Thane court acquits man in 2018 murder case

Thane, May 23 (PTI) A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a 45-year-old man in a 2018 murder case, citing contradictions in witness testimonies and lack of reliable evidence.
    Judge S B Agrawal observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against the accused, Parmeshwar alias Pramod Sudamrao Patekar, beyond reasonable doubt.
    A copy of the order dated May 15 was made available on Friday.
    According to the prosecution, Patekar stabbed Siddharth Prakash Chandmare in the Wagle Estate area of Thane city on May 24, 2018, following a dispute over liquor.
    While informant Pravin Waghmare claimed he saw Patekar stab Chandmare, the judge noted contradictions in the first information report (FIR) and court testimony.
    "Apart from the informant, no one was there on the spot," the court noted, dismissing the presence of other eyewitnesses.
    Prosecution witnesses Asha Kambale and Neelam Chandmare (victim's sister) were found unreliable.
    The court also found inconsistencies in the recovery of the alleged murder weapon and noted that no medical opinion was taken on injuries found on the accused during the arrest.
    The judge concluded, "Material contradictions exist between the versions of the informant and witnesses. The genesis of the incident is unclear, and the prosecution has failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)