The Gujarat High Court recently convicted a man who had died nine years ago. The case, dating back to 2012, saw the state government appeal a Sessions Court acquittal in the High Court. In July 2025, the High Court pronounced its order, finding the accused, Raijibhai Sodhane, guilty.

As the accused was not present in court during the hearing, the High Court issued a non-bailable warrant, directing that he be brought before the court for sentencing. However, during the post-conviction proceedings, it was discovered that Sodhane had passed away in 2016.

Angered by this revelation, the High Court strongly reprimanded both the Additional Public Prosecutor and the police for their negligence. The court noted that, despite the accused being the only person involved in the case, his death went unreported for nine years, rendering the continuation of the appeal pointless.

The court stated that the failure of the police to inform the Additional Public Prosecutor in time, and the inability of the prosecutor’s office to verify the accused’s status, resulted in a waste of judicial time. The High Court instructed the Kheda District Superintendent of Police to take disciplinary action against the officers responsible and directed the prosecutor’s office to ensure such lapses do not occur again.

The court also emphasised that it is the prosecutor’s duty to verify the status of the accused before final hearings, particularly in older cases, highlighting a lack of coordination between the police and the prosecution.

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

In April 2012, Raijibhai Sodhane was accused of burning his wife, Rukhmaniben, alive. In her dying declaration, she detailed the abuse she suffered, including demands for silver jewellery to buy liquor. Upon her refusal, Sodhane allegedly poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze. The Sessions Court acquitted him, following which the government appealed the decision. The High Court later convicted him, only to discover that he had died nine years ago.

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