PGIMER sweeper’s murder: Three years on, victim’s wife, 3 others acquitted

While the prosecution had contended that the victim’s wife threw chilli powder on him, defence argued there was no chilli on his body as per the post-mortem report

Three years after a 34-year-old man, who worked at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) as a sweeper, was murdered, a district court on Thursday acquitted all four accused, including the victim’s wife.

The prosecution had contended that Seema, the wife of the victim, Laxman, was conspiring to kill him as she was having an affair with one of the co-accused, Virender, alias Ajay, of Mauli Jagran, who was the couple’s neighbour. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The prosecution had contended that Seema, the wife of the victim, Laxman, was conspiring to kill him as she was having an affair with one of the co-accused, Virender, alias Ajay, of Mauli Jagran, who was the couple’s neighbour.

The court was told that Laxman had heated arguments with Ajay. It was alleged that Seema took her husband to a forested area where she threw chilli powder in his eyes, following which Ajay and two other men allegedly attacked Laxman with a sharp-edged weapon near Mauli Jagran.

On the complaint of an eyewitness, a murder case was registered against the four accused on February 18, 2019. The accused’s counsel, advocate Manjit Singh, argued, “The prosecution’s whole case is based on the allegation that the woman threw chilli powder on her husband. But the post-mortem report does not mention the presence of chilli powder on the deceased’s body.”

He also said that there was no evidence to show that the couple was fighting or the victim doubted his wife. After hearing both sides, the court of additional sessions judge Jaibir Singh acquitted the accused.