The Supreme Court has acquitted a life-term convict of the charge of setting ablaze and murdering another woman on the grounds that there was no evidence to link her to the crime and that she had apparently been implicated because of an enmity with the deceased’s husband.

The apex court had on December 3, 2018, dismissed the special leave petition filed by Manaharbhai Ambalal Rohit, husband of life-term convict Savitaben who too has been jailed for life in the same case, challenging the punishment handed to him by a sessions court in Ahmedabad and later affirmed by Gujarat High Court.

The Supreme Court felt that Manaharbhai alone had set ablaze and murdered Narmadaben and that Savitaben was not involved. Narmadaben’s husband Bhikhabhai Mithabhai Rohit had alleged that both Manaharbhai and Savitaben were involved in the crime.

The Supreme Court noted that in her dying declaration, Narmadaben had named only Manaharbhai. The court also said that the prosecution had not examined one of the sons of the deceased and that the two families had a long-standing enmity.

“Benefit of doubt has to be given to the accused Savitaben,” the Supreme Court said.