A man, who has already served his eight-year prison sentence for abetting a woman's suicide, has been acquitted by the Bombay High Court, observing that it exemplifies the adage 'justice delayed is justice denied'.
The Mumbai sessions court had convicted appellant Anand Mishra for abetment of suicide under section 306 and attempt to commit suicide under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code.
The charge against him was that he used to harass a married woman, which led to her suicide, and later he tried to end his own life.
"This appeal is a tragic and glaring example of how the well-known comment 'justice delayed is justice denied' is apt and true. He is held not guilty and it's a deep agony that our judicial system has no answer as to how his liberty and precious eight years can be restored and compensated," said Justice Mridula Bhatkar last week.
Finding the evidence weak and unacceptable, Justice Bhatkar set aside the trial court's order of conviction dated October 28, 2002.
Mishra was released in 2008 while his appeal was still pending as he had served his full sentence, taking into account remission and leave period to which he was entitled.
Ranjana Agarwal, a mother of three children, committed suicide by drinking poison. In the suicide note she alleged that Mishra often molested her, and once even demanded money from her family.
But the High Court rejected the testimony of victim's husband. It also questioned the delay of 11 days in filing of police complaint.
