Supreme Court overturns 22-year wrongful murder conviction in India

A man convicted of a triple murder was acquitted by India's Supreme Court after spending 22 years behind bars. The court found that the trial court had not properly evaluated the evidence, which relied on an unreliable eyewitness and a confession obtained through coercion. The Odisha High Court had declined to hear the appeal, citing a delay of 3,157 days in filing, which extended the inmate's detention by another decade.

Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran criticized the high court for remaining a passive observer and urged courts to adopt a proactive stance in condoning delays for indigent litigants. The ruling highlighted systemic barriers that prevent poor defendants from obtaining fair trials. The decision underscores the need for reforms to ensure timely and equitable access to justice.