On 11 November 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted Surendra Koli, who had previously been convicted in multiple cases arising from the 2005–06 Nithari killings in Noida, which involved the rape and murder of several children.
Between 2010 and 2025, the Indian judiciary delivered a series of landmark acquittals that exposed profound flaws in the country’s investigative and prosecutorial systems. From terror attacks to serial killings, these verdicts overturned convictions, often after decades of imprisonment citing coerced confessions, fabricated evidence, and shoddy police work.
This report details 20 major cases where the pursuit of justice was compromised, highlighting a systemic crisis where the innocent were punished while the real culprits may have escaped.
#1 Nithari Killings Acquittal (2025)
On 11 November 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted Surendra Koli in the final pending case related to the 2005–06 Nithari killings in Noida. The three-judge bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath allowed Koli’s curative petition, setting aside his conviction for the rape and murder of a teenage girl. The Court held that the evidence used in this case was identical to that in 12 earlier Nithari cases where Koli had already been acquitted. His confession was deemed coerced, the recoveries unreliable, and no independent evidence remained to justify sustaining the conviction.
#2 Rampur CRPF Camp Attack (2025)
On October 30, 2025, the Allahabad High Court acquitted five men earlier convicted in the 2007–08 Rampur CRPF camp terror attack, citing major investigative lapses and failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The 1 January 2008 attack involved terrorists opening fire with AK-47 rifles and grenades, killing seven CRPF personnel and one civilian. A Rampur trial court had previously sentenced the accused to 10 years under the Arms Act for possession of AK-47 rifles. The High Court bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra overturned the convictions, ruling that the evidence was insufficient to sustain them.
#3 Jagtar Singh Tara UAPA Case (2025)
On 29 October 2025, a Jalandhar Sessions Court acquitted Jagtar Singh Tara in a 16-year-old case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. The case, heard by Judge Rajeev K. Beri, alleged Tara’s association with Babbar Khalsa International and involvement in a terror conspiracy. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove he was a member of the organisation or that it operated as a terrorist group in this context. It also found no evidence of conspiracy, fund trail or recovery of incriminating material from Tara, leading to his complete acquittal.
#4 25-Year Orissa Murder Case (2025)
On 10 October 2025, the Orissa High Court acquitted Lokanath Behera in the 2000 Kendrapara murder case, overturning a life sentence that had stood for nearly 25 years. A bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra and Justice Murahari Sri Raman reviewed the earlier conviction, which was based solely on circumstantial evidence linking Behera to the killing of Narayan Behera. The Court found major inconsistencies in the prosecution’s narrative and ruled that the evidence failed to meet the standard required for sustaining a conviction. With no direct proof and significant gaps in the case, the High Court set aside the verdict and acquitted him.
#5 Chennai Girl Rape-Murder (2025)
On 9 October 2025, the Supreme Court of India acquitted S. Dashwanth, who had been on death row for the 2017 rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Chennai. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta overturned the death sentence imposed by the trial court and later upheld by the Madras High Court. The Court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It noted serious flaws in the investigation, including reliance on fabricated CCTV footage and weak forensic evidence. With the prosecution’s case deemed unreliable, the Supreme Court set aside the conviction and acquitted Dashwanth.
#6 Mahe Double Murder (2025)
On 9 October 2025, the Thalassery Additional Sessions Court acquitted all 16 CPI(M) workers accused in the 2010 Mahe double murder case. Judge Ruby K. Jose delivered the verdict in the case involving the killing of RSS workers Vijith (28) and Shinoj (30), who were attacked with a bomb and then hacked to death on the Kallai–Peringadi Road in New Mahe on May 28, 2010. The court held that the prosecution failed to prove the charges despite examining 44 witnesses and presenting 63 exhibits and 140 documents. Two of the accused had died during the prolonged trial.
#7 Chhattisgarh Double Murder (2025)
On 7 August 2025, the Chhattisgarh High Court acquitted a 25-year-old man convicted of murdering his father and grandmother in April 2021. A Dhamtari Sessions Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment in February 2024 under IPC Sections 302 and 323. A bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru set aside the conviction, ruling that the accused was legally insane at the time of the offence. Citing Section 84 IPC (now Section 22 BNS), the court held that he could not comprehend the nature or wrongfulness of his actions and that the prosecution failed to investigate his mental condition adequately.
#8 2006 Mumbai Train Blasts (2025)
On 21 July 2025, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 men convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, which killed 189 people and injured over 800. A Special MCOCA Court had earlier sentenced five of them to death and seven to life imprisonment in 2015. A division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak ruled that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove its case. The court found serious flaws in the Maharashtra ATS investigation, citing unreliable witness testimonies, unverified confessions, and no credible evidence linking the accused to the planting or execution of the bombs.
#9 Kapurthala Family Murder (2025)
On 16 July 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted Baljinder Kumar, who had spent over 11 years on death row for the 2013 murders of his wife, two toddlers and sister-in-law in Kapurthala, Punjab. A trial court and the Punjab & Haryana High Court had both sentenced him to death over the alleged ₹35,000 dispute. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta set aside the conviction, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court cited major contradictions in witness statements, serious investigative lapses and insufficient evidence, declaring the accused “not guilty.”
#10 43-Year-Old Murder Case (2025)
On 10 June 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted two men convicted in a 43-year-old murder case from Uttar Pradesh. The case dated back to 1981, when a man was shot dead and the accused were charged under IPC Sections 302 and 307. A trial court had sentenced both to life imprisonment. A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih set aside the convictions, ruling that the prosecution’s case suffered from serious investigative lapses and suppression of key evidence. Finding the trial unsafe to sustain and the proof insufficient, the Court acquitted both men after more than four decades.
#11 Karnataka Murder Case Reversal (2025)
On 9 May 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted six men in a 14-year-old Karnataka murder case, overturning a High Court order that had earlier convicted them for the 2011 killing. The trial court had originally acquitted the accused due to lack of evidence, but the Karnataka High Court reversed the verdict and imposed convictions under Sections 302 and 120-B IPC. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran ruled that the prosecution failed to prove motive or conspiracy. Of the 87 witnesses examined, 71 turned hostile, including key eyewitnesses, prompting the Court to reinstate the original acquittal.
#12 36-Year-Old Murder Case (2025)
On 1 March 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted the accused in a 36-year-old Rajasthan murder case, setting aside a conviction that had been upheld by the High Court since 2003. The case, dating back to the late 1980s, had resulted in a trial court conviction that the Rajasthan High Court affirmed. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Ujjal Bhuyan overturned the verdict, holding that the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court found that the evidence on record was neither credible nor legally sufficient to link the accused to the crime and therefore ordered their acquittal.
#13 2009 Rape-Murder Case (2025)
On 8 April 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted a man in the 2009 rape-murder case of a 10-year-old Dalit girl, ruling that his earlier convictions were unsustainable. The tubewell operator had been sentenced to death by a trial court in 2012, a punishment later reduced to life imprisonment by the Allahabad High Court in 2022. A bench of Justices A.S. Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and A.G. Masih found that the accused had not been provided proper legal assistance during trial, violating his right to a fair defence. Citing this fundamental lapse, the Court set aside all previous convictions and acquitted him.
#14 1985 Bihar Murder Case (2024)
On 25 September 2024, the Supreme Court acquitted seven people accused in a 1985 abduction and murder case from Simaltalla, Bihar. The case involved the kidnapping and killing of a woman named Neelam, allegedly linked to a property dispute. A trial court convicted the accused in 1992, and the Patna High Court upheld the verdict in 2015. A bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma set aside both judgments, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court held that the circumstantial evidence was weak and unreliable, restoring full acquittal to all seven.
#15 RTI Activist Murder (2022)
On 11 November 2022, the Karnataka High Court acquitted all 12 people convicted in the 2012 murder of RTI activist and Maha Prachanda editor Lingaraju, who was attacked by armed assailants on November 20, 2012. A trial court had found the accused guilty in October 2020 and sentenced them to life imprisonment. However, a division bench of Justices K. Somashekar and T.G. Shivashankare Gowda set aside the convictions, ruling that the prosecution failed to present corroborative evidence. The Court noted inconsistencies in witness testimonies and held that the evidence on record was insufficient to uphold the life sentences.
#16 Chhawla Rape-Murder Case (2022)
On 7 November 2022, the Supreme Court of India acquitted all three men convicted in the 2012 Chhawla rape-murder case. The 19-year-old victim had been abducted from Delhi’s Chhawla area, gang-raped and brutally murdered, with her body later found in Rewari, Haryana. A trial court had awarded the death penalty in 2014, calling it a “rarest of rare” case, and the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction. A bench of Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi overturned the verdicts, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, warranting full acquittal.
#17 1993 Surat Bomb Blasts (2014)
On 18 July 2014, the Supreme Court of India acquitted all 11 men convicted in the 1993 Surat bomb blast cases. The blasts—one on January 21 that killed a young girl and injured 11 people, and another the next day at Surat railway station injuring around 38—had led a TADA court to sentence five accused, including former Congress minister Mohammad Surti, to 20 years in prison, with the others receiving 10-year terms. Justice T.S. Thakur set aside all convictions, ruling that the prosecution’s case suffered from major procedural lapses and lacked sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
#18 Akshardham Temple Attack (2014)
On 16 May 2014, the Supreme Court acquitted all six men convicted in the 2002 Akshardham Temple terror attack in Gandhinagar, which killed 32 people. A POTA court had earlier sentenced three of them to death and the others to life imprisonment. A bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and V. Gopala Gowda overturned the convictions, sharply criticising the Gujarat Police for a deeply flawed investigation. The Court held that instead of identifying the real perpetrators, investigators had arrested innocent individuals and built a case on unreliable evidence. All six were ordered to be released unless required in any other matter.
#19 Laxmanpur-Bathe Massacre (2013)
On 9 October 2013, the Patna High Court acquitted all 26 men convicted in the 1997 Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre, in which 58 Dalits — including 27 women and 10 children — were brutally killed by members of the Ranvir Sena in Jehanabad district. A trial court in 2010 had sentenced 16 of the accused to death and 10 to life imprisonment. However, a bench of Justices V.N. Sinha and A.K. Lal set aside all convictions, ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide credible evidence to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
#20 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Co-accused (2010)
On 3 May 2010, a special Mumbai court acquitted Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Shaikh—two Indians accused of assisting the 26/11 Mumbai attackers by surveying targets and supplying maps to Pakistan-based handlers. Judge M.L. Tahaliyani ruled that the prosecution had failed to produce credible or reliable evidence linking them to the conspiracy. The court criticised the investigative claims as weak and unsubstantiated, noting inconsistencies and lack of proof. While Ajmal Kasab was convicted, all charges against Ansari and Shaikh were dismissed, marking a significant setback for the prosecution’s case against the alleged Indian links to the 2008 terror attacks.
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