The Delhi High Court has acquitted Nafe Singh, who was convicted in 2004 of trying to kill his wife by forcing insecticide down her throat. Justice Vimal Kumar Yadav, in a verdict delivered on August 24, 2026, ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Background Of The Case
Nafe Singh and Asha were married on March 5, 2000, but their marriage ran into trouble almost immediately. On April 20, 2001, police received information about a quarrel at their home in JJ Colony, Wazirpur. According to the complaint, Nafe Singh first tried to make Asha drink Baygon spray from a steel tumbler, and when she resisted, allegedly poured it directly from the container into her mouth.
An FIR was registered under Sections 498-A and 307 IPC. The trial court acquitted Nafe Singh and his mother of cruelty charges but convicted him alone under Section 307, sentencing him to three years in jail.
Court's Observations
Hearing his appeal, the High Court examined the medical and forensic evidence closely. Asha's vital signs were normal when she reached the hospital, and doctors noted no symptoms typical of insecticide poisoning apart from one instance of vomiting. Her gastric lavage sample, sent for forensic testing, showed no trace of poison.
The court also flagged an unexplained contradiction: the investigating officer said the seized Baygon container was empty, while the forensic report recorded about 4 ml of insecticide still inside it. Asha's own testimony shifted during cross-examination too - she first blamed her husband's beating for her miscarriage, then admitted in court it had happened naturally, and also went back on her claim that dowry was demanded.
The judgment noted,
"It is highly unsafe to act upon the kind of shaky evidence brought on record."
The court added that intention
"is something which is intangible and abstract," and has to be gathered from surrounding circumstances, not assumed from the injury alone.
Decision
The court also observed that Nafe Singh himself had informed the police and paid the initial hospital deposit for his wife's treatment. Weighing the medical gaps, the unexplained container discrepancy, and the contradictions in the victim's statement, the Delhi High Court held that the prosecution had failed to prove the intention required under Section 307 IPC.
Giving Nafe Singh the benefit of doubt, the court allowed the appeal, acquitted him of the charge, and discharged his bail bonds.
Case Details
- Case Title: Nafe Singh vs. State
- Case Number: CRL.A. 296/2004
- Judge: Justice Vimal Kumar Yadav
- Decision Date: August 24, 2026
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