The Supreme Court acquitted four accused convicted in a 2001 murder case after finding that the prosecution failed to establish their identity and involvement beyond reasonable doubt. In Kartika @ Kirtan @ Kirtan Charan Jena & Anr. v. State of Odisha, the prosecution relied substantially on eyewitnesses who were relatives of the deceased. The Court noted material inconsistencies in their statements and agreed that identification of assailants on a pitch-dark night was inherently unreliable. Once the eyewitness evidence was discarded, the prosecution case depended entirely on circumstantial evidence. The Supreme Court applied the principles laid down in Sharad Birdhichand Sarda v. State of Maharashtra, requiring every circumstance to be fully established and to form a complete chain pointing only towards guilt. The Court observed that suspicion, however strong, cannot replace proof beyond reasonable doubt. It also found gaps concerning alleged recoveries, motive and the weapons used. Since the prosecution failed to establish an unbroken chain of circumstances excluding other reasonable possibilities, the accused were given the benefit of doubt and their convictions were set aside.