Defence seeks adjournment,court says start cross examination of witness

The prosecution has examined 28 witnesses and the cross-examination on behalf of the accused was conducted by a person whose ‘sanad’ is under scrutiny…the cross-examination was not conducted properly and therefore great prejudice has been caused to the defense of accused… The accused must be given a fair opportunity of defending themselves and therefore in view of above circumstances it is necessary to re-examine some witnesses,the application said.

This case was in the last stages of trial and the order would have been pronounced at least a month ago,had Kawachale not faked his law degree and sanad,said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. “However,re-examination of witnesses would mean a delay of at least three to four months unless the court decides to run the case on daily basis,” the prosecution said. The Jyotikumari case had been ordered to be expedited by the Bombay High Court in 2009.

Jyotikumari Choudhary,22,working with Wipro BPO,was found strangled. The veins of her right hand was found ruptured. The accused Borate,who worked as driver of the pick-up cab,was drunk when he picked her up. He along with his accomplice Kokate confessed to have raped and killed Choudhary.