The Calcutta High Court today acquitted a man awarded capital punishment by a lower court and another sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of two women owing to lack of credible evidence against them.
A division bench comprising justices Ashim Kumar Roy and M M Banerjee set free Avik Ghosh and Somnath Tanti, who had been found guilty of murder by the sessions court in June, 2015.
Ghosh had been awarded death sentence by then Alipore Sessions Court for the murder of his wife Mousumi and housemaid Parulbala, while Tanti, a mason, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mousumi was found murdered at her residence on September 27, 2010 at Oxytown in the Thakurpukur police station area on the south-western outskirts of the metropolis.
On a complaint by Mousumi's father Ghosh, Tanti and three others were charged with murder.
It was alleged that Ghosh had employed Tanti and the three others to commit the crime and to make it look like a case of dacoity.
The Alipore sessions court had in June, 2015 found Ghosh and Tanti guilty of murder, while acquitting the three other accused persons.
Ghosh and Tanti moved appeals before the high court, claiming they were innocent and were framed.
After hearing the petitioners and the prosecution, the division bench acquitted both the persons owing to lack of credible evidence against them.
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