Thane court acquits man accused of attempting to murder his wife, cites inconsistencies in evidence

Thane: A Thane court has acquitted a 46-year-old man accused of attempting to murder his wife, citing various contradictions and inconsistencies in the prosecution's case.

Sessions Judge B Agrawal, in the order on February 28, said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused, a painter by profession.

A copy of the order was made available on Sunday.

According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly attacked his wife with a knife at their home in Lokmanya Nagar in Maharashtra's Thane city on April 11, 2023.

Defence counsel Sagar Kolhe contested the prosecution's case, and punched holes in the probe and charges levelled against the man.

The prosecution's case relied on the First Information Report (FIR) lodged following a complaint by the man's wife, and testimonies of witnesses, including her daughters and police officers.

Judge Agrawal, however, noted multiple inconsistencies.

The FIR stated the attack occurred at 7 am, but in court, the victim claimed it happened at 3 am.

The victim initially alleged that her husband attacked her due to jealousy over a man visiting their home frequently.

But in court, she described that man and his wife as family friends with no suspicion from the accused.

The victim contradicted her own FIR and statement, changing the sequence of events and nature of the assault.

Her daughters' testimonies also varied significantly, with one stating her father called her at 7.30 am, while the other claimed she learned about the attack at 4 pm.

The police officer who shifted the man's wife to hospital stated that an ambulance arrived at 9.30 am, but medical records showed the victim was examined at 8.30 am, raising doubts about the timeline.

"Considering the infirmity in the case of the prosecution, it cannot be said that the prosecution has been successful in proving the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. As such, it would not be safe to convict the accused on such evidence," the court said.