Maharashtra: Court acquits undertrial in prison officer assault case in Thane

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A court in Maharashtra's Thane has acquitted an undertrial prisoner in a case of alleged assault on an officer of Thane Central Jail due to lack of evidence.

Assistant sessions judge, G T Pawar, in an order issued on February 20, acquitted Munna Moinuddin Shaikh alias Guddu, giving him a benefit of doubt.

Additional public prosecutor M N Pawse said the incident occurred on December 29, 2021, when prison constables Tushar Wagh and Ramesh Ghule found the undertrial prisoner smoking a 'bidi' during a count. An altercation between them, following which the constables presented him before their superior. The accused then tried to bag the prison officer's head on a wall and also grabbed him by his shoulder.

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However, defence counsel Ramrao Jagtap refuted the charges, and said the accused was not involved in the incident.

In his order, the judge said there were discrepancies in the prosecution's case, including the failure to gather CCTV footage and the absence of statements from other inmates present during the incident. Moreover, the medical certificate presented showed only a minor abrasion, casting doubt on the prosecution's narrative.

The court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the accused's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and acquitted him.

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