Dealing a major blow to the criminal prosecution system...

Dealing a major blow to the criminal prosecution system and granting extreme relief to a man who was sentenced to death for murdering four members of a family in 1996, the Supreme Court acquitted the accused holding that no independent witness was examined by the police and the prosecution case did not inspire confidence.
Ravi Virmani had been sentenced to death for the murder by the sessions court at Faridabad in Haryana. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later reduced the death sentence to a life term.
In its 39-page verdict, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice U C Banerjee and Justice K G Balakrishnan held: "Both the sessions court and the high court have failed to appreciate evidence in its correct prospective and have thus committed a manifest error in coming to a finding" that Ravi committed the murders.
Ravi had been found guilty of using a hacksaw to murder four people unknown to him in their own house, but leaving a child unharmed. Deepak Kumar, whose family were the victims, and his brother Sanjay were the only witnesses to the prosecution case.