Supreme Court Restores Acquittal in Criminal Breach of Trust Case

India’s Supreme Court has restored an acquittal for criminal breach of trust, holding that the prosecution failed to prove entrustment, misappropriation or dishonest intention.

In Ramkrushna Dongardive v State of Maharashtra, decided on 8 October 2026, the Court found that the High Court had overturned the trial court’s acquittal by effectively shifting the burden to the accused. Suspicion surrounding the handling of funds could not replace proof of the statutory ingredients.

The Court allowed the appeal and reinstated the acquittal. The judgment reiterates the additional restraint required when an appellate court reviews an acquittal: a plausible trial-court view cannot be displaced merely because another inference is possible.