Overview
- The Delhi High Court, which delivered its verdict Tuesday, set aside the July 2020 convictions and the 24-year and 20-year sentences of Geeta Arora alias Sonu Punjaban and co-accused Sandeep Bedwal.
- The bench said the prosecution relied on the survivor’s account, which changed across statements and even conflicted on the year of the incident, citing 2006 earlier and 2009 at trial.
- Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha found major gaps in the police probe, noting officers did not trace or arrest alleged links in the trafficking chain such as Seema, Khushi and Manisha.
- The court criticized the trial process for allowing prosecutors to pose leading questions to their own witness to secure favorable answers, undermining the reliability of the testimony.
- The order cancels existing bail bonds and clears the way for the accused to walk free after nearly seven years in custody.