About a year ago, the blog covered a decision of the Supreme Court [Rakesh Bhanot v. Gurdas Agro, 2025 INSC 445] dealing with the issue of interim moratoriums under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 [IBC] and
The Proof of Guilt
The Proof of Guilt is a legal blog focused on Indian criminal law and procedure. It publishes detailed analyses of legislative reforms, judicial decisions, and historical context related to criminal justice in India. The blog covers topics such as procedural changes under new criminal codes, preventive detention, evidentiary standards in criminal trials, and substantive criminal law issues like dowry death provisions. It also reflects on the practical implications of criminal law reforms and critiques the broader social and institutional impact of criminal law enforcement. The content is aimed at legal practitioners, scholars, and those interested in the evolution and application of criminal law in India.
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Course Correction on Delays and Bail under the UAPA?
[This post was updated at 6PM on 19.05.2026 to add reference to this news article]On 18.05.2026, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court handed down its verdict in Syed Iftikhar Andrabi [2026 INSC 503]. The bail application was…
Snippet – The Prison Statistics India 2024 Report
This past week, the Prison Statistics India Report for 2024 [‘PSI Report’] was published by the National Crime Records Bureau [‘NCRB]. I could not spot any massively interesting data points as such, especially if we read this Report together with
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Thinking about Section 27 (and 8) of the Evidence Act
Come July 2026, it would be two years since the three new criminal codes were brought into force. That is hardly long enough for the heavy, centuries-long, shadows of the old codes to disappear from the scene. At some points,…
Snippet: Bellin’s Critique of Criminal Procedure doctrine as a Law of Cooperation
I came across a new article posted to SSRN by Prof. Jeffrey Bellin titled ‘Criminal Procedure as the Law of Cooperation’ (forthcoming in the Georgia Law Review, 2026). The paper is focused on the development of U.S. criminal procedure by…
Guest Post: Criminal Status as a Constitutional Filter – What the Uttarakhand High Court’s Order in Deepak Kumar Gets Wrong
(This is a guest post by Ammar Shahid and Syed Raiyyan)
The order passed by the Uttarakhand High Court (“The Court”) on 19th March 2026 in Deepak Kumar @ Akki v. State of Uttarakhand is a tight disposal
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Guest Post: On the Allahabad HC Direction for Mandatory Prosecution of Complainants in Closure Report Cases
(This is a guest post by Vaneet Kumar)
The criminal process in cognizable offences is ordinarily kick-started by filing a First Information Report (“FIR”) under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (“BNSS”). This is followed by
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The Prior Antecedents Practice Directions on Bail – An Unfair Burden
A specific instance of a person who lied about his previous involvements in crime to get bail comes to the Supreme Court. Going by available empirical metrics, the person is by no means an ordinary accused who finds himself entangled
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Guest Post: Erroneous Procedures in the Law of Criminal Defamation
(This is a guest post by Rahul Machaiah)
The recent decision of a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court in State of Telangana v. Nalla Balu contains an erroneous interpretation of the procedural law governing criminal defamation. In
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Some Notes on the ‘Inherent Powers’ Clause in Indian Criminal Procedure
Most people unfamiliar with law do not believe that the bulk of criminal litigation facing most High Courts is not complex appeals but various petitions filed under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 [Cr.P.C.] — which was earlier…