New Delhi: A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charge of attempt to murder after the alleged victim and an eyewitness turned hostile and refused to identify the accused.
Additional Sessions Judge Vidya Prakash absolved north-west Delhi resident Surender of the charge under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, saying, since the "star witnesses" turned hostile and couldn't identify the accused, "the entire case of the prosecution had fallen down like a pack of cards."
"According to the case of prosecution, the two witnesses had witnessed the incident. Thus, both of them alone could have proved the case. However, none of them deposed on the lines of prosecution case. None of them identified the accused.
"Hence, the court is of the view that the entire case of the prosecution has become doubtful," the judge said, while acquitting Surender.
According to the prosecution, on the night of March 13, 2011, victim Sunil, a Delhi resident, was near Railway crossing in Narela with his friend Devender when Sunil was attacked with a sharp edged weapon by Surender.
Police was informed and Sunil was taken to a nearby hospital, where he lodged a complaint alleging that a quarrel took place between him and Surender after which he was stabbed by the accused.
The police arrested Surender the next day.
In cross examination, Sunil, however, resiled from his statement saying, that when he reached Railway crossing, Narela, he saw a large group of people beating one person.
When he tried to intervene in order to rescue the person, he was also beaten up by someone from the crowd and got injured by a sharp weapon, he added.
His friend Devender too, did not support the case of the prosecution and also denied to have recorded his statement before the police.
Surender had pleaded innocence and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case.
