Agartala: The Tripura High Court has acquitted a man and his mother who were convicted by a trial court in connection with the 2018 death of the man’s wife in North Tripura, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
A Division Bench comprising Justice T. Amarnath Goud and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha overturned a February 27, 2024, judgment of the Sessions Judge, North Tripura.
The trial court had convicted Swapan Nath under Sections 302 and 498A of the IPC for murder and cruelty, while his mother, Kumudini Nath alias Kalpana, was convicted under Section 498A.
The case stemmed from the disappearance of the woman on December 27, 2018, after she left home to fetch water. Her body, bearing multiple sharp-cut injuries, was recovered from a dry pond near her matrimonial home two days later.
Allowing the appeals, the High Court observed that the prosecution relied entirely on circumstantial evidence but failed to establish a complete and unbroken chain linking the accused to the crime.
The bench noted that although blood of Group “A” was detected on the husband’s clothes, investigators did not carry out DNA profiling to prove that it belonged to the deceased. It also pointed out that the alleged murder weapon did not contain any bloodstains.
The judges further found inconsistencies in the prosecution’s version regarding the recovery of the weapon, saying the disclosure statement and seizure records contradicted each other, casting doubt on the credibility of the evidence.
The court also criticised the investigation for not examining an alternative angle involving another individual mentioned by witnesses during the trial, despite references to his alleged association with the deceased.
The bench took note of the husband’s conduct after his wife went missing, observing that he participated in the search and informed both the family and the police after the body was found, conduct that did not support the prosecution’s allegation of guilt.
On the charge of cruelty against the mother-in-law, the High Court held that the allegations were general and unsupported by specific evidence. It found no clear particulars of harassment or dowry demand and noted that the FIR did not contain any allegations relating to dowry.
Holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt, the High Court acquitted both appellants.
It directed the immediate release of Swapan Nath, if he is not wanted in any other case, and discharged the bail bond of Kumudini Nath.