A man, who was arrested 16 years after allegedly trying to murder a person, has been acquitted by a Delhi court as the victim had already died and there was no other witness to identify him.
Additional Sessions Judge Rajeev Bansal acquitted Trilok Puri resident Lalit, who was arrested in 2013 for attempting to kill one Manmohan in 1997, by giving him benefit of doubt as the victim and a police constable, the two key witnesses, had died.
"Since the complainant (Manmohan) has already expired and there is no other witness, who can identify the accused (Lalit) to be the person to give injuries to Manmohan, he is entitled to be acquitted...Giving him benefit of doubt," the judge said, while acquitting him of the offence under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.
"...It is felt that no useful purpose would be served by examining further witnesses in this case as it will be a wastage of time and resources. There is no other witness, who can identify the accused. There is no incriminating material against him," the judge added.
Lalit, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the police, was finally arrested in 2013 but Manmohan had already died in 2010.
According to the prosecution, a complaint was lodged by Manmohan that on the evening of March 21, 1997, Lalit along with two others stabbed him with a knife outside his residence here, leaving him with injuries on his face and neck.
When he raised an alarm, Mohan's brother called up the police while Lalit and his group fled from the spot and could not be apprehended for the next 15 years. The victim was rushed to AIIMS hospital, it had said.
Manmohan had also told the police that he had a quarrel with Lalit a day before the incident but it was sorted by the intervention by one Stephen, it had said.
Stephen, however, could not identify Lalit when he appeared as a witness in the court as a lot of time had lapsed since the date of the incident.
