Gujarat High Court convicted Raijibhai Sodhane in a 2012 case but later revealed that he was dead in 2016. Strict rebuke on the negligence of police and prosecutor, order for disciplinary action. Question on fragmented system. Read full details…
Gujarat high court dead man conviction: The Gujarat High Court convicted a person named Raijibhai Sodhane for burning his wife alive in 2012. The state government had appealed to the High Court against the decision to acquit the first session court. In July 2025, when the court gave its verdict and issued a non-bailable warrant and asked to present the accused to sentence, then the shocking revelation was revealed-Raijibhai had died in 2016 itself.
Who is responsible for this negligence?
The court clearly convicted the negligence of the police and additional prosecutor (APP). The police did not inform the prosecution about the death of the accused in time, while the prosecutor also did not confirm the situation before the hearing of the case. The court reprimanded both of them and directed the Superintendent of Police of Kheda district to take disciplinary action on the responsible officials.
Is this a serious flaw of the judicial system?
This phenomenon is not only a human error, but a clear example of Judicial Coordination Failure. The court emphasized that in the old cases it is mandatory to investigate the current status of the accused before the final hearing. This mistake not only wasted the invaluable time of the court, but also shook the basic spirit of justice.
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Who was Raijibhai Sodhane and what was the matter?
In April 2012, Raijibhai Sodhane was accused of burning his wife Rukhmaniben alive. The wife had said in a pre -death statement that Sodhane asked for silver jewelery for alcohol and put kerosene on it and set it on fire. The Sessions Court acquitted him of giving him the benefit of suspicion, but on the appeal of the government, the High Court convicted him although he had died 9 years ago.
Now what next? Will investigation or careless officers take action again?
The court ordered the government to ensure that there was no such lapse in future. The need for better coordination between the prosecution office and the police department was also repeated. Now everyone’s eyes are on whether action is taken on the authorities or this matter will also be lost in the pages of history.
Is this an omission or systemic failure?
Dead Man Convicted by Gujarat High Court incidents are rare, but it clearly indicates that the Indian justice system needs digital integration, record verification and stakehlder coordination. This is a warning that if vigilance is not taken, the judicial system itself can become a joke.
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