In a significant ruling, the Thane District Court has acquitted two individuals, Imran Akhtar Sayyad and Anant Jairam Bhagat, in connection with a 2015 attempted murder case. The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Amit M Shete, found the evidence presented against the accused to be insufficient to warrant a conviction.
The case stemmed from an incident on August 31, 2015, in Kalwa, where Sandeep Gadekar was allegedly attacked by a group wielding weapons. Gadekar suffered serious injuries to his head, neck, and abdomen and required hospitalization. Following the attack, the Kalwa police initiated charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including unlawful assembly, rioting, rioting armed with a deadly weapon, attempt to murder, and house trespass to assault.
During the trial, discrepancies emerged in Gadekar’s testimony compared to his initial statements to the police, which raised doubts about the reliability of the prosecution’s case. Additionally, the court considered the criminal background of the victim and his family, noting that Gadekar had previously been externed due to his involvement in criminal activities.
Judge Shete, in his verdict dated January 13 but released on Monday, highlighted these inconsistencies and the overall lack of compelling evidence to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. He also instructed the police to continue their efforts to capture any remaining fugitives related to the case and to prepare a separate chargesheet against them.
