A trial court in Giridih on Tuesday acquitted former chief minister Shibu Soren in a 36-year-old murder case for lack of evidence?the last of the three murder cases against him. ?You are not found guilty,? ruled additional district and sessions judge Mohammed Kasim as Soren stood inside the dock. On June 3, the court had reserved its judgement in the case in which two residents of Kudco were killed.
?I always thought I would get justice as I was innocent,? a relieved Soren told his supporters after the verdict.
But the judgment proved a major disappointment to the people of Kudco where Chundi Singh and Khirodhar Singh were killed in a group clash after they allegedly stole a goat on April 15, 1974. ?If the trial goes on and on for more than a quarter of a century, you cannot hope to get justice,? said Ashok Singh, Chundi?s nephew.
?Had the police and administration been sensitive and honest and reacted in time, the culprits who killed my uncle could not have escaped punishment,? alleged Seema, Kirodhar?s auntie. Both Chundi and Kirodhar were allegedly beaten to death by a mob led by Soren, according to the FIR filed by the police on the night of the crime. More than four years later, the police submitted a chargesheet on December 14, 1978, against 10 accused, including Soren.
In all, there were 19 witnesses including three ASIs?Koleshwar Mishra, Md Hussain and Lalan Ojha. While nine witnesses died during the trial, five including Mishra, Husain, Ojha and Dr L N Mandal, who had conducted the post-mortem, were untraceable.
Ten other witnesses had turned hostile. Edmond Kullu, investigating officer, who was not a witness, was the sole police officer who stood by the prosecution.