Sreeleathers Murder Convicts Acquitted by High Court

Jharkhand High Court overturns life sentences in the Ashish Dey murder case.

The Jharkhand High Court has acquitted three individuals previously convicted of killing Sreeleathers owner Ashish Dey, raising fresh questions about the true culprits.

JAMSHEDPUR – The Jharkhand High Court has overturned the life sentences of three men convicted in the high-profile murder case of Sreeleathers owner Ashish Dey.

The verdict, delivered on Tuesday by a division bench comprising Justice Anand Sen and Justice Gautam Kumar Choudhary, acquitted Jitendra Kumar Singh, Vinod Kumar Singh, and Amlesh Kumar Singh, who had been serving life sentences.

Previously, the court had also acquitted two other accused, Akhilesh Singh and Vikram Sharma, in this case.

In August 2024, the court heard arguments from both the convicted individuals and the state government before reserving its judgment.

This recent ruling now raises significant questions about the actual circumstances surrounding Ashish Dey’s murder and the credibility of the police investigation.

Questions Arise Over Murder Investigation

With the acquittal of all convicted individuals, doubts have resurfaced regarding who was truly responsible for Ashish Dey’s murder.

There is growing speculation that the police may have rushed or faced external pressures when formulating their initial theory.

As these three men are now exonerated, the public is left wondering why Ashish Dey, known for his friendly nature, was targeted and who the real perpetrators are.

Ashish Dey, aged 53, owned the renowned Sreeleathers company and Hotel Smita.

On the morning of November 2, 2007, he was shot dead by unknown assailants while on his way to his shop in Sakchi, Jamshedpur.

He was traveling on his TVS Victor motorcycle from his home near Aambagan Maidan when he was ambushed.

The assailants fired two shots at him near a speed breaker, hitting him in the back.

He fell near Spring Blooms School, where local residents rushed him to TMH Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Challenging the Life Sentences

The three men who were acquitted had been convicted by a lower court in Jamshedpur and sentenced to life imprisonment on September 17, 2011.

They were found guilty of murdering Ashish Dey, and their sentences were subsequently challenged in the High Court.

Now, with the High Court’s decision to overturn these sentences, new questions have emerged about the investigation’s integrity and who was truly behind the murder.