Thane: In Maharashtra's Thane district, a court has cleared a 46-year-old man of murder charges related to a woman's death 25 years ago, citing insufficient evidence and untrustworthy witness accounts.
Sessions judge S B Agrawal found Shambhubhai Manubhai Rawal not guilty of charges under sections 302 (murder), 452 (house trespass), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. A copy of the order from July 23 was provided on Thursday.
The sessions court previously cleared Kundan Rawal, the spouse of the victim Kunda Rawal, of charges in her murder. In 2020, Rawal's partner Shambhubhai was apprehended, and a new trial began.
The prosecution alleged that Kundan Rawal conspired with Shambhubhai and a third suspect, Suresh Nhavi (who is absconding), to kill his wife. Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, a family member who reportedly heard the murder plot, stated that Kundan Rawal had proposed Rs 5,000 to have his wife eliminated.
On February 17, 2000, the day of the incident, Kundan Rawal told the police that when he got home at approximately 1:30 pm, his children said their mother was gone. Later, she was discovered unresponsive close to the bathroom.
An autopsy indicated death by asphyxiation, accompanied by neck abrasions and bruises on her jaw and forearm, implying foul play. Judge Agrawal stated that Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, who the prosecution claimed had an affair with Kundan Rawal and was responsible for the murder, did not corroborate the conspiracy argument.
The judge remarked on the lack of direct proof linking the defendant to the offense. Furthermore, two principal witnesses for the prosecution - the deceased woman's relatives Rakesh Rawal and Satishkumar Rawal - did not witness the events firsthand and depended only on hearsay, he stated.
