In Brief
A man accused of kidnapping and raping a minor girl was acquitted by a trial court due to insufficient evidence, not a finding of innocence. When he applied to join the police force, the screening committee rejected him based on his criminal history. The High Court initially upheld the rejection but later reversed it, directing his candidature be reconsidered. The Supreme Court allowed the State's appeal, holding that an acquittal based on benefit of doubt is fundamentally different from an honourable acquittal. The Court ruled that police departments have wide discretion to reject candidates with serious criminal antecedents, even if acquitted, as recruitment to disciplined forces requires candidates of impeccable character and integrity.
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