Supreme Court Acquits Man Held 23 Years for 1996 Rajasthan Blast
The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted a man accused in the 1996 Rajasthan bomb blast case, ruling that there was no evidence against him despite his having spent 23 years in prison. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta directed his immediate release.
The court found the prosecution case 'to be woefully wanting and lacking in merit.' It noted that the trial court and the Rajasthan High Court had wrongly convicted the man, identified as Pappu alias Salim, primarily based on confessional statements that 'themselves suffer from serious infirmities.' The police failed to place any independent or reliable material against him, the bench observed.
In the same case, the main accused, Dr Abdul Hameed, had been awarded a death sentence. The Supreme Court quashed his conviction because he had not been provided proper legal aid to defend himself, and ordered a fresh trial against him. Hameed has been in jail for the last 29 years.
Salim, who was given a life sentence, was released on parole after completing 23 years in jail, pending the final appeal. The Supreme Court's acquittal on merit brings an end to his prolonged legal ordeal.
