NEW DELHI: Supreme Court docket on Wednesday acquitted a loss of life convict in rape-murder of a seven-year-old woman in Uttarakhand in 2014 and stated the best diploma of circumspection needs to be exercised by courts earlier than awarding the loss of life penalty.The ugly rape-murder was termed because the ‘Little Nirbhaya’ case and had sparked outrage throughout the state. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta quashed the trial courtroom and Uttarakhand HC’s order to convict him and award the acute punishment. It additionally acquitted one other accused who was punished with a seven-year jail time period. SC stated there have been many loopholes within the probe and the prosecution didn’t show the costs in opposition to the accused within the case, which was solely based mostly on circumstantial proof. “We’re of the opinion the prosecution has failed to determine the entire and unbroken chain of circumstances essential to convey residence the guilt of the accused-appellants,” it stated.Interesting to courts to be cautious whereas awarding loss of life penalty, Justice Mehta, who penned the judgment, stated, “The irreversible nature of capital punishment calls for it’s imposed solely in ‘rarest of uncommon’ instances… Even slightest doubt or infirmity in prosecution’s case should weigh in opposition to imposition of such a sentence. Any hasty or mechanical utility of loss of life penalty, with out making certain the best requirements of proof and procedural equity, not solely undermines rule of regulation however dangers the gravest miscarriage of justice by extinguishing a human life irretrievably”.