The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court on Monday acquitted the four accused in the case of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Adnan Patrawala on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the four accused. The sessions court let off Sujit Nair, Ayush Bhat, Rajiv Dhariya, Amit Kaushal and Khimesh Ambavat — all aged between 25 and 31 years — due to lack of evidence. The fifth accused is a minor and will be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The court, presided over by judge Sanjay Deshmukh, was filled with family members of the accused as they were hoping for a judgment in their favour. Judge Deshmukh, who had said the verdict would be declared on January 18, finally declared on Monday that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges.
Defence counsel Ashish Chavan, addressing the media, said, “First and foremost the prosecution’s theory did not hold water. The prosecution had stated that the case was based on circumstantial evidence, but they failed to prove the chain of circumstances.”