Father, son acquitted in 2017 Sanguem murder case

Colva: South Goa additional sessions judge Ram S Prabhu Dessai acquitted a father–son duo accused of murder and evidence destruction in a 2017 case from Sanguem, citing investigation lapses and lack of evidence.

Ravidas Shirodkar (70) and his son Jai Shirodkar (39) were charged with murdering Ravidas’ brother, Shantaram Shanu Shirodkar, in Dec 2017 at a cashew plantation in Quinamol. The prosecution alleged that the two killed Shantaram over a joint property dispute and allegedly tried to destroy evidence by burning the body.

However, the court found that the prosecution failed to establish a link between the accused and the crime.

In his judgment, Judge Dessai noted that the panchanama was conducted by the investigating officer (IO), PI Rajan Nigalye, only in Jan 2018 — nearly 15 days after the incident.

“The panchanama was conducted in an open place, and the articles were seized from an area easily accessible to the public. Therefore, a serious doubt arises regarding the attachment of the said articles and their evidentiary value,” the judge said.

The court also noted the absence of evidence proving motive. The deceased’s wife, Sangeeta Shirodkar, had testified that both parties had filed multiple complaints and counter-complaints against each other at the Sanguem police station. However, the IO did not rely on documentary evidence to establish motive.

The judge further criticised the investigation, stating that the police arrested the accused on suspicion based on a complaint and failed to prove that the accused was at the crime scene. The court noted that no witnesses were examined to confirm the presence of the accused with the deceased or at the location.