Mumbai: Caught after 37 years, man is acquitted in murder case

MUMBAI: Over 37 years after he was accused of murder, a now 60-year-old Cuffe Parade labourer has been acquitted for lack of evidence.
A sessions court acquitted Prakash Ratan on Friday. He was arrested earlier this year after he was absconding for decades. “The entire evidence adduced against him, even if accepted as it is, it still has nothing incriminating the accused. This being so, the accused cannot be held guilty for the offence he is charged with,” the court said. The prosecution’s case is that on September 29, 1984, a cop on patrolling duty in Trombay saw an injured man and boy lying on the road. The boy, Ankush Dhone, said that six men had assaulted him and the man, Akhtar Kazi. The duo were rushed to hospital, but Kazi was declared brought dead.
It was alleged that Ratan was also among the accused. Over the years, one accused was discharged, another died and three were acquitted.
During the trial, only a cop deposed. “It is to be stated that despite many chances, the prosecution could not secure the presence of injured Ankush. Even during the earlier trials he was not examined, being not traceable. The evidence of most crucial witness is thus not available,” the court said.