In a powerful verdict, the Supreme Court on Monday (October 14, 2025) set aside the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s acquittal of Janved Singh, the father-in-law of a young woman found dead under suspicious circumstances. The bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe reinstated the trial court’s conviction, concluding that the so-called “electrocution” was a desperate cover-up for murder.
“The law often steps into homes not to witness celebration, but to lift the veil from grief,” Justice Aradhe remarked, setting a somber tone for the judgment.
Background
The case began with the death of Smt. Pushpa, who was married to Mahesh Singh in Gormi, Madhya Pradesh. Her marriage, as the court later noted, was marred by cruelty and harassment over dowry.
On December 31, 1997, Janved Singh, her father-in-law, reported to the police that Pushpa had died of electric shock while ironing clothes. However, during the investigation, the police found glaring inconsistencies - burn marks on her body appeared post-mortem, and the autopsy confirmed she had been strangled to death.
A trial court in 2000 convicted both Mahesh (husband) and Janved (father-in-law), sentencing them to life imprisonment. The High Court later acquitted them in 2010, citing inconsistencies in witness testimonies and gaps in proving the marriage timeline.
The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against that acquittal, but only Janved Singh’s case remained alive after the husband’s acquittal was upheld earlier.
Court’s Observations
The Supreme Court meticulously reviewed the evidence, concluding that the High Court had “completely ignored vital material” and failed to appreciate the gravity of the circumstantial chain.
Medical testimony by Dr. Devendra Khare revealed ligature marks on the neck, proving death by strangulation. The claim of electrocution, the Court noted, was “wholly fabricated.”
“The accused’s version that he found the deceased dead upon returning from the field is not supported by a single independent witness,” the bench observed. No one from the neighborhood or his field staff was examined to back his story.
Justice Aradhe further pointed out that the false report lodged by Janved Singh was an “additional link” in the chain of circumstances proving his guilt. The bench also reaffirmed that under Section 106 of the Evidence Act, once the prosecution establishes that a death occurred inside the accused’s home, the burden shifts to the accused to explain how it happened.
Here, Janved Singh “miserably failed” to do so.
Decision
Concluding that the High Court’s reasoning suffered from “serious infirmity,” the Supreme Court restored the trial court’s conviction.
“The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Janved Singh caused the death of Pushpa by strangulation and tried to mislead the investigation by fabricating a story of electrocution,” the bench held.
The Court ordered that Janved Singh be taken into custody immediately to serve the remainder of his life sentence. The appeal was thus partly allowed, reinstating justice after nearly 28 years.
Case Title: State of Madhya Pradesh vs. Janved Singh
Citation: 2025 INSC 1229
Case Type: Criminal Appeal No. 460 of 2014
Date of Judgment: October 14, 2025