A Thane court in Maharashtra has acquitted all three accused in the robbery, rape and murder of a woman that took place four years ago, reported the PTI.
The verdict was pronounced on Tuesday by Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal, who stated that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the trio, according to the PTI.
As per the police case, the incident had occurred in July 2021 in the Bhayander area, where the woman was allegedly robbed of her jewellery, raped, and murdered at her home. One of the accused, a relative and former employee of the victim’s husband, faced additional charges of rape, while the other two were tried for murder and robbery.
Defence counsels MZG Sheikh, SC Chavan and Sagar Kolhe contested the allegations, highlighting “gaps” in the prosecution’s case, the news agency reported.
After considering both sides, the court concluded that the prosecution had not established a complete and unbroken chain of circumstances necessary to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt in a case based entirely on circumstantial evidence.
The court observed that the prosecution had failed to provide any substantial evidence linking the accused to the crime, which it described as a fundamental requirement.
It raised doubts over the credibility of the disclosure statement and the subsequent recovery of stolen items. The testimony of a goldsmith regarding the sale of jewellery was also deemed unproven, as the items sold did not match the complainant’s account.
Furthermore, a forensic report indicating the presence of one of the accused’s semen on the victim’s clothes was found unreliable due to improper handling and identification of the samples.
The court emphasised that, in a case relying solely on circumstantial evidence, the facts presented must form an unbroken chain pointing solely to the accused’s guilt — a standard the prosecution failed to meet. Consequently, all three accused were acquitted.
Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Thane court had acquitted a man accused of assaulting a woman traffic constable on a road in 2023, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution`s case and insufficient evidence, reported news agency PTI.
The prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the 24-year-old accused beyond a reasonable doubt, Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal said in the judgment on Tuesday.
The case stemmed from an incident on June 21, 2023, where Jadhav allegedly hit traffic constable Sangeeta Suryakant Kamble (Dhutade) at Kapurbavdi Circle in Maharashtra`s Thane city, and also verbally abused her after she photographed his motorcycle for a helmet violation, reported PTI.
(with PTI inputs)
