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Mumbai Court: Flawed Probe Acquits Murder Suspect
27 Oct
Summary
- Accused acquitted after spending over five years in jail.
- Court cited flaws in investigation and CCTV evidence.
- No direct eyewitness or conclusive forensic evidence found.
A sessions court in Mumbai on Tuesday acquitted Mohammed Shaikh, who had spent more than five years in jail, in a murder and robbery case. The court found the entire investigation process to be questionable and aimed at implicating the accused, who was charged with the murder of railway commuter Niraj Jaiswar in 2021.
Additional Sessions Judge R S Aradhye stated that the prosecution miserably failed to establish the chain of circumstances and showed no compliance regarding CCTV footage. The court noted inconsistencies in timings between the accused allegedly cleaning a knife and the deceased being seen alive around the same period. Furthermore, CCTV footage was not shown to family members or independent witnesses for identification, rendering recognition insufficient.
The prosecution alleged Shaikh robbed and murdered Jaiswar, relying on CCTV footage and recovered items. However, the court found no direct eyewitness or "last seen" evidence. The recovery of crime-related articles from the accused's brother, who was not examined, also raised concerns. The court noted deficiencies in electronic evidence without mandatory certificates and inconclusive forensic reports, ultimately leading to Shaikh's acquittal.
