Overview

• Additional Sessions Judge Satyanarayan R. Navander last week cleared Vishal Diwar, Vishal Jonjal, Vishal Gaikwad and Shirish Chikhalkar of IPC sections 307 and 504, with the detailed order made available on Thursday.
• The court said most eyewitnesses turned hostile and flagged contradictions in the accounts of complainant Sopan Kamble and his wife.
• A forensic report found kerosene on Kamble’s wet clothes, but investigators recovered no burnt matchstick and the medical certificate recorded no injuries.
• The case arose from a March 6, 2017 dispute over a proposed rasta roko at CST following a permitted protest at Azad Maidan tied to the killing of Dr. Krishna Kirwale.
• Prosecutors argued the couple’s testimony and circumstantial evidence proved intent, but the judge extended benefit of doubt and concluded the episode resembled political drama rather than attempted murder.