Life term 25 yrs after acquittal

Bhadra Sinha / TNN / Jun 3, 2006, 00:29 IST

Share

AA

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

After almost 25 years, justice finally prevailed for the family of Satpal whose killer had been acquitted of his murder in 1981.

NEW DELHI: After almost 25 years, justice finally prevailed on Friday for the family of Satpal whose killer had been acquitted of his murder in 1981. The Delhi High Court found that Satpal had been murdered by his nephew on account of dispute over money.
Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice J M Malik sentenced the accused Bal Kishan to life imprisonment and ordered his immediate arrest.They held the trial court had erred in releasing the man even as the eye-witness account supported the police case.
"The evidence discussed clearly goes a long way to scotch all the doubts raised above. We are satisfied there is not even a scintilla of doubt regarding the perpetration of crime by the accused," the judges held.
Stating the accused's culpability cannot be washed away, the Bench observed the judgment passed by the trial court was ‘wholly erroneous, unreasonable and unsustainable.'

On July 3, 1980 a murder was reported from Kirti Nagar area. As per the call, Bal Kishan had allegedly murdered Satpal with a sword. The victim's family members had apprehended the accused at the spot itself, while the neighbours called the police.
Satpal was declared dead at the hospital. A year after conducting the trial, a sessions judge on December 24, 1981 found Bal Kishan not guilty.
The acquittal order raised doubts regarding the version of the eye-witnesses and opined the prosecution had not succeeded in establishing the motive.

The prime reason for declaring Bal Kishan innocent was that the FIR was not recorded at the time at which it was purported to have been recorded. The high court, however, struck down each reasoning.
With regard to the eye-witness version, the judges said: "After having subjected the prosecution evidence to a close scrutiny we find no force in these faint submissions. Their evidence is the backbone of the prosecution case as they have made explicit statements."
Their version to the police as well as the court also laid down the motive behind the murder. "We are of the considered view that the evidence of all the witnesses clearly indicate that accused used to quarrel with the victim over money matters," the judges added.

End of Article

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA