The accused Dnyaneshwar Tukaram Sarode (30) had turned himself in saying he had strangulated his wife; he was acquitted on Saturday, as there was no proof of his confession statement
A Sessions court has freed a man who was arrested for strangulating his wife two years ago. While the prosecution lawyer stated that the accused, Dnyaneshwar Tukaram Sarode (30), had turned himself in to the Mulund police and had confessed in front of a magistrate court as well, lack of cogent evidence led to his acquittal.
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Dnyaneshwar was arrested in November, 2012, for allegedly killing his wife Shilpa, in a fit of anger. The case had been ongoing at the Sessions court for almost a year, with 12 witnesses examined by the prosecutor.
The final judgement was given by Principal Judge Sangitrao S Patil on Saturday. Public Prosecutor Iqbal Solkar said, “Due to faulty investigations, lack of proof of the confession statement and no eyewitnesses or circumstantial evidence, Dnyaneshwar was declared not guilty.”
According to Solkar, on November 3, 2012, at around 4 am, the accused, a resident of Ramgadh, approached the Mulund police station and said that he had murdered his wife. When cops interrogated him, the accused said that on the evening of November 2, he had an argument with his wife, after which she went to sleep. Around 12.30 am the next day, he strangled his wife with a handkerchief.
Fearing that the police would arrest him, he left the house and tried to commit suicide, but could not bring himself to do it. He then decided to go to the police station and confess his crime. He was booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. When Dnyaneshwar was produced in the magistrate court, he confessed again. However, his advocate was not present at the time.
The prosecution stated that Dnyaneshwar, an alcoholic, suspected his wife’s character and would physically harass her. The couple got married in April, 2012, and were living with his parents and other family members in Mulund. Dnyaneshwar and Shilpa would often quarrel over domestic issues.