Thane, Maharashtra, March 2, 2025 – The Principal District and Sessions Court in Thane district has acquitted a 30-year-old man accused of kidnapping and murdering a 13-year-old boy in 2022. The court cited insufficient evidence as the key reason behind the acquittal.
Principal Judge S. B. Agrawal, in an order dated February 28, cleared Dashrath Prakash Kakade, a resident of Mumbra, of serious charges including kidnapping, murder, and destruction of evidence. The court's detailed judgment was released to the public on Sunday.
Initially, the police registered an FIR under Section 363 (Kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Subsequently, the investigation expanded, and additional charges including Section 302 (Murder), Section 364 (Kidnapping with intent to murder), and Section 201 (Destruction of evidence) were included against Kakade.
Additionally, CCTV footage reportedly capturing Kakade with the victim was declared inadmissible due to procedural lapses under the Indian Evidence Act.
Another crucial argument presented by the prosecution—that Kakade had led investigators to the victim’s body—was also scrutinized by the court. Judge Agrawal emphasized that the location where the body was found, a public toilet, was easily accessible to many people, weakening the prosecution’s claim that the accused had exclusive knowledge of the crime scene.
The court further noted discrepancies in the initial FIR, which mentioned Kakade dropping the boy at a local fair, suggesting alternate scenarios that the prosecution failed to exclude.
As a result, the court acquitted Kakade of all charges.
Principal Judge S. B. Agrawal, in an order dated February 28, cleared Dashrath Prakash Kakade, a resident of Mumbra, of serious charges including kidnapping, murder, and destruction of evidence. The court's detailed judgment was released to the public on Sunday.
Background of the Case
According to the prosecution, on April 17, 2022, Kakade, who works as a contractor, allegedly kidnapped Suresh alias Rupesh Vijay Gole under the pretext of taking him shopping for clothes. The prosecution further alleged that Kakade strangled the victim at a public toilet near the railway tracks in Diva, Thane.Initially, the police registered an FIR under Section 363 (Kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Subsequently, the investigation expanded, and additional charges including Section 302 (Murder), Section 364 (Kidnapping with intent to murder), and Section 201 (Destruction of evidence) were included against Kakade.
Key Evidence Dismissed by Court
During the trial, critical evidence put forward by the prosecution failed to convince the court. One key testimony came from the victim’s mother, who claimed Kakade had taken her son around 3 pm on the day of the incident. However, her statement was recorded 11 days after the incident, causing the court to question its reliability.Additionally, CCTV footage reportedly capturing Kakade with the victim was declared inadmissible due to procedural lapses under the Indian Evidence Act.
Another crucial argument presented by the prosecution—that Kakade had led investigators to the victim’s body—was also scrutinized by the court. Judge Agrawal emphasized that the location where the body was found, a public toilet, was easily accessible to many people, weakening the prosecution’s claim that the accused had exclusive knowledge of the crime scene.
Postmortem and Forensic Reports Inconclusive
Though the victim’s postmortem report confirmed death by throttling, it provided no direct connection linking Kakade to the crime. Similarly, blood and forensic analyses conducted during the investigation did not yield any definitive evidence implicating Kakade.The court further noted discrepancies in the initial FIR, which mentioned Kakade dropping the boy at a local fair, suggesting alternate scenarios that the prosecution failed to exclude.
Verdict: Benefit of Doubt Granted to Accused
Given these gaps, Judge Agrawal concluded that the prosecution failed to establish an unbroken chain of circumstances necessary to prove Kakade’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.As a result, the court acquitted Kakade of all charges.
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