High courts in India acquit former official and former minister

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has acquitted Habibullah Kumar, a former official at the Block Development Office in Anantnag, in a bribery case dating back to 2009. Justice Sanjay Dhar set aside a previous conviction and two-year sentence, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Kumar demanded or accepted illegal payments. The court noted contradictions in witness evidence and a lack of independent verification regarding the alleged exchange of money.

In a separate ruling, the Jharkhand High Court acquitted former Congress minister and MLA Yogendra Sao in connection with a 2010 protest during an NTPC project inauguration in Hazaribag. The court found no specific evidence that Sao had assaulted officials or instigated the crowd, overturning previous convictions by trial and appellate courts. The case had involved allegations of abuse and assault against an NTPC official during the event.