Politics · India Bureau
High Court orders SIT probe in Bageshwar Dham case after DNA clears accused
A high court judge has directed a Special Investigation Team to re-examine the rape case against a man held in custody after DNA evidence excluded him as a suspect. The order came after the accused approached the court seeking bail.
LSN India ·
Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari of the high court has ordered a fresh probe into the Bageshwar Dham rape case following DNA results that ruled out the primary accused, Raju Jatav, as the perpetrator. The decision came after Jatav, who has been in judicial custody, petitioned the court for bail relief.
The DNA analysis findings have raised questions about the investigation into the case, prompting the judge to constitute a Special Investigation Team to conduct a comprehensive re-examination. The SIT has been tasked with reviewing the evidence and investigative procedure to establish the identity of the actual perpetrator.
Jatav's legal team argued that the DNA evidence conclusively excluded their client from involvement in the crime, making his continued detention unjustifiable. The court recognized the significance of the scientific evidence in establishing innocence and ordered the fresh investigation accordingly.
The case has drawn attention to investigative practices and the importance of forensic evidence in criminal proceedings. The high court's intervention underscores the judicial scrutiny of cases where scientific evidence contradicts the initial investigation findings.