RANCHI: In a significant ruling in a 30-year-old witchcraft-related murder case, the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday acquitted the accused, setting aside the life sentence imposed by a lower court. A Division Bench of Justice S.N. Prasad and Justice P.K. Srivastava quashed the conviction of Mansu Manjhi alias Mansa Manjhi.
Mansu Manjhi had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Bokaro trial court in 2000 for the murder of Chandmani Manjhian in 1996.
The High Court held that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt, citing unreliable eyewitness testimony and significant inconsistencies in the evidence.
According to the prosecution, Chandmani Manjhian was hacked to death in September 1996 after the accused allegedly branded her a "witch". The FIR stated that Mansu Manjhi attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon while another accused assisted him. The co-accused, however, had already been acquitted by the trial court.
The High Court observed that the prosecution's case primarily relied on the testimony of the deceased's son, who claimed to be the sole eyewitness. However, the Bench found material contradictions between his account and that of his wife regarding how they reached the scene and whether he had actually witnessed the assault. It also noted inconsistencies concerning the weapon allegedly used in the crime.
The judges further pointed out that several prosecution witnesses had turned hostile and that the investigating officer was not examined during the trial, weakening the prosecution's case and leaving the place of occurrence unsubstantiated.
Holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the appellant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court extended the benefit of doubt to him and quashed both the conviction and the life sentence.
"Hence, this Court is of the view that the prosecution has failed to prove the charge under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code against the appellant, namely Mansu Manjhi @ Mansa Manjhi, beyond all reasonable doubt and, as such, the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence require interference by this Court. Accordingly, the impugned judgment of conviction dated 20.12.1999 and the order of sentence dated 05.01.2000 passed by the learned 1st Additional Sessions Judge, Bokaro, in Sessions Trial No. 90 of 1998, are hereby quashed and set aside," the court order stated.
The Bench also reiterated the settled legal principle that while a conviction can be based on the testimony of a solitary eyewitness, such evidence must be wholly reliable and inspire confidence. Since the evidence in the present case did not meet that standard, the appeal was allowed.
The court discharged the appellant from his bail bonds, noting that his sentence had remained suspended during the pendency of the appeal.
