In Brief
Two deceased were fatally assaulted by alleged assailants in an incident on a national highway on 22 November 2005. The Trial Court convicted twelve accused of conspiracy and murder based on eye-witness accounts and recovery of weapons. The High Court acquitted all accused, finding material inconsistencies in eye-witness statements, inability of witnesses to identify the accused, hostile recovery witnesses, and insufficient evidence of conspiracy. The Supreme Court upheld the acquittal, holding that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt on all pivotal aspects: eye-witness credibility was compromised by unnatural silence and statement alterations, weapon recovery was not properly established, and conspiracy evidence lacked cogency and specificity.
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