Supreme Court Acquits Man in 2004 Ballia Murder Case, Cites Lack of Concrete Evidence

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In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Monday acquitted Anjani Singh, who was convicted of murder in a 2004 Ballia case. A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Manoj Mishra and Joymalya Bagchi, set aside the Allahabad High Court's order and the trial court's conviction, citing the lack of concrete evidence against Singh. The case dates back to October 20, 2004, when Singh and his brother allegedly opened fire on a crowd of around 100 people during Durga Puja celebrations, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to several others, including a key prosecution witness. However, the bench found that the testimony of the key witness was not reliable, and other injured witnesses failed to identify Singh. The court also raised questions about the circumstances of the incident, stating that it was unlikely for a person with a single-shot country-made pistol to escape unharmed from an enraged crowd of over 100 people. Moreover, the pistol was not found during the investigation. The bench noted that Singh had no motive to kill the deceased and that all eyewitnesses, except the key prosecution witness, had consistently testified that there was no light at the time of the incident, which raised doubts about the prosecution's account. In its verdict, the Supreme Court underlined that the case was a fit instance where the benefit of the doubt should have been extended to Singh by the lower courts. As a result, the court acquitted Singh of all charges, bringing an end to his nearly two-decade-long ordeal.