New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS): A court here has pulled up a Delhi Police investigating officer for a "shoddy," "manipulated," and seemingly deliberate attempt to protect the actual offender, who remains at large.

The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Dhirendra Rana, has acquitted three individuals in a 2014 murder case expressing suspicion that the case was related to human sacrifice rather than the initially proposed drug consumption theory.

The case involved the discovery of a decapitated and mutilated body in Bawana in December 2014, leading to the arrest of three individuals for the alleged murder.

The judge questioned the prosecution's claim that the victim and the accused were drug addicts and had an altercation over sharing contraband.

The court stressed on the absence of contraband in the blood samples and the lack of evidence supporting the prosecution's narrative.

It raised concerns about the alleged weapon, a blade, being used to mutilate the body in a manner inconsistent with typical murder cases.

The judge criticised the investigating officer for not tracing the victim's head and noted the victim's post-mortem report indicating signs of human sacrifice.

The court stated that the crime scene suggested occult practices, but the investigating officer chose not to explore this angle.

It acquitted the trio, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and criticised the investigation for doing injustice to both the deceased and the accused.

Highlighting the failure to apprehend the actual killer, the court directed the deputy commissioner of police to take suitable departmental action against the investigating officer.