Thane court acquits two watchmen in 2021 murder case

Thane, Dec 9 (PTI) A Thane court district has acquitted two security guards accused of murdering a 19-year-old man in 2021 in the Mira Road area, noting the prosecution has failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Principal District and Sessions Judge S B Agrawal on Monday acquitted the two security guards, Subhash Bijali Pandey (56) and Amit Ranjitkumar Tiwari (43), who worked as watchmen at different residential buildings in Mira Road, a distant suburb of Mumbai.

The judgment in the case was delivered nearly four years after an FIR was registered in connection with the killing of the victim, Abhishek Mansingh, a local resident.

The two accused were charged under sections 302 (murder), 504 (intentional Insult), and 506 (criminal Intimidation) read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The prosecution alleged that the murder, which occurred on May 29, 2021, near gates of a residential building, was precipitated by a quarrel over drinking water two days prior. The victim died from stab injuries to his chest and stomach.

Defence lawyer Sagar Kolhe vehemently contested the charges levelled against the duo and punched holes in prosecution arguments.

Judge Agrawal concluded that the prosecution failed to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt, specifically noting the unreliable nature of key eyewitness and lack of conclusive forensic evidence.

The court found that the evidence of crucial eyewitness Vikas Mehta and housing society chairman Kapil Jain was insufficient, noting both their accounts of the victim's "oral dying declaration" were improvements not initially reported to the police.

Furthermore, forensic analysis of the CCTV footage was inconclusive regarding the identity of the assailants, noted the court.

The court also cast doubts on the recovery of the weapon used in the crime and clothes at the instance of accused Tiwari due to discrepancies in timings. PTI COR RSY