"The accused allegedly murdered and raped a 10 year old child.
The key circumstances against the accused are: Last seen witness, victim’s body retrieved from appellant’s room, confession of co-accused implicating appellant, oral testimony (of the appellant found locking his house, of only providing the key when assaulted, and the appellant providing false information regarding the victim’s whereabouts). The Trial Court convicted the accused and sentenced him to death in 2015. The High Court confirmed the conviction as well as the sentence on 10.04.2018. The Supreme Court held that there existed flaws in the High Court and Trial Court’s judgment, and hence remitted the case back to the Patna High Court on 04.09.2023. The High Court acquitted Munna Pandey in its decision dated The case is particularly relevant for its language on the High Court’s responsibilities in confirming death penalty cases. The Supreme Court judgment also notes the need for judges to not play a passive role and ensure relevant evidence and circumstances are presented and properly examined.