34 yrs later, HC acquits 3 rape convicts citing lapses in probe

THE PROSECUTION HAD FAILED TO ESTABLISH THE IDENTITY OF THE CONVICTS BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT

- Dinesh Bothra

JODHPUR: The Rajasthan high court has instructed the state authorities to issue guidelines to all the police investigating officers to conduct the test identification parade (TIP) in cases where the accused was not known to the victim, in a significant directive that saw the court setting aside the conviction of three men in a 34-year-old rape case.

A single bench of justice Anoop Kumar Dhand was an appeal by the convicts — Madan Meena, Sheoji Meena and Prahlad Meena, all residents of Jaipur — who challenged their conviction by a sessions court in 1991 in a rape case. The high court upheld the appeal, observing that the prosecution had failed to establish the identity of the convicts beyond reasonable doubt.