In Brief
Five accused were convicted by the trial court for murder, kidnapping, and criminal intimidation based on circumstantial evidence including last seen together, alleged extra-judicial confessions, and recovery of weapons and personal belongings. The High Court upheld the conviction. On appeal, the Supreme Court found that the so-called confessions were not genuine, the disclosure statements were suspiciously identical, the recovered weapons could not be linked to injuries on the deceased, and the personal belongings were unidentified. The Court held that recovery of articles alone cannot establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court acquitted three of the remaining appellants, setting aside the conviction and sentencing them for immediate release.
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