Mumbai: A key associate of gangster Chhota Rajan, who had been absconding for 32 years before being arrested last month, was acquitted in an attempt to murder case from 1991. The victim and his wife, eyewitnesses to the alleged firing incident, did not support the prosecution’s case and failed to identify the accused before the court.
The 58-year-old accused, Raju Chiknya alias Vilas Pawar, was wanted in multiple cases, including murder, kidnapping, and illegal possession of weapons.

“So far, as the evidence regarding the involvement of the accused in the incident is concerned, it is not established by the prosecution. In the entire testimony Shaukat Ali – injured and Marianbi – the eyewitness, have not supported the prosecution case on the point of identity. Hence, there are two possibilities, either the witnesses are won over by the accused or the accused are really not concerned with the incident and their names were given by the prosecution witnesses because of enmity…,” the judge said. The judge further said that while the prosecution case may be true, it has failed to travel the distance between ‘may be true’ and ‘must be true’ on the point of identity and involvement of the accused. “Prosecution has not proved the identity of the accused itself. Prosecution has not proved that the accused attempted to murder Shaukat Ali Ahmed Ali as alleged with firearms. Hence, benefit of doubt deserves to be granted to the present accused,” the judge said. It was the prosecution’s case that Mariambi Shaukatali Shaikh, a resident of Govandi, lived with her husband and three children. She had known one Ganesh Thakur since childhood. On Aug12, 1991, Thakur, accompanied by one Dilya and two unidentified individuals, entered Mariambi’s home. Her husband, Shaukatali, was eating dinner. The four men opened fire on Shaukatali and fled. Mariambi called for help and, with the assistance of her brother-in-law, transported her husband to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was admitted.