Mumbai: In a 34-year-old case of a woman being allegedly set ablaze by a man whose matrimonial proposal she had refused, the sessions court has acquitted the latter, Desmand Miranda, now 64 years old, as the original papers have been lost and key witnesses have died. The incident dates back to 1990, following which the man went absconding; he was arrested on September 12 last year by the Vakola police.
The victim, Natalin, was Miranda’s friend Canote’s sister. The case was registered by Natalin’s brother-in-law, Joseph alias Jobo Paul Coutinho. It was claimed that Natalin’s husband had died 11 years prior to the incident, leaving behind a young daughter. As per Coutinoh’s complaint, on November 11, 1990, he was at his house, when he heard a neighbour running towards Natalin’s house.
When he reached there, he found Natalin lying with severe burn injuries. She was rushed to Sion Hospital for treatment. In her statement to police, she said she attempted to die by suicide. However, on November 15, 1990, Coutinho claimed that she confided in him that Miranda had proposed marriage but she refused, which angered him and he set her on fire. Coutinoh claimed she told him that while she was being taken to the hospital, Miranda threatened her not disclose the incident or else he would cut her mother’s legs.
Miranda was arrested the same day and released on bail on December 6 that year. Meanwhile, Natalin died on November 16. After being released on bail, Miranda absconded. In October 2025, when the court decided to begin the trial, it was found that the prosecution had not produced the original FIR, panchnama, police papers or the post-mortem notes. The prosecution examined Coutinho and Natalin’s daughter, but they were not the eyewitnesses.
The court noted that the key witnesses were reported to be dead. The court said that the alleged dying declaration of Natalin has not been proven by examining any witness. It found the evidence available on record not sufficient to prove the charge against the accused. Acquitting Miranda, the court also noted that neither kerosene residue nor any injuries, including burn marks, were found on the accused.
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