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Journalism of Courage
Wife cut into two, police crack case in six days
Arunkumar R Sharma, a Kamathipura resident, was accused of killing his wife Reshma on suspicion of infidelity on March 4, 1998. He was arrested on March 11 and produced before the additional sessions judge S P Kukday, who rejected his bail plea on April 21, 1998 considering the seriousness and brutality of the crime.
However, noticing blood seeping out of the suitcases, Kalbhor put them into a gunny bag and dumped it on the footpath near the airforce police station on March 7. Head police constable Ashok Desai came across the bags during a patrol and reported the matter to his seniors.
Police sub-inspector K B Pandey who took over the investigations was quickly able to trace the chain of events. After recording the statements of Kavita, Nanaware and Kalbhor, the police arrested Sharma from Samtanagar, Antop Hill on March 11. The accused was put in police custody after Reshma8217;s blood was collected from their Kamathipura residence. Deshumkh further submitted that there was circumstantial evidence against Sharma.
Sharma8217;s counsel Ashok Sarogi had argued that the investigating officer himself does not know what case to make against Sharma. He added that the bagsfound by the police did not belong to Sharma adding that circumstantial evidence was not enough reason to detain Sharma.
13 acquitted in Sena activist8217;s killing
The accused, affiliated with the Congress, along with an accomplice who later died, had assaulted upskakha pramukh Sakharam Surve with choppers, knives, sticks after damaging a few shops, stalls. Special Public Prosecutor Vishwas Patil said the accused belonged to Bhimnagar area, while Surve belonged to Afzalnagar, and clashes between residents of the two areas were frequent. Apart from assaulting Surve, his wife and a neighbour Harilal were also assaulted when they intervened. Their statements were subsequently treated as the First Information Report. Although Surve8217;s wife had first named seven accused, during examination, she could get only two namescorrect, as a result of which all the accused managed to secure bail in the case. Special Public Prosecutor Vishwas Patil appeared for the state.
Businessmen acquitted
Ambalal Soni and Ganesh Walke were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI along with an officer of Marine Preventive Wing of the Customs, Nyaynirgude, on May 30, 1994, after a trap was laid as per a complaint by another businessman Ganpat Mehta. However, the officer was not arrested, as no money was recovered from him. CBI sleuths recovered Rs 2,000 from Soni, and consequently, the accused were later released on bail.
The trial commenced on April 15 this year. Following the non-appearance of the complainant Mehta, the CBI issued twowarrants on April 21 and 29 to him. However, both the warrants went unserved as Mehta was unavailable. The judge observed that even though the Investigation officers had made all efforts to bring the complainant, the trial cannot be indefinitely put off or prolonged for want of the complainant.
On April 29, the CBI moved an application for issuance of proclamation against Mehta, which was rejected following objections raised by advocates for the accused, Sameer Rajguru and R N Pandya.
In his order, the judge acquitted the accused of all charges citing lack of evidence. However, he issued a show-cause notice to Mehta for unnecessary exercise of the state machinery, the court and the CBI for his own purpose. The judge also stated that in the future, complainants taking the support of investigating agencies should have a fit case against the accused. The judge added that the accused are free to press prosecution charges against Mehta. Special public prosecutor B B Badami appeared for the CBI, while SameerRajguru appeared for Ambalal Soni and RNs Pandya appeared for Walke.
