Thane, Jan 14 (PTI) A court in Thane has cleared four men of the attempted murder and rioting charges after nearly 12 years, following the prosecution's failure to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Additional Sessions Court in Than passed the acquittal order on Monday.
The victim, Ganesh Gupta, was assaulted with sharp weapons on July 1, 2014, in Wagle Estate, Thane, over previous enmity, according to the prosecution.
The accused persons were booked on charges of attempted murder, rioting, and theft.
After hearing the submissions by the defence and prosecution and the testimony of seven witnesses, including the victim and the complainant, Judge A.S. Bhagwat found significant inconsistencies in the case.
The cross-examination disclosed that the complainant had not described the weapons or the clothing of the accused in his initial statement. Furthermore, the defence argued that the victim himself had criminal cases pending against him and that the allegations were politically motivated.
Defence counsels Adv. Hemlata Deshmukh and Adv. Raj Dalvi, appearing for the accused, punched holes in the prosecution.
"As the allegations against accused 1 to 4 are not proved, they are entitled to be acquitted in this case," the court stated.
All four accused, who were arrested in July 2014 and later released on bail, have now been cleared of all charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. PTI COR NSK
