Murder convicts acquitted by HC

Three persons, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a man, have been acquitted by the Delhi High Court which rejected the testimony of the victim's wife that her husband's business rivals stabbed him to death.

Three persons, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a man, have been acquitted by the Delhi High Court which rejected the testimony of the victim's wife that her husband's business rivals stabbed him to death.

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Allowing a joint appeal filed by Pawan Kumar, Rajesh alias Babloo and Rajendra Diwan Singh, a Division Bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog said, "Usha Rani (wife) has named appellants because of conviction in her mind that only they could have caused the injuries to her husband."

Setting aside the conviction order passed by the trial court which held these persons guilty in March 2005 after relying on the statement of victim's wife, the Bench said "on learning that her husband had been fatally stabbed it was natural for the mind of a wife to think as to who could possibly be the offender".

The court said that Rani pointed her finger towards Pawan, Rajesh and Rajender as Pawan had assaulted her husband on previous occasion.

Directing the release of the accused from jail immediately, the Bench also accepted that the dagger, used in the crime, was sent for CFSL test. There was no human blood found on the weapon as per the report.

According to the police, the accused were arrested in September 2002 for killing Rani's husband near her house.