<p>Mumbai: A court here on Thursday acquitted a 73-year-old man in an attempted murder case, 48 years after the alleged incident took place in 1977 as the female victim denied remembering the occurrence. The accused had remained absconding (after securing bail) for over four decades and was arrested in October this year on execution of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him.</p><p>Additional sessions judge Avinash Kulkarni delivered the verdict in favour of Chandrashekhar Kalekar, after the victim testified that she did not remember the incident and did not know the accused. "The star witnesses left loyalty towards prosecution. Therefore, the evidence against the accused is insufficient to prove the charges levelled against him," the court said. "Hence, I have no hesitation to hold that the prosecution failed to prove the charge against the accused and he is entitled to be acquitted," it said.</p><p>The alleged incident had taken place on October 20, 1977 at Nariman Point in south Mumbai. As per the prosecution, Kalekar, a resident of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, assaulted the victim with a knife, causing severe bleeding injuries. An FIR was registered at the Colaba police station, and Kalekar was arrested the same day.</p>.Hated them due to their beauty: Haryana woman held for killing three girls; murders son to avoid suspicion.<p>As per the order, the police filed its chargesheet before the magistrate court after having sufficient material. When the case was still with the magistrate, the accused secured bail. The case was later committed to the sessions court, but the accused did not attend the hearings, the order said. Hence, an NBW was issued against him on October 12, 1984, but it remained unexecuted till September 2025. He was finally arrested on October 14, 2025 on the execution of the long-pending warrant.</p><p>During the trial, the prosecution examined the victim (also the complainant) as the key witness in the case. In her deposition, she testified that she neither remembers the incident nor does she recognise the accused. After the informant did not support the prosecution's case, it filed a summons report that other witnesses are not traceable, and closed its evidence.</p><p>Consequently, the court acquitted Kalekar of the charges under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.</p>
<p>Mumbai: A court here on Thursday acquitted a 73-year-old man in an attempted murder case, 48 years after the alleged incident took place in 1977 as the female victim denied remembering the occurrence. The accused had remained absconding (after securing bail) for over four decades and was arrested in October this year on execution of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him.</p><p>Additional sessions judge Avinash Kulkarni delivered the verdict in favour of Chandrashekhar Kalekar, after the victim testified that she did not remember the incident and did not know the accused. "The star witnesses left loyalty towards prosecution. Therefore, the evidence against the accused is insufficient to prove the charges levelled against him," the court said. "Hence, I have no hesitation to hold that the prosecution failed to prove the charge against the accused and he is entitled to be acquitted," it said.</p><p>The alleged incident had taken place on October 20, 1977 at Nariman Point in south Mumbai. As per the prosecution, Kalekar, a resident of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, assaulted the victim with a knife, causing severe bleeding injuries. An FIR was registered at the Colaba police station, and Kalekar was arrested the same day.</p>.Hated them due to their beauty: Haryana woman held for killing three girls; murders son to avoid suspicion.<p>As per the order, the police filed its chargesheet before the magistrate court after having sufficient material. When the case was still with the magistrate, the accused secured bail. The case was later committed to the sessions court, but the accused did not attend the hearings, the order said. Hence, an NBW was issued against him on October 12, 1984, but it remained unexecuted till September 2025. He was finally arrested on October 14, 2025 on the execution of the long-pending warrant.</p><p>During the trial, the prosecution examined the victim (also the complainant) as the key witness in the case. In her deposition, she testified that she neither remembers the incident nor does she recognise the accused. After the informant did not support the prosecution's case, it filed a summons report that other witnesses are not traceable, and closed its evidence.</p><p>Consequently, the court acquitted Kalekar of the charges under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.</p>