In Brief
Three naval officers were convicted by Court Martial for a 1998 bank robbery at INS Virbahu where Rs. 2,54,371 was stolen. The Armed Forces Tribunal disbelieved the eye-witness identification of two officers and convicted them based on fingerprint evidence; it acquitted the third officer by benefit of doubt. The Supreme Court upheld the convictions of the first two officers based on credible eye-witness identification by the bank manager and cashier, rejecting the tribunal's reasoning that faces could not have been observed despite the culprits' helmets and visors. The Court held acquittal by benefit of doubt does not entitle the third officer to reinstatement, affirming that criminal acquittal does not automatically grant service reinstatement rights. All appeals were dismissed."
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