Aquem double murder:2 accused get acquittal

Aquem double murder:2 accused get acquittal
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MARCH 18
The sensational Aquem double murder case has ended in an acquittal with the Sessions Court ruling that the prosecution has totally failed to bring out the guilt of any of the accused persons.
Acquitting Sunny Singh Khanuja and Abhay Verma of the murder charges, Additional Sessions Judge Desmond D’Costa said there is not a single circumstance established to prove the nexus of the duo with the present crime.
In the case, a male and a female – Manu Pathak and Rajendra Zamne – both natives of Madhya Pradesh, were found dead in an apartment at Aquem near the Power House on August 10, 2008.
Margao police investigations later revealed that the duo was done to death by accused Sunny Singh Khanuja and his accomplice Abhay Verma due to a love affair. In support of its case, the prosecution had examined 18 witnesses.
The evidence led by the prosecution, however, has failed to convince the court about the involvement of the accused persons. “The prosecution has miserably failed to prove that the clothes and the nylon rope were recovered at the instance of the accused. There is no evidence that the kipan, nylon rope and clothes, were recovered on the information of the accused”, Judge D’Costa added.
“From the findings and the circumstances, it is crystal clear that there is not an iota of evidence connecting either of the two accused with the present crime.
The judge said though an identification parade was conducted by the Executive Magistrate, the witness has failed to identify the accused during the parade.
Incidentally, a Panch witness has admitted during his cross examination that he had taken photographs in over 200 police cases and that many of the photographs were that of the recovery panchayats. Saying that this particular panch witness can be considered to be a stock pancha, Judge D’Costa said that no credibility can be given to the deposition of the panch witness.