LI Network
Published on: 12 August 2023 at 21:50 IST
The Rajasthan High Court acquitted a woman and her alleged lover accused of killing her mother-in-law.
The court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish with certainty the alleged immoral relationship or the motive behind the purported murder.
Justices Vijay Bishnoi and Rajendra Prakash Soni delivered this ruling while confirming the acquittal of the accused parties, Iqbal Abdul Rehman and Bhagwanti Babu Lal Jain.
The court underscored the challenges in substantiating an illicit relationship through direct evidence, noting that such affairs are usually concealed from public view.
The judgment emphasized that witness statements are often the primary means of proving such relationships, as they are hidden from societal scrutiny due to familial and societal concerns.
Furthermore, the court delineated the difference between an illicit relationship and casual social interactions, highlighting the need for credible evidence to establish such claims.
The case pertained to the alleged murder of Bhagwanti’s mother-in-law, supposedly triggered by the objectionable illicit relationship between Bhagwanti and Abdul.
The prosecution relied on witness statements to substantiate this claim.
However, upon careful analysis of the evidence, the court concluded that the material presented merely offered a vague outline of the alleged relationship between Iqbal and Bhagwanti.
The court highlighted that no concrete grudge between the accused and the deceased was proven based on their alleged relationship.
It also expressed doubt over the credibility of witnesses’ statements due to inconsistencies.
Ultimately, the court held that the prosecution’s evidence failed to definitively establish the illicit relationship or a clear motive for the murder.
As a result, the acquittal of the accused was upheld.