Ramkirat Munilal Goud vs. State of Maharashtra (CRIMINAL APPEAL)
The Supreme Court has acquitted a man who was on death row for over six years for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl, calling the police investigation "shabby and perfunctory." The Court found that the entire case against the man was built on weak and unreliable circumstantial evidence, including inconsistent witness statements and a doubtful confession. It criticized the police for "creating" witnesses to solve the case and the lower courts for their "overzealous" approach in convicting him. The man, who has already spent 12 years in jail, was ordered to be released immediately.