Thane Court Acquits Man In 25-Year-Old Murder Case Over Lack Of Evidence
A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a 46-year-old man accused of murdering a woman 25 years ago, citing lack of evidence and unreliable witness testimony.
Sessions judge S B Agrawal acquitted Shambhubhai Manubhai Rawal of charges under sections 302 (murder), 452 (house trespass), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
A copy of the order dated July 23 was made available on Thursday.
The sessions court had earlier acquitted Kundan Rawal, the husband of the victim Kunda Rawal, for her murder. In 2020, Rawal's associate Shambhubhai was arrested, and a fresh trial was initiated.
The prosecution claimed that Kundan Rawal had conspired with Shambhubhai and a third accused, Suresh Nhavi (absconding), to murder his wife.
Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, a relative who allegedly overheard the murder conspiracy, claimed that Kundan Rawal had offered Rs 5,000 to have his wife killed.
On the day of the incident on February 17, 2000, Kundan Rawal had informed police that on returning home around 1.30 pm, his children reported their mother was missing. She was later found unconscious near the bathroom.
A postmortem revealed death by asphyxia, along with abrasions on her neck and bruises on her jaw and forearm, suggesting crime.
Judge Agrawal said Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, who, according to the prosecution, had illicit relations with Kundan Rawal and was the cause of the murder, had not supported the argument about conspiracy.
The judge also noted the absence of direct evidence tying the accused to the crime.
Additionally, two of the key prosecution witnesses - the dead woman's relatives Rakesh Rawal and Satishkumar Rawal - were not eyewitnesses and relied solely on hearsay, he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
10 hours ago
- News18
Police arrest key accused in 2014 Bejai shootout linked to Ravi Pujari gang
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 27 (PTI) A fugitive accused in the 2014 shootout at Bharati Builders' office in Bejai, Mangaluru– allegedly orchestrated by associates of underworld gangster Ravi Pujari–has been arrested after nearly a decade on the run, police said on Sunday. Acting on reliable inputs and under the guidance of the City Police Commissioner, a team from Urwa Police Station, including Inspector Venugopal and constables Pramod, Narayan, and Govindraj, apprehended the accused Ganesh Sakat in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, Police said in a release. Sakat was produced before the court, and has been remanded to judicial custody, it said. The case, registered at Urwa Police Station, under sections 447 (Criminal trespass), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act. The accused, a native of Karad in Maharashtra's Satara district, had been absconding since 2015 after failing to appear before the JMFC 3rd Court in Mangaluru, which subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest. Police revealed that the accused is also wanted in another case registered at Kavoor Police Station. Additionally, he faces charges under the Arms Act in Karad, Maharashtra. Further investigation is underway, the police said. PTI COR KSU KH view comments First Published: July 27, 2025, 22:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Police arrest man convicted of killing his daughters after four years on the run
A 70-year-old man convicted in the 1999 murders of his two minor daughters and the attempted murder of a third was arrested on Friday after evading custody for four years, the Delhi Police said. The man, identified by police as Hamidullah Bundu Khan, a former resident of Old Mustafabad in northeast Delhi, was located and arrested by the Crime Branch at his residence in Loni, Ghaziabad. Authorities said he had been granted parole while serving a 20-year sentence and subsequently absconded. 'After sustained intelligence gathering, the team successfully apprehended the convict, despite his repeated attempts to evade capture by frequently changing his hideouts,' said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam. He added that the arrest was made possible through a combination of technical surveillance, human intelligence, and specific leads. According to police, the case dates back to July 30, 1999, when Khan's eldest daughter reported to the Gokulpuri police station that her father had attempted to poison her and her two younger sisters the previous night. She told officers that Khan had returned home around 10.30 pm on July 29 and given each of his daughters a capsule, claiming it would help with a stomach ailment. The capsules, she described, were blue on the outside and white on the inside. The eldest daughter told police that when she questioned her father, saying she alone had stomach pain, he insisted all three girls take the medicine. Suspecting something was wrong, she pretended to ingest the capsule but hid it under her tongue. She told police she then saw her father forcibly administer the capsules to her younger sisters. The two younger children collapsed shortly after, displaying poisoning symptoms, including labored breathing and frothing at the mouth, according to the police report. The eldest daughter said she ran to alert neighbours, but by the time they returned to the house, Khan had fled. All three children were taken to a hospital, where the two younger girls were pronounced dead. The eldest daughter also exhibited symptoms but survived. Khan was arrested the following day, July 31, 1999, and later convicted under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code. He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Police said that after being released on parole four years ago, Khan failed to return and remained untraceable, avoiding known contacts and frequently changing his location.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
30 yrs on, man acquitted of abetting his wife's suicide
Mumbai: Nearly three decades after being convicted of abetting his wife's suicide by being cruel and harassing her about her complexion, among other things, a shepherd, then 23, was acquitted by Bombay high court. Domestic quarrels, including remarks about complexion and threats of a second marriage, do not constitute criminal harassment under the law, observed Justice S M Modak, who on July 11 set the man free. Quashing the man's conviction and five-year rigorous imprisonment for suicide abetment under section 306 of erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC) and one-year rigorous imprisonment for cruelty to his wife under section 498A, IPC, Justice Modak, sitting singly, said, "The legislature contemplates that every dispute, quarrel, or altercation arising from matrimonial life are not criminal offences. It will take the colour of criminal law only when there are no alternatives for the wife but to put an end to her life because of the harassment. " You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai In 1998, following his conviction, the man appealed before HC. He was in Satara jail at the time and later out on bail. The conviction was unsupported by evidence, HC said and criticised the trial court for having "forgotten basic principles and ingredients of section 306 of IPC (suicide abetment)". Abetment needs to be proved for suicide, HC said. On record, though wife "was being taunted on account of her complexion, I do not think that it will fall within the explanation to section 498-A..." said Justice Modak. The prosecution also failed to prove the wife's suicide was due to harassment. The shepherd's father, also a co-accused, complained of her cooking, it was alleged. The marriage was in 1993, and the wife died in Jan 1998. Both sides shared the wedding expenses, HC noted, and there was no dowry demand. As a goatherd, he was away from home, "for a long time" and she would go to her mother's house, complain about harassment, and ended her life one day, HC noted. There seemed to be quarrels arising out of matrimonial life. "They are domestic quarrels," HC said and offence of cruelty requires husband's wilful conduct to be "of a high degree," which HC said in the case could not be considered so high as to compel the suicide. "...the judgment of the trial court cannot be sustained in the eyes of the law," HC held and acquitted the husband.
