The Jharkhand High Court acquitted Chamara Oraon after finding he was questioned in English. The ruling underscores an accused's fundamental right to understand trial proceedings.Stock photo used for illustrationRanchi,Oct 28, 2026 21:24 ISTThe Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday acquitted Chamara Oraon, who was serving a life sentence for murder, after finding that he had been questioned in English, a language he did not understand, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The court held that the circumstances against Oraon had not been explained to him in a language known to him, affecting his fundamental right to a fair trial.A division bench of Justices Ananda Sen and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava was hearing Oraon's criminal appeal against the sentence imposed by a sessions court in Ranchi.Oraon was found guilty of murdering Parmeshwari Devi on February 26, 2009.

He was accused of drowning her in a well following a dispute over the possession of a piece of land. On April 25, 2018, the trial court sentenced Oraon to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000.

He subsequently challenged the conviction and sentence before the High Court.During the hearing, the High Court found that the prosecution had questioned Oraon in English and that the trial court had recorded all his statements in the same language, according to PTI. Oraon, who did not understand English, had placed his thumb impression on the statements after they were recorded.

Taking a strict view of the trial court's practice, the High Court observed that the recording of the accused's evidence appeared to be a farce. It said that questioning an accused in a language he does not understand could prejudice his defence.The bench noted that the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to a fair trial.

It held that there was sufficient reason to conclude that the circumstances against Oraon had not been explained to him in a language known to him, violating his fundamental right.The High Court consequently set aside Oraon's conviction and life sentence, acquitting him in the murder case on the ground that the trial proceedings had not been conducted in a language he understood.- Ends