Allahabad HC Bench Disagrees on Conviction in 1991 Wife Murder Case; One Judge Acquits, Other Upholds Life Sentence

The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad has delivered a split verdict in a 1996 criminal appeal concerning the conviction of a man for the murder of his wife in 1991. In Criminal Appeal No. 787 of 1996 , a division bench comprising Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Sandeep Jain expressed conflicting opinions on the guilt of the appellant, Shailendra Kumar Mishra.

The appeal challenged the judgement dated 26.4.1996 from the trial court in Session Trial No. 225 of 1992 (arising from Case Crime No. 546 of 1991, P.S. Kotwali, District Fatehpur), which had convicted the appellant under Section 302 IPC for his wife’s murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Justice Salil Kumar Rai, in his judgment, allowed the appeal and acquitted the appellant. Conversely, Justice Sandeep Jain d