Another Murderer Acquitted

Mukhtar Ansari acquitted in constable murder case
6 May 2009, 1238 hrs IST, PTI

VARANASI: Controversial BSP leader Mukhtar Ansari and his associate Bhim Singh have been acquitted by a local court in adjoining Chandaulidistrict in an 18-year-old police constable murder case due to lack of evidence.

Additional district judge Surendra Kumar Srivastava on Wednesday gave benefit of doubt to the accused due to lack of evidence in the case.

Mukhtar, who is the BSP candidate from Varanasi, was among seven accused in the murder case of police constable Raghuvansh Rai. Five of the other accused have already been acquitted.

Rai was killed in an encounter at Mughalsarai on December 30, 1991 while another constable Shivji Pandey sustained bullet injuries in the same incident. The police had then filed a chargesheet against all the accused persons.

There were six witnesses in the case including five policemen but none of them said that they had seen the men who fired upon them. They claimed they were at a distance of 100 metres and it was dark at that time, prosecution officer, Manju Pandey.

She said no one knows the details of the vehicle that was used in the crime.

The inspector who led the police party that was attacked had since died and the investigating officer did not mention anything about the vehicle in the case diary.

It has taken all of 18 years for pronouncing the final judgement in the above case.
I wonder how many of you would remember what happened 18 years ago.
During this time the accused was out on bail and he could use all the means at his disposal to bribe, browbeat or threaten or bump off witnesses so that either they turn hostile or very conveniently forget as has happened in the above case.
First of all we should have an honest police force who file genuine FIRs and not file cases at the instigation of politicians and moneyed class.
The powers that be are known to harass people who are not in their good books and are easy on their own party people and cronies.THE CBI IS A LIVING EXAMPLE.
Once an honest FIR is lodged and a person is convicted, he should not be allowed out on bail for he useS all means at his disposal to make the witnesses turn hostile.
Unnecessary adjourmments should not be allowed and these types of cases with political implications should be tried on day to day basis for quick conviction of acquittal, whatever the case may be.
If Ansari has truly been victimized, he should have been acquitted at least 17 years ago and not now after some of the witnesses have died or forgotten the case.

Radheshyam