The Supreme Court of India on Friday dismissed appeals filed by the State of Rajasthan, effectively upholding the acquittal of three accused in the 2006 murder of advocate Suresh Sharma. A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Joymalya Bagchi ruled that the evidence produced by the prosecution was riddled with gaps, unreliable witness testimony, and inadmissible records, leaving no ground to overturn the High Court’s 2011 verdict.
Background
The case dates back to January 2006, when Suresh Sharma, a Jodhpur-based lawyer, went missing after leaving home to inspect farmland. His body was discovered the next day between two villages, with visible signs of strangulation and attempts to disfigure his face. The trial court, relying on circumstantial evidence, convicted Hemlata, her husband Narpat Choudhary, and Bhanwar Singh in 2008, sentencing them to life imprisonment for murder and conspiracy.
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However, in 2011, the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur set aside the convictions, citing weak evidence and contradictions in the prosecution’s case. The State challenged this decision before the Supreme Court.
Court’s Observations
The top court closely examined the testimony of key witnesses and recoveries made during investigation. One witness had claimed to see Sharma park his scooter outside Hemlata’s house on the night of his death. But as the bench pointed out, this “crucial fact” was not disclosed to police until more than a month later. “The conduct of the witness in keeping silent for such a long period is highly suspicious,” the court remarked.
Similarly, the alleged recovery of a bloodstained chunni from Hemlata’s home was dismissed as inconsequential since the blood group was never matched with that of the deceased. The judges also flagged serious lapses in proving call records. “The so-called incriminating call details were presented only in a handwritten note, without the mandatory certification under Section 65-B of the Evidence Act,” the bench observed.
The court added that theories of conspiracy and motive advanced by the prosecution were nothing more than conjecture. Testimony about land disputes and personal tensions failed to stand scrutiny.
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Decision
Concluding the matter, the Supreme Court found no perversity in the High Court’s reasoning. “We are of the firm view that there exist no valid grounds that would justify upsetting and reversing the acquittal of the respondents,” the bench declared.
With this, the State’s appeals were dismissed, and the acquittal of the accused in the Suresh Sharma murder case remains intact.
Case Title: State of Rajasthan vs. Bhanwar Singh & Ors.
Date of Judgment: 26 September 2025