In Brief
In this criminal appeal, four men were convicted of kidnapping a schoolboy for ransom and extortion. The Supreme Court quashed their convictions, finding the prosecution case entirely fabricated. The Court identified fatal flaws: the FIR was registered on unverified secret information rather than the initial report; the family inexplicably delayed reporting for 13 days after the boy's safe return; the boy identified one accused beforehand but police were not told until later; the other accused were identified for the first time in court; recovered ransom money was never properly deposited or accounted for; and the trial court failed to examine the most important witness. The judgment emphasizes the prosecution must prove guilt beyond doubt and cannot disregard procedural safeguards for handling evidence.
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