Ansu was found hanging at home in 2006
Ansu Kuruvilla
Hyderabad: The VIII Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge at Hyderabad has acquitted Mr Ribu John Varughis and his friend Mr Syed Abdul Rasool Chagla in CBI case of Ansu Kuruvilla, who was found hanging in her Madhapur apartment.
Mr Varughis was Kuruvilla’s husband. The court cleared both the accused of all charges and observed that there was no evidence to point that it was a murder as had been claimed by the CBI prosecution. The court ruled that none of the witnesses had testified that Mr Varughis and Mr Chagla had a gay relationship or that that a financial angle was the motive.
Kuruvilla, an MNC employee, had been found hanging in her apartment on July 19, 2006. Three agencies had conducted investigations based on a complaint lodged by her parents. The Banjara Hills police had initially concluded that she had committed suicide.
The case was then handed over to the Women’s Protection Cell of the AP Crime Investigation Department, which concluded that Kuruvilla’s was a case of dowry death. Finally, the CBI conducted an investigation and came to the conclusion that it was a murder and chargesheeted the two accused for criminal conspiracy, murder and erasing evidence.
The trial court observed that the victim’s father, Mr A.M. Kuruvilla, had interfered in every stage of the investigation, including approaching the post-mortem doctors and investigating agencies .
The court also rejected the allegation of a contusion on the head of the deceased. The rough notes that were prepared at the time of the first post-mortem by the forensic doctor did not mention the details of this alleged contusion. The contusion was later incorporated in the final post-mortem report after Mr Kuruvilla met the doctors at the forensic department.
Of the 53 witnesses that were examined, the court found that not a single witness spoke against the accused or doubted their character to commit an offence of this nature against the deceased.
Advocates Mr S. Nagesh Reddy and Mr V. Surender Rao appeared for the accused and the CBI was represented by the Special Public Prosecutor.
After the accused were acquitted, Ansu Kuruvilla’s father Mr A.M. Kuruvilla said he would continue his fight for justice. Speaking to DC over phone from Chennai, Mr Kuruvilla said, “Hope CBI will file an appeal in the higher court. I am working on how to continue my legal fight and to go for judicial review. I have been fighting for justice for the past 10 years and will continue the same.”
He added, “My question is, what happened from midnight when the death took place to the time Ansu’s husband Ribu informed the police? Around 12 hours had lapsed. What happened during this period of time is very crucial in the case.”
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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