Meerut, June 5 -- Critical investigative lapses, including the failure to conduct DNA testing to confirm the identity of a body found on the tracks, led to a murder accused walking free, in Meerut, on Wednesday.

Narendra Kumar Dubey, imprisoned for over two years on murder charges, was acquitted by a Meerut court on Wednesday, after the supposed victim, Mohammad Aitabh, was found alive. The alleged assault took place on a Delhi-Ayodhya train on December 15-16, 2022.

One Alok Kumar had reported a violent altercation in the train's General Coach D-2 via a railway helpline, claiming a passenger was beaten and thrown out near Tilhar Railway Station, Shahjahanpur. Based on a video provided by Kumar and witness statements from two passengers,...