The Patna High Court has acquitted a man who had been serving a life sentence in a 2014 murder case, holding that the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court found serious contradictions in the testimony of the lone eyewitness relied upon by the trial court and sharply criticized the police investigation, describing it as "improper, lackadaisical and indifferent."
Background of the Case
The case arose from an incident on July 22, 2014, in Bihar's Madhepura district. According to the prosecution, the informant and his son were returning home on a motorcycle when they were allegedly intercepted by several persons. The prosecution claimed that the assailants forcibly took away the informant's son before he was shot. The injured victim was taken to Madhepura Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Following investigation, Meghnath Choupal @ Medhnath Choupal Sharma was charge-sheeted and later convicted by the trial court under Sections 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act. He was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine.
Court's Observations
A Division Bench of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri and Justice Rana Vikram Singh found that the trial court had based the conviction almost entirely on the testimony of a single witness.
The Bench observed,
"The instant appeal is a classic example of improper, lackadaisical, and indifferent investigation on the part of the Investigating Officer keeping material lacuna in the prosecution case."
The High Court noted that the informant, who had lodged the FIR as an eyewitness, did not support the prosecution during trial and was not even declared hostile. It further found that the testimony of the solitary eyewitness contained material inconsistencies, particularly regarding whether he had actually witnessed the shooting or had reached the spot afterwards.
Referring to the Supreme Court's principles on a "sterling witness," the Bench said the evidence did not inspire the level of confidence required for sustaining a conviction based solely on one witness.
The Court also highlighted major lapses in the investigation. It noted that the police failed to establish the ownership of the motorcycle and mobile phone recovered from the spot, did not properly prove seizure documents, and never sent the recovered empty cartridge for forensic examination.
The Bench remarked,
"Either the I.O. did not know the basic principles of investigation or purposefully withheld the evidences which could have been brought during investigation."
Decision
Holding that the prosecution evidence was insufficient to uphold the conviction, the High Court allowed the criminal appeal and set aside the judgment of conviction dated May 30, 2018, and the sentence dated May 31, 2018, passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Madhepura.
The Court also directed the Director General of Police, Bihar, to initiate departmental proceedings against the Investigating Officer, Mahesh Kumar Rajak, observing that the defective investigation had deprived both the trial court and the High Court of the best available evidence.
Case Details
Case Title: Meghnath Choupal @ Medhnath Choupal Sharma v. The State of Bihar
Case Number: Criminal Appeal (DB) No. 762 of 2018
Judge: Justice Bibek Chaudhuri and Justice Rana Vikram Singh
Decision Date: 24 June 2026
