2 acquitted of culpable homicide

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 27

A local court today acquitted two youths of the charges of culpable homicide as the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

According to the prosecution, a case under Section 304, 201 and 34 of the IPC was registered against Manbir Malhotra, a resident of Sector 21, on June 20, 2017, at the Sector 19 police station on the complaint of Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 20-A Police Colony.

In his complaint, Kumar stated that on June 14, 2017, his son Anirudh (18) went out with Manbir, but never returned. He searched for him for two days, but could not find him. He raised suspicion on Manbir, who had allegedly indulged in a fight with his son around a month ago.

Kumar stated he came to know that Manbir took Anirudh to Delhi on the pretext of buying drugs, but he killed him by giving overdose of drugs and threw the body in some area falling under the jurisdiction of the Chandimandir police station, Panchkula. He came to know about the death of his son from General Hospital, Panchkula. During investigation, name of another youth, Gagandeep Singh (21), a resident of Sector 19, also came to the fore and he was arrested on June 23, 2017.

During trial, defence counsel NK Nanda argued that the police could only establish that the three were seen in a hotel together, but not that they were together after leaving the hotel. Nanda argued that the three separated their ways from the hotel.

He also argued that Anirudh was an addict and had undergone treatment and on that night, he died of “drug overdose”.

After hearing the arguments, the court acquitted the two from the charges.