Appellate review of an acquittal

The Trial Court acquitted the accused after examining the evidence. The High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted them of murder and disappearance of evidence. An appellate court may review evidence in an appeal against acquittal. That power must respect the reinforced presumption of innocence. The appellate court should assess whether the trial court’s view was reasonably possible. An acquittal should not be displaced lightly by substituting different inferences alone. The Supreme Court found insufficient basis to sustain the reversal. It restored the Trial Court’s acquittal. (Bernard Lyngdoh Phawa v. The State of Meghalaya | 2026 INSC 85)