SHILLONG, Jan 31: Supreme Court Meghalaya Murder Verdict 2026 resulted in the setting aside of the conviction and life imprisonment sentence earlier imposed by the Meghalaya High Court on Bernard Lyngdoh Phawa and Boni Lyngdoh Phawa in connection with the 2006 killing of college student Biplab Das. The decision was delivered by a two-judge bench which allowed the appeal filed against the High Court judgment.
Court records show that the trial court had acquitted the accused in March 2019, citing insufficient proof. The Meghalaya High Court later reversed that order in September 2023 and sentenced both individuals to life imprisonment after reviewing testimonial and documentary material placed during the appeal proceedings.
In the latest ruling delivered in January 2026, the Supreme Court examined the procedural aspects surrounding recorded confessions and the overall strength of corroborative evidence. The bench observed that a confession must be voluntary and supported by independent proof for it to be relied upon in a criminal conviction. Discrepancies noted in documentation and authentication procedures were considered during the hearing.
The judgment annulled the earlier conviction and directed that the appellants be released in accordance with law. The order also recorded that procedural safeguards relating to legal assistance and documentation standards form part of due judicial process during criminal investigations and trials.
With the Supreme Court order coming into effect, the High Court’s life sentence no longer stands, bringing closure to the appellate stage of the long-running criminal proceedings linked to the 2006 incident.
