Panvel Court Acquits Two Men Accused Of Murder At Farmhouse After 14 Years, Cites Lack Of Evidence

A Panvel court has acquitted two men accused in connection with the murder of four men at a farmhouse in the Chinchavali area 14 years ago. The accused, identified as Ramdas Govind Patil (42) and Surendrakumar Rajmani Shukla (59), were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Additional Sessions Judge Santosh R Chavan reportedly observed that the prosecution had failed to produce sufficient evidence to establish a conspiracy or recover the weapons allegedly used in the attack.

Proceedings against two other men, Chandrakant Waghmare and Sanjay Khutle, were dropped as they died while the trial was underway.

What Happened In 2012?

The four men who died were identified as Ramdas Patil,  Balaram Tople, Nitin Joshi, and Pritham Gharat, Mid Day reported.

Investigators alleged that the main accused, Waghmare, had lured the victims by promising a "money-rain" scheme that would turn Rs 1 lakh into crores. He allegedly asked the victims to bring a large amount of cash to the farmhouse before killing them.

Following the incident, police recovered approximately Rs 2.99 lakh, clothing, a motorcycle and keys based on Waghmare's statement. However, the court observed that the prosecution had failed to establish a link between the surviving accused and the murders.

Prosecution Fails To Establish Firearm Transfer Chain

The prosecution relied heavily on the alleged movement of firearms among the accused. According to reports, the prosecution claimed that Shukla supplied the weapon to Khutle, who passed it to Ramdas Govind Patil. The weapon was then allegedly handed over to Waghmare to carry out the murders, according to Mid Day.

The prosecution argued that despite Waghmare's death during the trial, the evidence collected was sufficient to establish the surviving duo's involvement in the alleged weapon supply chain.

However, the defence maintained that no evidence linked the surviving accused to the firearm transfers or the murders. It argued that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Court Acquits Both Accused Due To Lack Of Evidence

After examining the evidence, the court held that the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged chain of firearm transfers or prove the surviving accused's involvement in the killings.

The court observed that the prosecution had failed to link the surviving accused to the crime or prove the charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and Mumbai Police Act.

Both accused were acquitted under Section 235(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Their bail bonds were cancelled. However, each was directed under Section 437-A of the CrPC to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with surety to ensure their appearance before a higher court, whenever required.

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