Untraceable man acquitted in 19-year-old case of abetting wife's suicide

Thane: A court here has acquitted a 75-year-old man accused of abetting his wife's suicide in 2005, noting he was missing for last 15 years and there was no evidence that he instigated or compelled the woman to end life.

Additional Sessions Judge PR Ashturkar, in the order passed on December 3, said keeping the matter lingering expecting the presence of the accused would be an infinite exercise without any outcome.

The prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused, Parshuram Sanganbasappa Kondgule, hence he needs to be given the benefit of doubt and acquitted, the court observed.

A copy of the order was made available on Wednesday.

The prosecution told the court that the accused, hailing from Ambernath area in Maharashtra's Thane district, was married to Nilavati and they had two children.

The accused had the habit of consuming liquor and this resulted in frequent domestic disputes between the couple.

On February 4, 2005, the accused came home drunk and the couple again had a quarrel.

The man abused his wife following which she poured kerosene on herself and set herself on fire.

The woman, who received severe burn wounds, died during treatment at a hospital.

In his order, the judge said the two witnesses, both relatives of the man, neither deposed regarding any illegal demands at the hands of the accused nor whispered a single word that he had in any way instigated or compelled the victim to commit suicide.

"There is nothing on record that would indicate the victim was left with no option but to end her life and that too because of the acts or omissions at the hands of the accused," the court said.

There is no other corroborative evidence either, it added.

The accused has been missing for the last 15 years and his whereabouts are "not at all known to anyone", the court noted.

There is not even a remote chance that he could be found in the near future, it said.

"No purpose would be served by keeping the matter lingering expecting the presence of the accused. It would be an infinite exercise without any outcome. Hence, the accused is entitled to acquittal," the judge said.