Daijiworld Media Network – Thane

Thane, Jul 25: A sessions court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has acquitted a 46-year-old man accused in the 2000 murder of a woman, citing lack of evidence and unreliable witness testimony.

Shambhubhai Manubhai Rawal, who was arrested in 2020, was cleared of charges under sections 302 (murder), 452 (house trespass), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code by Sessions Judge S B Agrawal. The order, dated July 23, was made available on Thursday.

The case relates to the death of Kunda Rawal, who was found unconscious near the bathroom of her home on February 17, 2000, and later confirmed dead due to asphyxia. Postmortem reports also indicated bruises and abrasions, suggesting possible foul play.
Earlier, Kunda’s husband Kundan Rawal had been acquitted in the same case. The prosecution had alleged that he had conspired with Shambhubhai and another accused, Suresh Nhavi—still absconding—to have his wife murdered.

The prosecution presented Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, a relative who reportedly overheard the conspiracy and claimed Kundan had offered Rs 5,000 to eliminate his wife. However, Judge Agrawal noted that Hansa, who was also alleged to have had illicit relations with Kundan, did not support the prosecution’s argument during the trial.

The court also observed that there was no direct evidence linking Shambhubhai to the crime, and two key prosecution witnesses—Rakesh and Satishkumar Rawal, both relatives of the deceased—were not eyewitnesses, relying only on hearsay.

With the evidence falling short of establishing guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court acquitted Shambhubhai Rawal, bringing an end to a trial that lingered for over two decades.