitive approach, especially when the accused comes from a disadvantaged background, and the matter involves personal liberty.
The judgment highlighted several issues, including the lack of proper investigation, absence of forensic support for alleged evidence recovery, and contradictions in witness statements. The court said the evidence was not strong enough to uphold the conviction.
While acknowledging the loss of three lives in the case, the Supreme Court noted that the legal process had resulted in 22 years of imprisonment without reliable proof. It directed the District Legal Services Authority, Koraput, to assist in his rehabilitation with support from local administration.