In Brief
A police officer posted on bandobust duty was convicted under Sections 217 and 212 IPC for allegedly failing to prevent a crime despite being present at the scene. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and acquitted the officer. The Court held that an order of acquittal cannot be overturned unless the judgment is perverse or shows erroneous appreciation of evidence. The prosecution failed to prove that the officer disobeyed any lawful direction from his superior or acted with intent to save the accused. Evidence showed the officer responded promptly and used force against agitators, negating allegations of culpable omission.
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