Gujarat HC overturns death sentence in 2017 rape, murder case
The Gujarat High Court has overturned the death sentence of a man convicted for the rape and murder of his 14-year-old pregnant daughter in Surat back in 2017.
The girl's body was found on Dumas beach, and her father was arrested based on circumstantial evidence, and DNA evidence was later used as the main basis for his conviction.
He was sentenced to death in January 2020.
Why did the court let him go?
On appeal, the High Court said there just wasn't enough solid evidence.
Key witnesses like the accused's wife and brother weren't called, and problems with how DNA samples were handled made things even murkier—like a 13-day delay before testing and missing proper storage.
The judges stressed that without reliable proof or all voices heard, a conviction can't stand.
The man will be released unless held for something else.