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Murder Case Dropped Due to Police Negligence
22 Sep
Summary
- Accused acquitted in a 20-year-old murder case.
- Police investigation deemed negligent; evidence mishandled.
- Court cited incomplete eyewitness testimony and unverified cause of death.
An additional sessions court in Ghaziabad acquitted a man on Monday, ending a 20-year-old murder case. The court cited "negligence in investigation" by the police and incomplete examination of eyewitnesses by the prosecution as reasons for the failure to establish the allegations.
The incident occurred on October 18, 2006. The complainant alleged the accused had borrowed money and, on the due date, forced the complainant's wife to consume poison. She later died during treatment.
Police at Sihanigate police station initially refused to register the FIR. Following a court order, an FIR was lodged on January 16, 2007, and the accused was arrested.
However, the post-mortem doctor could not ascertain poisoning as the cause of death. Crucially, the deceased's viscera were preserved for lab testing but never sent, indicating significant investigative oversights.
During the trial, the court noted that while the complainant claimed his wife named the accused to police and a neighbor, the prosecution did not examine the neighbor. The court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the acquittal.
