BY KS NEWS DESK
Budgam, Dec 01: In a significant development, a fast track court in Budgam district has found Mushtaq Ahmad Pandit guilty of murdering his wife, Sameera Jan, back in 2011. The Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track), Aijaz Ahmad Khan, presiding over the case, concluded that the prosecution successfully proved Pandit’s culpability in the murder under Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) equivalent of the Indian Penal Code, in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganization of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in 2019. Court convicts husband for Wife’s Murder in Budgam
The court’s decision was based on a thorough examination of evidence and statements presented by the prosecution. It highlighted that Pandit and the deceased were last seen together on the evening of May 1, 2011, corroborating witness accounts and Pandit’s own admission that they were together on that fateful day when Sameera Jan attended a family wedding.
Despite the accused claiming innocence and stating that the witnesses provided false testimonies, the court pointed out that Pandit failed to produce any concrete evidence in his defense. The judge emphasized that the accused had ample opportunity to present his side of the case but chose not to do so.
The case initially came to light when the police received reliable information on May 1, 2011, suggesting that Sameera Jan, who was married to the accused, had been murdered at their residence. Upon investigation, her body was found in the house with multiple cuts and a knife lodged in her back, later retrieved during the post-mortem examination at SDH Chadoora.
The deceased’s family members were reportedly attending a relative’s marriage function at the time of the incident and were unaware of the tragic occurrence.
The court had directed the file to be scheduled for sentencing arguments on November 23, 2023. As Pandit is already in custody, the Superintendent of Central Jail Srinagar has been ordered to produce him for the next hearing.
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