In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Mohamed Sameer Khan, who had been serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of an 85-year-old woman in Coimbatore. The bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih found “major gaps” in the chain of evidence and said the prosecution failed to conclusively link Khan to the brutal crime.
“The chain of circumstances is incomplete and raises serious doubt,” the bench observed, setting aside concurrent convictions by the trial court and the Madras High Court.
Background
The case dates back to December 2016, when an elderly woman living alone in Coimbatore was found strangled with a towel, her gold bangles missing. The investigation led police to arrest Mohamed Sameer Khan, a migrant worker from Manipur who had recently been staying nearby.
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According to the prosecution, Khan was seen leaving the compound of the deceased’s house around the time of the crime and later confessed to the murder after police recovered the missing bangles from his possession. He was charged under Sections 302 (murder), 376 (rape), 449 (house trespass), and 394 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code.
The trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment, a decision upheld by the Madras High Court in 2021.
Court’s Observations
The Supreme Court, however, found several inconsistencies and missing links in the prosecution’s case. Justice Masih, delivering the judgment, noted that there was no direct evidence against Khan and that the entire case rested on circumstantial evidence.
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Crucially, the Court highlighted that:
- No eyewitnesses had seen the accused inside the victim’s house.
- No forensic evidence-such as fingerprints, DNA, or hair samples-connected him to the crime scene.
- The alleged recovery of gold bangles from Khan’s pocket two days later seemed “unreasonable” and possibly planted.
- A key witness named Marcus, who was last seen with Khan before the alleged time of the murder, was never examined, weakening the prosecution’s claim.
- The identity of the police informant who led to Khan’s arrest was never disclosed or recorded, casting doubt on the arrest narrative.
“The prosecution has failed to produce reliable evidence forming a complete chain of events. The gaps and contradictions create other possible hypotheses, which must benefit the accused,” the Court observed.
Decision
Setting aside the conviction, the Supreme Court acquitted Mohamed Sameer Khan of all charges and ordered his immediate release from Central Prison, Coimbatore.
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The bench emphasized that in cases based purely on circumstantial evidence, conviction can only stand if the chain of proof is so complete that it leaves no room for doubt. “Mere suspicion, however grave, cannot replace proof,” Justice Masih remarked in open court.
With this verdict, the Court reaffirmed the long-standing legal principle that the benefit of doubt must always go to the accused when the prosecution fails to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Case: Mohamed Sameer Khan v. State Represented by Inspector of Police
Citation: 2025 INSC 1269
Case Type: Criminal Appeal No. 2069 of 2024
Court: Supreme Court of India
Bench: Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih
Judgment Date: October 29, 2025
