Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 6: The Supreme Court has acquitted an Odisha man who spent 22 years in prison after being wrongly convicted in a 2004 triple murder case, describing his prolonged incarceration as a "collective failure" of the country's criminal justice system.

A three-judge Bench set aside the conviction of Arjun Jani, who had been found guilty in the murder of three women in Odisha's Nabarangpur district. The court observed that he had been deprived of his liberty for over two decades despite the absence of credible evidence establishing his guilt.

Expressing concern over the miscarriage of justice, the Bench said the loss of 22 years of an individual's freedom without sufficient proof reflected serious shortcomings in the criminal justice system.

The case dates back to 2004, when three women were murdered in Nabarangpur district. Jani was arrested after an alleged eyewitness claimed to have seen him at the crime scene.

The Supreme Court noted that the police had arrested Jani primarily on suspicion and allegedly subjected him to third-degree methods during interrogation to extract a confession. The purported confession later formed a crucial part of the prosecution's case and ultimately led to his conviction.

After re-examining the evidence and the manner in which the investigation had been conducted, the apex court held that the prosecution had failed to prove Jani's guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It ruled that the conviction could not be sustained in the absence of reliable and legally admissible evidence.

Acquitting Jani of all charges, the Supreme Court also highlighted serious lapses in the investigation and the criminal justice process that resulted in his wrongful imprisonment for more than two decades.