Sat Feb 01 07:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty in 2013 Rape and Murder Case, Leaving Family Devastated

**Mumbai, India** – The Supreme Court of India has overturned the death sentence of Chandrabhan Sanap, convicted in the 2013 rape and murder of Esther Anuhya, a 23-year-old software engineer. The decision has left Anuhya’s elderly father, S Jonathan Prasad, heartbroken and without the strength to pursue further legal action.

Anuhya, who worked for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was found murdered in Mumbai after returning from a holiday in her hometown. Sanap was arrested based on CCTV footage and circumstantial evidence, eventually convicted in 2015 and sentenced to death. The Bombay High Court upheld the sentence.

However, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction. The court cited “gaping holes” in the prosecution’s case, stating that the circumstantial evidence did not definitively prove Sanap’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Prasad, now in his 70s and facing health challenges within his family, expressed his devastation at the ruling. He stated he is unable to pursue a review petition, leaving him with little recourse after a decade of fighting for justice for his daughter. The death penalty, he said, had provided a measure of closure, and its overturn has reopened old wounds. He now leaves the matter to God, acknowledging the irreversible loss of his daughter. The case highlights the complexities of circumstantial evidence in criminal proceedings and the profound impact on victims’ families when convictions are overturned.

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