Gauhati HC acquits woman convicted of infant daughter's murder

The Gauhati High Court has acquitted a woman who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the alleged murder of her infant daughter, citing irregularities in her confession. The court determined that the confession, which formed the basis of the conviction, was not admissible as evidence and could not sustain the charges against her.

In its judgment, the high court rejected the prosecution's reliance on the woman's confession as the primary evidence in the case. The court found procedural and substantive defects in how the confession was obtained and recorded, rendering it inadmissible under the Indian Evidence Act.

The acquittal underscores the critical importance of procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings, particularly in cases involving vulnerable populations. The judgment emphasizes that confessions must meet stringent legal requirements to be considered valid evidence in court.

The case had drawn attention to issues surrounding the investigation of crimes involving infants and the adequacy of evidence standards in capital and life imprisonment cases. With the high court's decision, the woman's conviction has been entirely set aside.