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7 Years Served, Then Declared Innocent
20 Feb
Summary
- Schoolteacher served full seven-year sentence before acquittal.
- Patna High Court found charges unproven after 14 years.
- Inexplicable nine-day delay in FIR lodging noted.
In a stark illustration of judicial delays, a schoolteacher from Buxar, Shyam Jee Mishra, was acquitted on February 10, 2026, by the Patna High Court, 14 years after a rape case was filed against him. He had already completed his entire seven-year sentence by the time the High Court overturned the trial court's verdict.
Mishra, accused of raping a minor student in January 2012, was convicted by a Buxar court in December 2013. He appealed his conviction in January 2014 while in jail. The High Court admitted his appeal but it languished for 12 years due to a lack of legal representation.
Appointed as an amicus curiae in January 2026, advocate Sumeet Singh brought critical flaws in the prosecution's case to light. These included a suspicious nine-day delay in the FIR lodging, contributing to the final acquittal. The High Court's decision was made public on February 18, 2026.
