Allahabad HC Acquits 100-Year-Old in 1982 Murder Case

The Allahabad High Court acquitted Dhami Ram, a nearly 100-year-old man, in a murder case stemming from a 1982 land dispute in Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh, more than four decades after his initial conviction. The ruling, delivered by a division bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Sanjiv Kumar, set aside Ram's life sentence, citing the extraordinary delay in resolving his appeal and the prosecution's failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The case originated on August 9, 1982, when a man named Gunwa was fatally shot amid tensions over land ownership. Prosecutors alleged that Maiku, the primary accused, carried out the shooting, while Ram and another man, Satti Din, instigated the attack under common intention. Maiku fled and was never apprehended, leaving Ram and Satti Din to face trial. In 1984, a sessions court in Hamirpur convicted both men of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Ram secured bail that same year to pursue his appeal, but the case languished in the high court for over 40 years.

During this period, Satti Din died, making Ram the sole surviving appellant. He remained free on bail, enduring what the court described as prolonged...