A man believed to have been murdered during a fight over mobile theft on a train was recently found alive in Bihar--three years after an Ayodhya resident had been jailed for "killing" him.

Narendra Dubey, a native of Ayodhya's Khemasarai village, had been serving a prison sentence for the alleged murder, which took place in nearby Shahjahanpur district's jurisdiction.

However, a video recently surfaced on social media showing the man, identified earlier as the murder victim, alive in his in-laws' village in Bihar.

Upon learning of the video, the Shahjahanpur court ordered the man to be presented in person. Following his appearance, Additional District Judge Pankaj Kumar Srivastava on Wednesday acquitted Dubey of all charges and ordered his immediate release from jail.

Shahjahanpur Assistant District Government Counsel (ADGC) Shripal Verma confirmed that the man presumed dead was in fact alive.

"The body had been identified at the time by his father and relatives. Given this, the prosecution cannot be held at fault. Our job is not to ensure punishment, but to present the truth before the court," Verma said.

The judge agreed with the prosecution's reasoning and concluded that since the identity of the body had been confirmed by the family, the investigating officer could not be blamed.

The judge also reiterated that in any criminal case, the burden of proof lies on the prosecution, the counsel said.

The incident dates back to December 16, 2022.

According to the prosecution, GRP constable Satyaveer Singh, stationed at Bareilly that night, received a report of a scuffle in the D2 general coach of the Delhi-“Ayodhya Express. One person had allegedly thrown another off the moving train near Tilhar station in Shahjahanpur district.

Ayodhya resident Alok had informed the police about the incident and also sent a video. When the train reached Bareilly Junction around 1 am, Narendra Dubey was arrested. Later, Tilhar police recovered a body near the railway tracks.

Based on eyewitness statements from co-passengers Ajni and Dildar from Barabanki, Dubey was sent to jail, and a case of murder was registered, the lawyer said.

The deceased had been identified by his family as Etab, a resident of Bihar. An official chargesheet was filed, and the case proceeded to court.

During the trial, Dubey's lawyer submitted new evidence, including proof that Etab was alive. The court accepted the evidence and ruled that Dubey was innocent, thus ordering his release, the lawyer added.

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