The sessions court in Maharashtra`s Thane has acquitted three men who were accused of killing a woman and her four minor children over 30 years ago, reported news agency PTI.
In his order of October 17, a copy of which was made available on Wednesday, Additional Sessions Judge V G Mohite said the prosecution had failed to establish the chain of circumstantial evidence linking the accused to the crime, reported PTI.
According to Thane court papers, Rajnarayan Shivcharan Prajapati`s wife and their four children were found murdered inside their locked house at Marwad Chawl in Penkarpada of Kashimira area on November 16, 1994.
Based on Prajapati`s complaint, a case was registered against 48-year-old Sahablal Amarnath Chauhan, Vijay Ramavaidh (53) and Sanjay Ramavaidh (51). The complainant said the accused were their neighbours, reported PTI.
It was alleged that the elder brother of one of the accused had molested the complainant`s wife, resulting in a dispute. Though it was settled, the accused held a grudge against his family, Prajapati told the police, reported PTI.
While the police filed a chargesheet in 1997, the case gained momentum with the arrest of the accused between 2022 and 2023. Advocates Deepak Thakur and Sagar Kolhe represented the defendants.
The prosecution relied entirely on circumstantial evidence as there were no witnesses to the crime.
The Thane court said the prosecution has not proved that the accused were neighbours of the complainant at the time of the incident. While the motive of the commission of the offence is not established, no weapon or incriminating article was seized, the judge said.
“The conduct of the complainant before the court while recording his evidence is very casual and unnatural,” the court said, acquitting all three accused, reported PTI.
The accused persons, who have been in jail since their arrest in 2022 and 2023, were ordered to be released forthwith if not required in any other case.
Court acquits two accused in 2023 murder case, cites gaps in circumstantial evidence
In another casse, a Thane court has acquitted two men accused of the murder of a person in 2023, noting the prosecution failed to prove the complete chain of circumstantial evidence required to establish the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt, reported PTI.
The court acknowledged that the victim had suffered a homicidal death, a fact proven by the postmortem notes and the testimony of a prosecution witness and the deceased`s daughter.
However, Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal noted significant flaws in the other links of the circumstantial chain, leading to the acquittal, reported PTI.
A copy of the order, dated October 17, was made available on October 20.
(With inputs from PTI)
