Bandipora: The court of Judicial Magistrate Towfeel Ahmad Mir acquitted three persons after a gap of 31years after the only surviving witness turned hostile.
The one-page judgement was announced Wednesday in a case (State of J&K versus Abdul Raheem Lone, Yusuf Lone and Shaban Lone, all residents of Athwatoo, Bandipora, in a case under an FIR No 56/1990 of Police Station Bandipora under sections 332, 380 and 457 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
Of the five witnesses in the case, four have died during the three decades while the fifth witness turned hostile, forcing the court to announce the judgement in favour of the accused.
The court said, “From a perusal of file, it transpires that of the five listed witnesses only one prosecution witness has been recorded while other four witnesses have expired. The prosecution evidence was closed on 17 April 2021”.
It said, “Prosecution witness whose statement has been recorded has turned hostile and has deposed nothing incriminating against the accused persons.”
“In both examination-in-chief and cross-examination, the witness has stated that he has no knowledge about the occurrence and even he does not know anything about the case,” the order reads.
Announcing the acquittal, the judge said, “In the light of the facts and circumstances this court has no option but to acquit all the accused of want of evidence. Accordingly, the accused persons are acquitted of all the offences under sections 332, 380, 457 of RPC.”