J&K HC acquits man in wife’s murder, cites flawed probe

SRINAGAR: J&K precocious tribunal precocious acquitted a antheral sentenced to beingness imprisonment for allegedly murdering his woman successful 2012, citing large flaws successful the probe and granting him payment of the doubt.The part seat overturned the 2015 condemnation by main sessions justice of Udhampur, ruling that the prosecution’s lawsuit was riddled with inconsistencies, unreliable evidence, and procedural lapses.Maan Chand, a nonmigratory of Ramnagar successful Jammu, had been convicted nether conception 302 of the now-repealed Ranbir Penal Code for the execution of his woman Kanta Devi connected the intervening nighttime of Oct 26–27 successful 2012. Prosecutors claimed helium attacked her with a bamboo instrumentality and sickle aft objecting to an alleged extra-marital relationship, and past acceptable her and the bedding connected occurrence utilizing kerosene from a lamp.The seat questioned the credibility of the grounds presented. “There were inconsistencies regarding the benignant of weapons used, the quality of injuries, and contradictions successful betterment of the alleged limb of offence,” the precocious tribunal said.Autopsy procedures were besides called into question. It was conducted successful a backstage residence, with conflicting reasons offered by the doctor, witnesses, and investigating officer.

The doc wasn’t shown the alleged execution limb and issued the autopsy study 22 days aft examination. The seat said helium failed to explicate however helium remembered circumstantial coiled details aft specified a delay.The tribunal flagged inconsistencies successful the timeline of Chand’s apprehension and discrepancies successful witnesser and constabulary accounts of visits to the transgression scene. It besides said that nary grounds was submitted to enactment the assertion of Kanta Devi’s alleged infidelity — mainstay of the prosecution’s motive narrative.A important facet overlooked by the proceedings court, the seat said, was the beingness of the couple’s 2.5-year-old son, who allegedly suffered burns connected his back. “No effort was made to see why, if the accused was contiguous during the crime, helium didn’t rescue his son,” the judges wrote.Quoting Aristotle, the seat remarked: “A begetter would instinctively hazard his beingness to prevention his child.” He criticised the proceedings tribunal for failing to measurement this earthy paternal instinct.The seat allowed the appeal, acceptable speech the little court’s judgement and acquitted Chand of each charges. “He shall beryllium acceptable astatine liberty forthwith, if not required successful immoderate different case,” the bid said.