HC acquits man given life term for murder

Mayur’s father Harishchandra had stated that his son was thrashed by a mob, which thought he was a thief.

The Bombay High Court recently acquitted a man convicted for murder and facing life imprisonment, giving him “benefit of the doubt”.

The order by a bench comprising Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice P V Hardas came on an appeal filed by Kandivali (east) resident Sanjay Yadav, who was arrested on December 15, 2010, along with another suspect Ashish for killing one Mayur. While Ashish was acquitted by a sessions court, Yadav was convicted on April 18, 2012, and awarded life term.

According to prosecution, Mayur’s father Harishchandra had stated that his son was thrashed by a mob, which thought he was a thief. He also stated that when he asked Mayur, who was lying on the ground injured, he pointed towards Sanjay Yadav as his assailant. When he asked why Mayur was not taken to police station and assaulted instead, Yadav said the police would have ignored the incident of theft.

“There is absolutely no evidence that it was the appellant (Yadav) who had assaulted Mayur, it is obvious that the crowd had,” the court said. “Thus, in our opinion, the appellant is entitled to benefit of the doubt,” the HC said while setting aside Yadav’s conviction. It also said the prosecution did not produce any evidence to prove that theft had been committed in Yadav’s house by Mayur and that the latter had been apprehended by Yadav.

aamir.khan@expressindia.com

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is the Head-Legal Project for Indian Express Digital, based in New Delhi. With over 14 years of professional experience, Aamir's background as a legal professional and a veteran journalist allows him to bridge the gap between complex judicial proceedings and public understanding. Expertise Specialized Legal Authority: Aamir holds an LLB from CCS University, providing him with the formal legal training necessary to analyze constitutional matters, statutes, and judicial precedents with technical accuracy. Experience Press Trust of India (PTI): Served as News Editor, where he exercised final editorial judgment on legal stories emerging from the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts for the nation's primary news wire. Bar and Bench: As Associate Editor, he led the vanguard of long-form legal journalism, conducting exclusive interviews and producing deep-dive investigative series on the most pressing legal issues of the day. Foundational Reporting: His expertise is built on years of "boots-on-the-ground" reporting for The Indian Express (Print) and The Times of India, covering the legal beats in the high-intensity hubs of Mumbai and Delhi. Multidisciplinary Academic Background: * LLB, CCS University. PG Diploma in Journalism (New Media), Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. BSc in Life Sciences and Chemistry, Christ College, Bangalore—an asset for reporting on environmental law, patent litigation, and forensic evidence. ... Read More

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