New Delhi, Aug 6 A Delhi court has acquitted a man accused of attempting to murder his wife by repeatedly stabbing her and subjecting her to cruelty for dowry, saying that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt after the victim and other key witnesses did not support its case.
Additional Sessions Judge Puneet Pahwa was hearing a case registered at Gokalpuri police station in 2018 under charges of attempt to murder and cruelty by husband.
In an order dated August 3, "This court is of the firm opinion that none of the witnesses examined by the prosecution were able to prove the case of the prosecution so as to bring home the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt and enough gaps have been created in the prosecution story, benefit of which is to be given to the accused."
According to the prosecution, the husband allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times on June 15, 2018, at her parental home in northeast Delhi. Police had alleged that the attack followed disputes over demands for a motorcycle, gold chain and ring. The woman sustained multiple stab injuries and was admitted to GTB Hospital, where doctors described her injuries as grievous.
The court, however, noted that the prosecution's case collapsed during trial as most material witnesses either turned hostile or failed to give incriminating evidence against the accused.
A crucial setback for the prosecution was the testimony of the victim's sister and an alleged eyewitness. The judge noted that the sister died during the trial before her cross-examination could be completed, rendering her testimony of no evidentiary value.
The victim herself also did not support the prosecution version. In her deposition, the wife stated that a man, whose face was covered with a muffler, had entered her room and attacked her, rather than identifying her husband as the assailant.
The court further said that other family members either had no direct knowledge of the incident or their testimonies were hearsay in nature.
"None of the witnesses has supported the case of the prosecution, including the injured person," the court said while granting the accused the benefit of doubt and acquitting him of all charges.
