In Brief
A nine-year-old boy was kidnapped in 1996, and his parents paid ransom for his release. The trial court convicted multiple accused persons for kidnapping under Section 364-A IPC. On appeal, the High Court acquitted seven of the accused but upheld the conviction of two (Vinod and Sohan). The State appealed the acquittals to the Supreme Court. The Court held that the High Court's acquittal was justified: only evidence showed that three accused directly took the victim on a motorcycle; the others were merely found playing cards nearby, with no evidence of their participation in the kidnapping or conspiracy. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the prosecution had not proven guilt beyond reasonable doubt against the acquitted persons.
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