PANAJI
Panaji Sessions Court has acquitted Amjad Karol, a police constable from Pilgao, Bicholim in a 2014 case of attempting to murder a 70 year-old woman.
As per the chargesheet filed by Bicholim Police, the incident occurred at around 9 pm on March 23, 2014, at Gaonkarwado in Pilgao. Karol had allegedly assaulted the woman Abdia Beig brutally, while he was under the influence of alcohol.
He kicked her in her face and on other parts of her body with the knowledge that it could cause her death.
During the course of the trial, prosecution examined 11 of the 23 witnesses listed in the chargesheet.
The 70 year-old victim was employed as a maid in several households in the locality. She was exiting from one house on the fateful night, when the accused saw her.
He allegedly caught her, dragged her to the main road and began assaulting her with kicks after she fell down. Following this, he dragged her along the road and as a result tore her saree.
The Court noted that the investigating officer failed to record the statements of the people, who had witnessed the assault. It was observed that the prosecution failed to put up any cogent evidence to support the charge against Karol.
The court also questioned the police over the delay of one and half hour in lodging the complaint when the incident occurred at a short distance from the police station.
In addition to the fact that there was considerable difference in the statement of each witness, the medical report of the victim woman said that she had sustained three injuries, all of which were caused by a hard and blunt object. This part of the
evidence of the medical officer did not support the case of the prosecution because none of the witnesses referred to any weapon being used by
the accused, the judgment states.
Besides, it was pointed out that the police failed to conduct an alcohol test on the accused despite claiming that he was drunk at the time of the assault.
