News Citation : 2026 LN (HC) 18
Bilaspur, 7 January 2026 : The High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur has overturned the conviction of a husband and two family members previously found guilty of murder and destruction of evidence. The division bench, comprising Hon’ble Smt. Justice Rajani Dubey and Hon’ble Shri Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the foundational requirement of homicidal death.
The case originated from the tragic death of Pinky Thakur, who died from extensive burn injuries on September 19, 2013, just months after her marriage to Tarun Kumar Thakur. While a lower court in Kabirdham had sentenced Tarun, his mother Mithla Devi, and his sister Neelu to life imprisonment in 2014, the High Court found that the evidence did not support a murder conviction under Section 302 of the IPC.
A critical factor in the acquittal was the medical testimony provided by Dr. Santosh Luniya. The autopsy revealed that the deceased had sustained more than 95% burns, but there were no signs of struggle, violence, or external injuries that would suggest she was forcibly set on fire. Furthermore, the doctor candidly admitted he could not determine if the death was suicidal, homicidal, or accidental.
The defense successfully argued that the accused were not even present in the house at the time of the incident. Independent witnesses corroborated that the family was attending a Ganesh immersion procession on the main road when the fire broke out. Additionally, a personal diary belonging to the deceased was produced, which contained entries expressing deep emotional distress and a lack of desire to live in the village, supporting the possibility of suicide for personal reasons.
The Court noted that once the trial court had already acquitted the appellants of dowry-related charges under Section 304-B, the remaining circumstantial evidence was insufficient to sustain a murder charge. By extending the benefit of the doubt, the High Court set aside the ten-year-old sentences and ordered the immediate acquittal of all three appellants.
Case Details : CRA No. 1103 of 2014, Tarun Kumar s/o Late Sitaram Thakur & Others v. State of Chhattisgarh; Counsel for Appellants: Mrs. Indira Tripathi, Advocate; Counsel for Respondent/State: Mr. Ankur Kashyap, Deputy Government Advocate.
