SHILLONG, June 29: In a significant judgment, the High Court of Meghalaya on Monday acquitted Ashim Sinha, a driver, granting him relief after nearly 11 years of legal battle in a high-profile murder case.
The case dates back to November 3, 2015, when the body of a woman named Soma Chettri was discovered in a room at Raigorh Annex Chamber, Jail Road, Shillong — a room provided to Ashim Sinha by his employers, where he worked as a driver.
Sinha was arrested on suspicion, as his phone was reportedly switched off, and he was charged under Section 302 IPC (murder). In August 2023, the Additional Sessions Judge, Shillong, convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine.
Sinha challenged the conviction in appeal. His lawyers argued that the prosecution’s case, which rested entirely on circumstantial evidence, was full of gaps: no clear proof of motive, the “last seen” evidence was weak, the room was not in his exclusive occupation (another person, Ranjit Deb, also stayed there and had belongings seized from the spot), and Sinha was actually on leave due to illness (chicken pox) at his family home, not absconding.After a detailed examination of the evidence and witness testimonies, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh held that the prosecution failed to establish a complete and unbroken chain of circumstances proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Court noted that suspicion, however strong, cannot substitute for legal proof. The appeal was allowed, the conviction and sentence were quashed, and Sinha was ordered to be set free.
