Mumbai: A man cannot be held guilty for murder only on the basis of call data records in absence of any other evidence, the sessions court observed while acquitting 26-year-old baker booked for the murder of his alleged girlfriend Sonam Shukla in 2022.
Baker Acquitted in Girlfriend’s Murder Case
The additional sessions judge at Dindoshi, D G Dhoble on Monday acquitted Shahazeb Ansari who was prosecuted for allegedly killing 18-year-old Sonam Shukla.
The prosecution had claimed that Ansari and Shukla, were in a relationship and she was allegedly last found in his company at his residence. Ansari, ran a bakery and Shukla who resided in the same locality, frequented his shop. That’s how they alleged to have developed a relationship.
Shukla went missing on April 24, 2022. Her father claimed that she had left the house saying she was going to her friend’s house. She was there till 8.30 pm and was not found thereafter.
Shukla’s Body Found on Versova Beach
According to the prosecution, Shukla's body was discovered in a plastic bag on Versova beach on April 28, 2022. Her body was in a decomposed state. She was apparently strangled with an internet wire and her hands and legs were also tied with the same wire.
The prosecution had relied heavily on the call data records. It further relied on the CCTV footage of a shop the accused was seen passing by on his bike with gunny bags on the way to the place where her body was dumped.
The court found the evidence unreliable as the face of the accused was not clearly visible nor the numbers on the plate of the bike. Also there was no other evidence to connect the accused with the murder to link it with the call data record.
Evidence Rejected Due to Improper Police Procedure
Besides, the police had claimed to have recovered some of the articles of Shukla from the house of the accused. However, the police had not followed proper procedure because of which the seized articles were not relied upon.
The court concluded that the chain of circumstances is not complete and acquitted Ansari.
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