Eight persons accused of killing a thief, acquitted

A local court today acquitted eight persons here, accused of killing a thief in 2010, on benefit of doubt.
Additional Sessions Judge A S Waghwase in the order delivered today acquitted eight persons saying the prosecution failed to prove charges against the accused beyond doubt.
According to the prosecution, two persons who were trying to enter a house of one Mukthyar Shaikh in Shankar Mandir area here, in January 2010 with intention of robbery, were caught by residents of the locality, who allegedly thrashed them, following which one of the thieves, Kasim Chunimia Shaikh (20) died during treatment at KEM hospital. The other thief, Irfan Shaikh (30) was seriously injured.

The prosecution had charged the eight accused under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and other relevant sections of the IPC.
However, the defence counsel P S Mahimkar argued that second person, injured in the attack (Irfan) had not identified the arrested accused villagers during the identification parade and also the prosecution also failed to examine Irfan as an eye-witness.
The eight accused persons are- Mukhtyar Shaikh, Amzad Mehmood Shaikh, Gurunath Bhoir, Nilesh Patil, Vijay Patil, Mohan Bhoir, Binddas Bhoir and Aziz Shaikh.