Santosh Gurung v. State of Sikkim
2026 INSC 10732 October 202615 min read
Supreme Court Acquits in POCSO Case, Holds Circumstantial Evidence Chain Incomplete
The Supreme Court set aside a conviction under the POCSO Act, holding that the prosecution failed to establish a complete chain of circumstances pointing solely to the guilt of the appellant.
Case Snapshot
- Case Name
- Santosh Gurung v. State of Sikkim
- Citation
- 2026 INSC 1073
- Bench
- Justice Atul S. Chandurkar & Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
- Date of Judgment
- October 1, 2026
- Area of Law
- Criminal Law — Circumstantial Evidence — Sections 376(2)(i), 302, 201 IPC — Sections 4 and 6 POCSO Act — Last Seen Theory — Section 27 Evidence Act
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