Patna High Court acquits 13 accused in 1996 Jehanabad quadruple murder case
The Patna High Court on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) set aside the trial court’s verdict and acquitted 13 appellants in the 1996 quadruple murder case.
A division bench comprising Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Justice Kumar Manish delivered the verdict citing serious lapses in the police investigation, lack of credible identification and failure of the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The case dates from the night of August 8-9, 1996 in the Karpi area of Jehanabad (now Arwal) district. According to the prosecution, a group of 30 to 40 armed individuals barged into a hut (jhopri) near Keyal Aahar where villagers were guarding water for irrigation.
The violent attack claimed the lives of four persons – Bharat Singh, Manger Singh, Ram Niwas Singh and Nawlesh Singh – and injured others, including Pramod Kumar.
Initially, an FIR was lodged against unknown extremists from the Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Parishad (MKSP). However, subsequent supplementary affidavits and court proceedings implicated several residents of neighboring Asadhi tola.
In April 2023, the Additional District and Sessions Judge II, Jehanabad, convicted the appellants under Sections 302/34, 307/34 and 148 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Section 27 of the Arms Act and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for life.
Senior lawyers and advocates representing the appellant challenged the verdict and argued that the prosecution’s case suffers from fundamental contradictions.
They pointed out that none of the accused were named in the original FIR despite the informant and witnesses claiming to have met them. Furthermore, crucial material items – such as torches, blood-soaked soil and empty shell casings (khokha) – were never seized or produced before the court, and no Test Identification Parade (TIP) was ever conducted.
The defense teams also pointed out that the post-mortem reports and the doctors who performed them were never examined during the trial.
The Supreme Court accepted these claims and strongly criticized the investigating agency for its “inadequate” and compromised investigation. The Bench observed that the sole reliance on docket identification after a gap of 8 years, without prior TIP or proper confirmation, violates settled rules of judicial prudence.
“We live in an adversarial legal system where hundreds of guilty people can go unpunished, but one innocent person cannot be hanged,” the court noted, referring to a classic jurisprudential principle.
The Supreme Court has expressed its deep dismay at repeated shoddy police work in high-profile criminal trials and issued strict instructions to the state administration.
He directed the Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute a three-member committee comprising senior police officers to probe the gross negligence of the original investigating officers and take appropriate administrative action within three months.
In addition, the Home Office was ordered to review its policy on dealing with acquittals caused by investigative misconduct. After the convictions were overturned, the court ordered the immediate release of the applicants unless they are wanted in another case.
Published – 14 Oct 2026 03:00 IST