#alibi defence

The Supreme Court set aside the dowry-death charges against a BSF officer, holding that a service certificate proving his posting elsewhere and the acquittal of his relatives removed any prima facie case, making continuation an abuse of process under Section 482. This clarifies that alibi evidence and related acquittals can justify dismissal of criminal complaints at the highest court.

Allahabad HC overturns a 20-year conviction under POCSO Act after finding material contradictions in prosecution evidence, unexplained FIR delay, and a corroborated alibi backed by contemporaneous medical records. The ruling reaffirms the primacy of the benefit of doubt in child sexual offence trials.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that applications under Section 94 BNSS for preserving electronic evidence, such as call records and digital transactions, must be decided promptly at the pre-trial stage. Delaying consideration until the defence evidence stage risks prejudice and violates Article 21 fair trial rights, particularly in alibi defences.