New Delhi

A Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of killing a 33-year-old Indian Air Force staffer in 2014, holding that the prosecution failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Additional Sessions Judge Gurmohina Kaur passed the order on February 5 while hearing the case against Brahm Prakash alias Sunny and Khajaan Singh alias Renu, who were charged with the murder of Arun, an employee of the Indian Air Force.

“The accused persons cannot be convicted merely on the basis of suspicion entertained by the family of the deceased, particularly when the circumstantial evidence is insufficient and does not form a complete chain pointing conclusively towards their guilt,” the court observed.

According to the prosecution, on the intervening night of December 27 and 28, 2014, the accused allegedly assaulted Arun by hitting him repeatedly on the head with a stone and later ran him over with a van.

Arun’s body was discovered near a Delhi Jal Board site in the Dwarka area. The incident was initially registered as a road accident before being converted into a murder case following further investigation.

The prosecution also alleged that the accused attempted to destroy evidence by discarding the victim’s mobile phone and washing bloodstains from the vehicle used in the crime.

However, the court emphasised that the burden of proving the case beyond reasonable doubt rests entirely on the prosecution.

“It is settled law that an accused has the right to remain silent during trial and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” the judge said.

An FIR was registered at Dwarka North police station, and both accused were charged under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) read with Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court noted that the prosecution failed to establish a complete chain of circumstances and that material inconsistencies and investigative lapses raised serious doubts.

“The prosecution could have proved the involvement of the accused either through ocular or circumstantial evidence. The eyewitness turned hostile, and the circumstantial evidence on record is insufficient to infer guilt,” the judge said.

The court further pointed out that the alleged weapon of offence — a stone or brick — was never recovered, nor was any blood-stained object found at the scene.

It also observed that there was no evidence on record to show when or where the tyres of the Eeco van were washed, nor was that aspect properly investigated.

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In view of these shortcomings, the court acquitted both accused of all charges.