By: Mahesh Chander Sharma
Mandi: A fast-track court here acquitted two accused from village Maramsit of Balh valley in Mandi district, in a murder case. JN Yadav, presiding officer of Mandi fast-track court, held that the prosecution miserably failed to prove the case against the accused and ordered that they be immediately set free. Both these accuse were in police custody since March 5, 2009.
As per the prosecution, on the night of March 4, Satinder (deceased) and Inder, both resident of village Naili, picked up a quarrel with Anil Kumar, afterwards both followed Anil Kumar up to his house. The accused then attacked him with a sickle and injured him seriously. The victim succumbed to his injuries while being taken to PGI Chandigarh. Police registered an FIR under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code on the statement of the deceased’s brother Hukam Singh and arrested both the accused and the blood-stained sickle was also recovered. The prosecution examined 18 witnesses to prove its case, including relatives of deceased, independent witnesses and police witnesses.
The court accepted the argument of defence counsel that the evidence produced by the prosecution was not trustworthy as the deceased’s brother had not named the accused when asked by police at Civil Hospital, Sundernagar, but did so later on in order to implicate the accused.
According to the defence, the deceased along with Inder Singh were heavily drunk and had been picking up quarrel with every passer-by on that day and might have been killed by some one else.