SC Orders Haryana to Pay ₹5 Lakh Each to 3 Men Wrongly Convicted of Murder

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Haryana government to pay ₹5 lakh each in compensation to three men who were wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, holding the public prosecutor responsible for the miscarriage of justice and highlighting systemic flaws in the appointment of prosecutors based "solely on political considerations" rather than merit.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan overturned the Punjab and Haryana High Court's August 2024 decision, observing that the public prosecutor in the case failed in his duty to assist the court appropriately.

Instead of pointing out the clear legal bar on reversing an acquittal through a revision petition, the prosecutor sought the death penalty for the accused despite the state not having appealed against their acquittal.

While the high court ultimately rejected the plea for the death penalty, the Supreme Court expressed its anguish over failures of legal assistance that contributed to severe judicial errors.

The case revolved around a revision petition filed by the father of the deceased in a 1998 murder case, which led to the high court overturning the trial court's acquittal of the accused. However, the Supreme Court was "shocked" that the high court reversed the acquittal into a conviction, which is legally impermissible under the court's revisional jurisdiction.