📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prince Roy
Crime
Ex-cop acquitted in 2010 custodial torture case despite 12 witnesses
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 14 Nov 2026, 11:18 AM
👁 24
A former police officer has been acquitted in a 2010 custodial torture case, with the court citing the absence of a station diary despite testimony from 12 witnesses.
A former police officer has been acquitted in a high-profile custodial torture case dating back to 2010. The verdict highlights significant procedural gaps in the prosecution's evidence, specifically the lack of a station diary to corroborate the allegations.
The case involved testimony from 12 witnesses who alleged that the accused had subjected a detainee to torture while in police custody. Despite the volume of witness statements, the court found the evidence insufficient to secure a conviction due to the missing official records.
The absence of the station diary, which is a critical document for verifying police actions and entries, played a pivotal role in the acquittal. Legal experts often note that without such contemporaneous records, it becomes difficult to establish the timeline and specifics of custodial incidents in a court of law.
This outcome underscores the ongoing challenges in prosecuting custodial violence cases in India, where procedural compliance and documentation are often as critical as witness testimony in determining the final verdict.
The case involved testimony from 12 witnesses who alleged that the accused had subjected a detainee to torture while in police custody. Despite the volume of witness statements, the court found the evidence insufficient to secure a conviction due to the missing official records.
The absence of the station diary, which is a critical document for verifying police actions and entries, played a pivotal role in the acquittal. Legal experts often note that without such contemporaneous records, it becomes difficult to establish the timeline and specifics of custodial incidents in a court of law.
This outcome underscores the ongoing challenges in prosecuting custodial violence cases in India, where procedural compliance and documentation are often as critical as witness testimony in determining the final verdict.