Four held for murder let off, get benefit of doubt

THANE: Four persons, including a couple from Mumbra, who had been accused of a woman's murder, were acquitted by a sessions court. The court gave them the benefit of doubt on grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the charges.

The court acquitted Mohammed Ansari 33, his wife Sana, 31, Rashid Shaikh, 33 and AfrinKhan, 31. They were accused of the cold-blooded murder of RabiaKhan 30, in 2010.

The prosecutor told the court that the fourtrespassed into the house around 10.30am and brutally killed her with a sharp knife and robbed a gold chain. The prosecution said that accused Afrin was the second wife of the complainant, Babar Khan, and the victim Rabia his first wife. The prosecution said there was enmity between the two women and so Afrin roped in the others to kill Rabia.

A murder case was lodged by the dead woman's husband.

The defence counsel told the court that the accused were falsely implicated.and that no chain of events was established in the prosecution's case.

Judge Vilas Bambarde's order said there was nothing incriminating to link the accused to the murder. "The prosecution has not brought any evidence to infer that the accused had any intention to kill Rabia," the judge stated in his order. He also pointed to several flaws in the prosecution's case.