PANJIM: In a major relief to a senior citizen who was accused of killing his live-in partner two years ago, the Additional Sessions Judge, Mapusa, has acquitted him for want of evidence.
In September 2012, Ubaldo Fernandes was charged with shooting his partner Rita Almeida at their house in Anjuna and misleading the police investigation by giving false information.
The police had earlier treated the death due to asthma attack based on his version, but an autopsy was ordered after the victim’s brother and neighbours suspected it as murder. The doctors retrieved a bullet from her chest after which a case of murder was registered and Fernandes was arrested.
During the trial, the prosecution had claimed that the duo had a quarrel, hours before the murder and that Fernandes had threatened her. Moreover, the fire arm was recovered at the instance of the accused.
The defence led by A F D’Souza challenged the claims and submitted to the Court that the chain of circumstances was not established and also it had various loopholes.
The Judge Desmond D’Costa then observed that while the prosecution proved Almeida’s death was murder, it failed to prove four points – that the fire arm was discovered at Fernandes’ instance, that he committed the murder, that he provided false details to police and that he was in possession of the fire arm.
The Court, thus, acquitted Fernandes of murder charge on a bail bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety of like amount besides other conditions. He was in judicial custody since his arrest by Anjuna police.
