Sat Feb 01 12:30:00 IST 2025: ## Death Row Inmate Acquitted by Supreme Court Due to Flawed Investigation

**NEW DELHI** – In a stunning reversal, the Supreme Court of India acquitted Chandrabhan Sanap, 40, who had been on death row since 2015 for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old software engineer. The court overturned both the trial court’s and Bombay High Court’s death penalty sentences, citing “gaping holes” in the police investigation.

Sanap was convicted based on evidence including CCTV footage, witness testimonies, and recovered items. However, the Supreme Court found significant flaws in this evidence. The CCTV footage, crucial to the lower courts’ convictions, lacked the necessary authentication certificate under Section 65-B of the Indian Evidence Act. Furthermore, the court deemed the test identification parade invalid due to widespread media coverage of Sanap’s image.

The testimonies of key witnesses – a pay-and-park attendant and a pre-paid taxi supervisor – were discredited due to a two-month delay in their statements and inconsistencies in their accounts. The court also dismissed the testimony of a dog walker and deemed an extra-judicial confession unreliable. The recovery of the victim’s belongings, including her trolley bag and identity card, was also deemed insufficient and unconvincing due to inconsistencies in witness accounts and the improbability of the accused’s actions.

The Supreme Court’s medical analysis also cast doubt on the timeline of events, determining that significant time had elapsed between when Sanap was last seen with the victim and her death. This contradicted the prosecution’s argument.

The January 2014 murder of the software engineer had sparked widespread outrage in Mumbai concerning women’s safety. The Supreme Court’s decision, announced on January 28th, marks a significant development in the case and raises serious questions about the investigative process. The ruling highlights the importance of robust evidence and rigorous investigation in capital cases. The unrelated information about Tahawwur Rana’s extradition has been omitted as it’s irrelevant to the main story.

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