Delhi Court Acquits All Accused in 32-Year-Old Rashtrapati
A Delhi court has acquitted all surviving accused, including Mohan Lal Jatia, Ashok Jatia, and Ashok Jain, in the 32-year-old Rashtrapati Bhawan records forgery case. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari of Rouse Avenue Courts found that the prosecution's case rested on "conjectures and inferences, rather than legal proof," failing to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt for charges including criminal conspiracy and forgery. The case, initiated by the Supreme Court in 1994 following doubts regarding a Presidential representation, highlights the stringent evidentiary standards required in criminal jurisprudence, even in protracted trials. Practitioners should note the emphasis on direct legal proof over inferences for securing convictions.
