The Allahabad High Court has overturned the convictions of three men in a nearly 43-year-old gang rape case linked to the Bindki area of Fatehpur district, acquitting them after finding that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The court examined inconsistencies in the statements of the two survivors, the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and other gaps in the evidence. The judgment highlights the importance of evaluating the complete evidence in criminal cases before reaching a conclusion. The bench of Justice Abdul Shahid allowed the appeals filed by the three accused, identified as Sirajul, Chhotelal and Fakku, and set aside their convictions. The case dates back to October 1983, while the original conviction was delivered by the trial court in April 1985.

Case Dates Back to October 1983
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on the night of October 17, 1983, when a group of men allegedly entered a house after threatening the family with weapons. The accused were alleged to have intimidated the family members before sexually assaulting two women who were relatives. The FIR was registered on October 23, six days after the alleged incident. During the appeal, the defence questioned the delay in reporting the incident and pointed to differences between the survivors’ statements. It also raised concerns over the failure to produce the clothes reportedly worn at the time of the incident and argued that the accused had been falsely implicated because of previous enmity. The trial court had convicted the accused on April 22, 1985, following which the matter reached the High Court.

Court Finds Serious Inconsistencies in Evidence
While reviewing the case, the High Court considered differences in the accounts of the incident, the alleged roles of the accused and the manner in which family members were reportedly restrained. The bench also examined the fact that certain accused were not named in the initial complaint but were implicated later. The court clarified that a delay in filing an FIR or the absence of injuries during a medical examination does not automatically invalidate a prosecution case. However, it found that the delay had not been satisfactorily explained and that significant inconsistencies existed in the evidence presented in this particular matter.

Three Accused Acquitted After Appeals Allowed
The High Court accepted the appeals of Sirajul, Chhotelal and Fakku, setting aside their convictions and acquitting them because the available evidence did not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The appeal of the main accused, Mohammed Anees Khan, had already been terminated on March 16, 2026, following his death. The judgment also observed that credible testimony from a survivor can form the basis of a conviction in sexual offence cases. However, where serious contradictions arise in the evidence, the court must assess all relevant facts carefully before deciding the matter. The ruling concerns the evidence and legal standard applicable to this specific case.