Jammu January-18-2024:- Principal Sessions Judge Rajouri RN Wattal today acquitted Anu Verma wife of Amitabh Bachan and Ajay Kumar facing trial in murder of Amitabh Bachan.
The brief facts of the case are that on 14.10.2016, an information was received from reliable sources that corpse of driver of bus No. JK02BK-7975 namely, Amitabh Bachan, aged 37 years, S/O Kirpa Ram R/O Khersoo, Tehsil Tayath, District Rajouri, was found hanging in the bus from the back door and his death has occurred under mysterious circumstances. The proceedings u/s 174 CrPC were imitated and ASI Ghani Sham went to the spot, prepared the spot sketch, seized the corpse for postmortem, seized the aforesaid bus and one shirt that was used for strangulation, the corpse was sent to hospital at Sunderbani for postmortem, thereafter corpse was delivered to the legal representatives for performing last rites, against proper receipt and statements of witnesses were recorded u/s 175 CrPC. As per postmortem report, the death of the deceased was caused due to strangulation in the intervening night of 13th/14th October 2016. It is on this report, FIR No. 100/2017 for the commission of offence u/s 302 RPC was registered; investigation commenced; the documentation u/s 174 CrPC were converted to CD file, statements of witnesses were recorded u/s 161-A CrPC; the suspects were arrested and as per the statements of witnesses, it came to fore that
deceased was married to Anu Sharma 6-7 years back as per Hindu rites and ceremonies; Anu Sharma was the only daughter of her parents, one girl child was born to her; Anu Sharma was not happy with the marriage and after marriage, she used to reside at her parental house at Salyot and the same was the discord between them; Anu Sharma, without permission of her husband, went to Haridwar and Lucknow; deceased Amitabh Bachan used to enquire and ask Anu Sharma why she went outside without permission and became drunkard; deceased then took a rented accommodation at Sunderbani; they used to quarrel because deceased used to restrict her from going to parental house; accused Ajay Kumar, the brother of Anu Sharma, used to side with her sister and quarrel with Amitabh Bachan; they were not in talking terms; on 13.10.2016, Amitabh Bachan had parked his bus bearing registration No. JK02BK-7975 at Main Chowk, Water Point in MES Ground and at 11:00/12:00 PM, he parked the vehicle at Sunderbani Chowk and the conductor of the vehicle Ajay Sharma @ Shiva, who was brother-in-law of Amitabh Bachan, was not in talking terms with him, they quarreled with each other; deceased Amitabh Bachan telephonically told his wife Anu Sharma that Ajay Kumar is quarreling with him; Anu Sharma came to Sunderbani Chowk and there was quarrel between deceased and Anu Sharma and Ajay Kumar; Anu Sharma told them that she has become frustrated and want to get rid of her husband Amitabh Bachan; after that Ajay Kumar and Anu Sharma went to Salyot on scooter; they were arrested u/s 54 CrPC; phone details were collected and seized, arrest memos were prepared, statements of witnesses were recorded u/s 164-A CrPC and during investigation, it came to fore that Anu Sharma and Ajay Kumar, when left Salyot, conspired and decided to go to Jammu in their vehicle, leave the vehicle at Jammu and come back to Sunderbani Chowk and decided not to call each other; after that Ajay Kumar having dinner came back to Sunderbani and left his vehicle JK02AS-5887, driven by Baldev Singh, left for Jammu with the passengers, boarded off the vehicle, Ajay Kumar was very annoyed, came out of the vehicle, closed his vehicle, went to Jewel Chowk on motorcycle, then went on foot to Bakshi Nagar Puli, stopped a vehicle driven by a Kashmiri, came to Sunderbani at 12:00 in the night, clandestinely when reached near his vehicle, opened the vehicle, went inside the vehicle, he did saw deceased Amitabh Bachan in intoxication in the vehicle, Anu Sharma was also there, Ajay Kumar then sat on deceased by closing his hands back side, Anu Sharma then strangulated the deceased with his hands and after sometime deceased died, accused Anu Sharma thereafter took out the shirt of deceased and then hanged the corpse from back door of the vehicle and investigation concluded and offence u/s 302 RPC proved against the accused and chargesheet was presented in the court for judicial determination.
Principal Sessions Judge Rajouri RN Wattal after hearing both the sides, observed that evidence brought on record by the prosecution regarding complicity of the accused in the commission of crime is not, convincing and beyond shadow of doubt and accused are entitled to be given the benefit of doubt. Accordingly, the chargesheet is dismissed and accused are acquitted of the charge u/s 302 RPC. Accused No. 1 is on bail and her bail bonds are discharged. Accused No.2 is in judicial custody at District Jail, Dhangri, and he is directed to be released forthwith if not detained in any other case. JNF