Barabanki court acquits grandson, aide in 2016 murder case citing lack of evidence

LUCKNOW: A sessions court in Barabanki has acquitted the grandson of a man and his aide in a 2016 murder case, citing a lack of concrete evidence and multiple gaps in the prosecution's narrative. Additional Sessions Judge Parshuram delivered the verdict, clearing Ajit Singh and Ajay Yadav of the charges related to the death of Shiv Pratap Singh.

Shiv Pratap Singh, a resident of Gangapur Sansara village in the Haidergarh area of Barabanki district, was reported missing in October 2016. His son, Shiv Murat Singh, filed a first information report on October 31, 2016, stating that his father had left his house to relieve himself and failed to return home.

The body of the victim was subsequently discovered in a local orchard by a villager named Rampher, who alerted the family about the discovery. The deceased was found with visible injury marks on his neck, prompting the police to register a murder case and launch a detailed investigation into the incident.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials arrested Ajit Singh, who is the victim's grandson, and Ajay Yadav, a resident of Jagdishpur in the neighbouring Amethi district. The police cited an ongoing land dispute and family animosity as the primary motives for the crime and submitted a charge sheet that included alleged confessions from the accused.

However, the defence successfully challenged the prosecution's evidence during the trial proceedings. The court observed that the alleged land dispute and family rivalry, which formed the basis of the police's motive theory, were not substantiated with valid proof in the courtroom. Furthermore, the call detail records presented by the investigators to establish a link between the accused and the crime scene were found to be unauthenticated.

The judge also raised doubts regarding the recovery of an axe that the police claimed was the weapon linked to the murder. Contradictions in the testimonies of key witnesses further weakened the prosecution's case, leading the court to conclude that the charges had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Delivering the acquittal, Additional Sessions Judge Parshuram reiterated a fundamental principle of criminal jurisprudence. The judge noted that "no person can be convicted merely on suspicion and that the prosecution must establish charges through legally admissible and reliable evidence." This observation highlights the strict evidentiary standards required in the Indian judicial system, especially in cases involving complex family dynamics and property disputes.

The acquittal underscores the critical importance of procedural integrity and forensic authentication in criminal investigations. The failure to authenticate crucial digital evidence, such as call records, and the inability to corroborate witness statements with material evidence ultimately led to the collapse of the prosecution's case. Such rulings serve as a reminder to investigating agencies to ensure that charge sheets are built on solid, verifiable facts rather than circumstantial assumptions.

With the acquittal of Ajit Singh and Ajay Yadav, the decade-old case remains officially unsolved, leaving the exact circumstances surrounding Shiv Pratap Singh's death a mystery. The family of the victim now faces the challenge of evaluating their legal options, while the local judicial system closes this particular chapter based strictly on the evidentiary record presented before the court.