The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the conviction of Chandrabhan Sudam Sanap, a man previously sentenced to death for the murder of a 23-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, highlighting significant deficiencies in the prosecution’s case.
A three-judge bench consisting of Justices B R Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and K V Viswanathan found substantial gaps in the evidence presented against Sanap, determining it “extremely unsafe” to uphold his conviction. This decision reverses earlier rulings by the Bombay High Court and a special court, both of which had confirmed the death penalty, citing no potential for reform.
The case dates back to January 5, 2014, when the victim, a young software engineer from Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, returned to Mumbai from a Christmas break. She was last seen alive at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. After her disappearance, her burnt and decomposed body was discovered in bushes near the Eastern Express Highway in Kanjurmarg, Mumbai, on January 14, following a 10-day intensive search.
Sanap was arrested by the Mumbai police crime branch and charged with rape and murder. However, the Supreme Court’s review found that the evidence used to convict him did not conclusively establish his guilt. The justices noted, “All the facts cumulatively constrain us to conclude that there are gaping holes in the prosecution story leading to the irresistible conclusion that there is something more than what meets the eye in this case.”
The court highlighted the prosecution’s failure to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt, ultimately acquitting Sanap of all charges. This ruling underscores ongoing concerns about the integrity of evidence and the standards of proof required in capital punishment cases.
