S. Dashwanth, 30, who was accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Chennai’s Mangadu area in 2017, was released from Central Prison-I, Puzhal on Thursday night, following Supreme Court orders.

He had been lodged in Central Prison for the past eight years after he was arrested. In 2018, the Mahila Court in Chengalpattu, which is the trial court in the case, convicted him for offences and sentenced him to death. Subsequently, the Madras High Court had confirmed the verdict of trial court the same year.

However, the Supreme Court, in its recent judgment, pointed out serious lapses in the trial process and investigation, including the absence of fair legal representation and inconsistencies in evidence, such as missing CCTV footage and unreliable witness statements. Following the receipt of the Supreme Court’s acquittal order, prison authorities completed the formalities and released Dashwanth from Puzhal Prison on Thursday night, ending his eight-year incarceration, said prison officials.