Supreme Court Overturns Life Sentences for Three Uttarakhand Policemen in 2004 Murder Case

The Supreme Court quashed a 2012 Uttarakhand High Court verdict that had sentenced three policemen to life imprisonment for the alleged murder of a woman in 2004. The bench ruled that there was no evidence of a common intention to commit the crime, overturning the earlier conviction.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday overruled a decision by the Uttarakhand High Court, which had sentenced three policemen to life imprisonment for allegedly murdering a woman during a 2004 incident. The apex court found the prosecution had failed to demonstrate a common intention to commit the crime.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih reviewed the appeals challenging the High Court's 2012 judgment. The original trial court had acquitted the policemen, Surendra Singh, Surat Singh, and Ashad Singh Negi, citing a lack of evidence for charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Despite the High Court's decision to overturn the trial court's acquittal due to the policemen being present at the crime scene, the Supreme Court emphasized the absence of proof of shared intent. Meanwhile, Jagdish Singh, the officer convicted initially, had sought an appeal in the Supreme Court, which was dismissed posthumously as he died during the process.

(With inputs from agencies.)