On 2 March 2023, the Hathras district court, in its decision, acquitted three of the four accused, Ramu, Luvkush, and Ravi. The fourth, Sandeep, was convicted for the offences of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (IPC Section 304) and provisions under the SC/ST Act, but not for rape and murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹50,000. The defense and the prosecution have both appealed against the verdict in the Allahabad High Court. The Uttar Pradesh Police has been criticized by the CBI for inaction and delay in collecting samples as well as other evidence, eventually botching up the investigation, which led to the acquittal.
