Thane court acquits two labourers in murder case

A court in Maharashtra’s Thane has acquitted two labourers from Navi Mumbai in a 2020 murder case, saying the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.

Additional sessions court judge P M Gupta passed the order on March 27, which was made available on Saturday.

The two accused lived in the same locality as the victim Santosh Kasbe in Turbhe.

The prosecution informed the court that on January 20, 2020, the victim had left home for work and never returned and his mobile phone was found switched off.

Two days later, his body was found wrapped in a gunny bag in the locality.

According to the prosecution, the accused were having a drinking session at night when the victim arrived at the scene and a quarrel ensued. The accused allegedly bludgeoned the victim with a stone and hammer and killed him. The duo cleaned up the scene and stuffed the victim’s body in a gunny bag, it claimed.

The judge in his order noted that the incident had taken place around midnight, when people are generally asleep. The attack would have lasted for 10 to 15 minutes and neighbours would have heard the quarrel and the cries, the order stated. He further pointed out that the witnesses presented by the prosecution were not supporting the case and there was no direct, circumstantial or scientific evidence to prove that the accused had attempted to destroy evidence.