On Monday, 7 September 2026, the Supreme Court of India set aside the life imprisonment of a man previously convicted of raping a five‑year‑old girl in Ajmer district, Rajasthan. The bench comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and Manmohan delivered the verdict, declaring the earlier findings untenable and ordering the accused’s release after more than nine years in custody.
The apex court stressed that a criminal trial is not a mere contest between prosecution and defence; its core duty is to uncover truth based on admissible, reliable evidence. It observed that both the trial court and the Rajasthan High Court had erred in upholding the conviction, noting serious gaps in the identification of the accused and contradictions between medical reports on the injuries and the timeline recorded in the FIR.
The incident dates back to December 7, 2016, when the father lodged an FIR at Kekri police station, Ajmer, reporting that his wife and two children – a son aged about 11 and a daughter aged about five – had gone to a relative’s house for a programme. After a phone call with his wife raised concerns about the missing daughter, the father returned to the village, searched for her and eventually received the child from two neighbours. The mother observed injuries on the girl, who then told her parents she had been sexually assaulted. Police arrested the accused on February 5, 2017.
During the hearing, counsel for the accused argued that the case was fabricated at the behest of a local MLA with whom the man allegedly had a personal enmity. The Supreme Court, however, found the prosecution’s evidence insufficient to sustain a conviction, emphasizing the court’s proactive role in ensuring that material evidence is properly brought on record.
Following the judgment, the man, who had been serving a natural‑life term, was released. The decision underscores the judiciary’s responsibility to scrutinise evidence rigorously, especially in cases involving severe allegations against minors.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf