In a recent development, the Thane Sessions Court acquitted two men, Gaurav Rajesh Singh (27) and Sachin Sarjerao Patil (25), who were accused in the alleged 2020 murder of contractor Rakesh Manik Patil. The court cited a lack of conclusive evidence and the absence of the victim’s body as primary reasons for the acquittal. The prosecution’s case was weakened by missing forensic and ballistic evidence, uncertified CCTV footage, and inconsistent witness testimonies. Judge S.B. Agrawal emphasized that the circumstantial evidence presented did not form a complete and convincing chain necessary for conviction. Consequently, the accused were acquitted of charges under IPC Sections 302, 201, 34, and Arms Act Section 3(25).

This case underscores the judicial principle that, in the absence of direct evidence such as the victim’s body, the prosecution must present a complete and unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Without such a chain, courts are compelled to acquit the accused, upholding the legal standard that it’s better for the guilty to go free than to convict the innocent.

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