Madurai Bench of Madras High Court ne Monday ko Dindigul ke 10 saal purane double murder case mein 4 aadmiyon ki life imprisonment khatam kar di, kyunki police ki investigation mein bohat bade flaws the aur crucial witnesses ko examine hi nahi kiya gaya tha. Bench mein Justices N. Anand Venkatesh aur K.K. Ramakrishnan the. Unhone Muthukumar, Selvaraj, Selvapandi, aur Thoongan alias Urathevar ko toh bari se chhuda hi, saath hi police ki investigation ka tareeka bhi kaafi beizzati se judge kiya.
Ye case Dindigul district mein Kannan aur Periyasamy ki hatyakand se shuru hua tha, jo family dispute ki wajah se hua tha. 2020 mein Dindigul ke Additional District aur Sessions Court ne in charon ko dozi lagayi thi aur life imprisonment di thi. Lekin convicts ne High Court mein appeal kiya, kahe ki prosecution ka case hi flawed hai aur investigation ke dauran key witnesses ko ignore kar diya gaya.
High Court Bench ne appeal sunte waqt dekha ki Section 161(3) of Cr.P.C. ke tahat crucial witnesses ke statements record karne chahiye the, lekin investigating officer ne unko examine hi nahi kiya. Cross-examination ke dauran officer yeh justify nahi kar paya ki aisa kyun hua. Court ne dekha ki eyewitnesses ke conflicting statements aur unke witnesses ko examine na karne se investigation ki integrity par sawal uthe.
Bench ne apne order mein kaha, "Eyewitnesses ke conflicting versions aur crucial witnesses ko examine na karne ki wajah se court ko adverse inference lena padega." Court ne yeh bhi kaha ki witnesses ko examine na karne ki wajah se sach chhupane ki koshish ho sakti hai, jo prosecution ka case hi kamjor kar deti. Court ne emphasize kiya ki prosecution ka case prove na kar paana investigating officer ki negligence aur bizarre conduct ki wajah se hai.
Court ne investigation ki quality par dukh jataate hue state government ko order diya ki investigating officer ke khilaf departmental action liya jaye relevant service rules ke tahat. Court ne yeh action "jitna jaldi ho sake" complete karne ko kaha, lekin officer ko apna defense rakhne ka mauka bhi dena hai.
Ye judgment judiciary ke police investigations par growing scrutiny ko dikhata hai, aur yeh principle reinforce karta hai ki flawed ya manipulated processes se justice nahi mil sakti. Saath hi, yeh judiciary ki role ko bhi highlight karta hai accused ke rights ko safeguard karne ka, taaki investigation ki overreach ya incompetence se unke rights protect rahein.
Ye 4 aadmi 6 saal jail mein rehne ke baad chhute hain, jab original conviction hui thi. Unki release isliye hui kyunki justice investigation ki lapses ki wajah se galat ho gaya tha, na ki evidence ki kami ki wajah se.
