Summary: Santosh Kumar, accused of murder, gets bail after nearly six years in custody due to lack of clear evidence, as decided by the Delhi High Court on February 13, 2026.
On June 13, 2020, a bad smell led the police to a flat in Delhi. They found a dead body hidden under a table, covered with a blanket. The person had been strangled with a computer cord. This started an investigation that pointed to Santosh Kumar and another person named Vicky.
"The reason for the murder was a fight over money related to recording some songs," said the prosecution.
Santosh Kumar was arrested in June 2020. His lawyer argued that even though he had been in jail for a long time, the trial wasn't finished. They said there wasn't enough proof to keep him locked up.
The prosecution showed CCTV footage of two people in the street near the victim’s house on June 9, 2020, at 3:30 AM. However, the footage didn't clearly show their faces. Witnesses like Subhash Ram and a taxi driver didn't support what the prosecution was saying.
"The only thing visible is the back of two people walking... but neither faces nor the street is identifiable," noted Justice Girish Kathpalia.
The supposed murder weapon, a computer cord, was never matched with the marks on the victim. The autopsy report suggested the death happened a week before June 15, 2020, which didn't match up with the supposed murder date.
Justice Girish Kathpalia decided there wasn't enough reason to keep Santosh Kumar in jail. On February 13, 2026, the court granted him bail, requiring a personal promise to pay Rs. 10,000 and a guarantee.
"For now, I do not find any good reason to allow further detention," Justice Kathpalia concluded.
Santosh Kumar's release is an important moment in a complicated case that shows problems in collecting evidence and delays in the trial.
