Saralnama
The Supreme Court of India ruled that victims of crime, including their legal heirs, have the right to file appeals against the acquittal of accused persons. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan stated that victims’ rights must be equal to those of convicted accused, allowing appeals against acquittals, lesser convictions, or inadequate compensation under the proviso to Section 372 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The court emphasized that victims can appeal irrespective of whether they are complainants and that legal heirs may continue prosecution if the victim dies during the appeal process. The judgment, delivered on August 22, 2025, clarified that while convicted persons and the State can file appeals, victims also have this right as per the CrPC, expanding the scope of victim participation in criminal appeals. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 12:54 IST; source: link)