4 acquitted of 2019 murder, court raps police for lapses

Hyderabad: Ruling that the police (investigating agency) did not investigate the case properly and also failed to collect the primary evidence, a city court recently acquitted four persons, including three women, involved in a murder case in 2019 at Shankarpally police station of Cyberabad commissionerate. According to police, the three women, who were involved in prostitution, trapped the victim, a 23-year-old labourer, at a toddy shop in Shankarpally. As he denied their offer and refused to give them 2,000, the women, along with their associate, followed him outside the wine shop, killed him, stole the money from him, and dumped the body on the bank of a nearby canal before fleeing, said police. During the trial, the court pointed out that the police did not enquire with any people around the crime spot or produce any evidence to prove these allegations. Though police claimed that the accused confessed to killing the victim, the court pointed out, "A confession made by a person while in the custody of the police is not admissible." The court further pointed out that the investigation agency failed to collect the primary evidence by not enquiring with anyone at the wine shop. "Additionally, footage from the CCTVs, if any, at the wine shop was also not collected," the court said. Initially, when the body was found at the spot in Feb 2015, the victim's identity was not known as his face had been disfigured to avoid identification. Based on clues, police identified the victim, arrested the accused and sent them to judicial remand. They were subsequently released on bail, and the case was put on trial. During the trial, the court examined seven witnesses, nine exhibits, and six material objects connected to the crime and pronounced the accused not guilty, setting them free.
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