Two acquitted of murder charge

The sessions court acquitted Fahad Fiyaz Shaikh (20) and Salim Abdul Akhtar (21) who were charged with abducting and murdering a 14-year-old Kurla boy after the prosecution failed to link them to the crime.

The sessions court acquitted Fahad Fiyaz Shaikh (20) and Salim Abdul Akhtar (21) who were charged with abducting and murdering a 14-year-old Kurla boy after the prosecution failed to link them to the crime.

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“The police had given two versions why Class 10 student Amandeep Baniwat was killed,” said defence lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan.

After Amandeep went missing on May 18, 2009, his father filed a missing person’s complaint with the Vinoba Bhave police station. Nine days later, Amandeep’s body was found at Khalapur in Raigad.

The police first said that Amandeep was close to the duo’s cousin and they were against it. The police had then claimed that the duo had asked Amandeep to accompany them for a trip to Khalapur, where they killed him.

Later the police said Shaikh, Akhtar and Amandeep had committed a robbery and when a dispute arose regarding sharing of loot, they killed him at Khalapur. Police had arrested a minor along with Shaikh and Akhtar.

The court acquitted Fahad and Salim for lack of evidence and prosecution’s failure to prove the case. The trial of the third accused, who was minor at the time of arrest, is pending in the juvenile court.