Gzb court clears teen of murder charges, cites lack of evidence

The case involved allegations that the then 17-year-old accused shot the victim, a Class 10 student, in the head with his father’s licensed revolver on December 20, 2017, while she was on her way to coaching classes around 6.30pm.

A Ghaziabad court has acquitted a man accused of shooting dead a 17-year-old girl in Vasundhara in December 2017, citing a lack of forensic evidence and credible witness testimony, officials said.

Police had claimed that the accused later attempted to shoot himself with the same weapon, sustaining injuries.

The case, linked to Indirapuram police station, involved allegations that the then 17-year-old accused, a Class 11 student, shot the victim, a Class 10 student, in the head with his father’s licensed revolver on December 20, 2017, while she was on her way to coaching classes around 6.30pm. Police had also claimed that the accused later attempted to shoot himself with the same weapon, sustaining injuries.

An FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 309 (attempting suicide). The prosecution maintained that the revolver and four .32 calibre cartridges were recovered and sent for forensic analysis. However, the special judge (Pocso Act), Neeraj Gautam, in a September 26 judgement, said the report did not establish that the bullet recovered from the victim’s body was fired from the same weapon. Gautam in his September 26 judgement observed that the man was already acquitted under the charges of the Arms Act.

“It cannot be made out from the credible circumstantial evidence and witnesses that the victim was shot from the same revolver,” the court observed.

A prosecution lawyer, who requested anonymity, said, “The forensic analysis of the weapon could not prove that the same weapon was used during the crime. Further, there were many discrepancies in the evidence, which finally led to the acquittal of the man.”

The defence argued that it was a case of “honour killing” and alleged that one of the girl’s family members killed her and shot the accused. The court noted that the prosecution failed to produce its prime eyewitness, Shahzadi, and declined to consider testimonies of four other witnesses as direct accounts.

Observing the absence of call detail records and direct evidence, the court said the accused must be acquitted on the benefit of the doubt. He was cleared of all charges under Sections 302 and 309 IPC, and a release order was issued.