​A Kolkata court has acquitted 31-year-old Raja Paik, who spent eight years in jail for the alleged murder of his friend, Chiranjib Gupta. The court criticized the police for failing to send key evidence, including a bloodstained pillow and a cotton belt—believed to be the murder weapons—for forensic examination. This lapse was deemed a critical flaw in the investigation, leading to Paik’s acquittal .​

Paik was arrested in September 2017 after Gupta was found dead in their Eastend Park home in Kolkata’s Garfa area. According to the police complaint filed by Gupta’s mother, she discovered her son’s body with a pillow over his face upon returning home. The court’s decision underscores the importance of thorough forensic procedures in criminal investigations.​

Sources