Mumbai: The sessions court recently acquitted two brothers accused of killing their sister in December 2016 due to lack of evidence, as most witnesses, who were close relatives, turned hostile. It was alleged that the deceased was in a relationship that her brothers, Gaurav and Anil Rajbhar, disapproved of and which she refused to end, leading to the fatal attack.
The incident occurred on December 7, 2016, when Gaurav and Anil allegedly attacked their sister Jyoti, slitting her throat. Injured, Jyoti managed to escape and was helped by a passerby who admitted her to Karuna Hospital in Borivali West. Meanwhile, Gaurav surrendered at The MHB police station, leading to the case being filed.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 14 witnesses, including the brothers’ mother, former neighbours, and Jyoti’s friend. The prosecution claimed that Gaurav and Anil had objected to Jyoti’s relationship with a boy from their locality.
Despite several warnings, she continued the relationship, which angered her brothers. Jyoti had left home to stay with a friend on December 3, 2016, without informing her family. A few days later, on December 7, Gaurav and Anil took her home under the false pretence that their mother had consumed poison, and then allegedly attacked her.
The court, however, found that the prosecution could not establish the case as most witnesses turned hostile, and there were no eyewitnesses. While the court noted strong suspicion against the brothers, it stated that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
