Mother acquitted of son’s murder charges in Guna:High Court verdict in Abhyuday Jain case, says continuing trial without evidence violates justice

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed the FIR registered against Alka Jain, who was facing charges of murdering her 14-year-old son Abhyuday in Guna. The Gwalior Bench of the High Court has also cancelled the cognisance taken by the Guna CJM Court against the mother in the case of murder and concealment of evidence. The High Court has clarified that continuing criminal proceedings without concrete evidence is a violation of justice. Following this order, Alka Jain has been completely acquitted of the charges of her son’s murder. The body of 14-year-old Abhyuday Jain was found in the bathroom of his house on February 14, 2025. Based on the post-mortem report and circumstantial evidence, the police considered his mother Alka Jain as the accused in the murder. An FIR was registered in this case at Kotwali police station on February 22. On March 8, the police arrested Alka Jain. She was granted bail on June 17. Abhyuday’s father was not satisfied with the police investigation
Abhyuday’s father, Anupam Jain, was not satisfied with the initial police investigation, after which an SIT was formed under the leadership of Shivpuri DSP Avneet Sharma, on the instructions of the IG. The SIT sought medico-legal opinion from doctors at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, which revealed that Abhyuday’s death was due to hanging. Based on this, the SIT, considering mother Alka innocent, submitted its closure report to the court on May 5. CJM Court had rejected the report and taken cognizance on its own
On May 9, 2025, Guna’s CJM Madhulika Mule had quashed the SIT’s closure report. The court itself took cognisance of the matter under sections of murder and concealment of evidence and ordered criminal proceedings against Alka Jain. Alka Jain had filed a petition in the High Court against this order, on which the court had reserved its decision after the hearing on February 9. High Court said – the decision was based on assumptions
The Gwalior Bench of the High Court said on Tuesday – In light of the facts, it is clear that the lower court’s findings are based on assumptions and conjectures, and not on legally valid and conclusive evidence. In view of the above facts and established legal principles, the Court is of the opinion that in the absence of any concrete evidence and despite the petitioner being exonerated in the SIT report and the final report, continuing criminal proceedings against him would be an abuse of law and a violation of justice. All proceedings related to the crime registered at Kotwali cancelled
The Court further stated in its order – Accordingly, the petition is admissible and is accepted. The order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Guna, dated May 09, 2025, taking cognizance against the petitioner under Sections 103 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, is hereby quashed. Consequently, all further proceedings related to crime number 115/2025 registered against the petitioner at Police Station Kotwali Guna are quashed.