The sessions court has acquitted fugitive gangster Santosh Shetty in an attempt to murder case, which was registered against him by the Nagpada police station.
In an order passed on Tuesday, the court acquitted the gangster on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the charges slapped against Shetty.
Shetty is the second accused, acquitted by the court in the attempt to murder case. The prosecution’s case dates back to July 6, 2005, when Shetty along with three others, Suchit Shanbaug, Harish Shetty and Mahesh Chavan had allegedly opened fire at the Ocean Bar situated at Mumbai Central. The main aim of the firing was to eliminate the owner of the bar, Jitendra Shetty, but the bullet actually grazed passed one of the locals, who was standing at a paan beedi shop next to the bar.
According to the prosecution, gangster Hemant Pujari had informed Shetty about the scuffle, which he had with the bar owner a few days ago. Shetty had promised to look into the matter and settle it.
After the incident the Nagpada police had arrested Suchit, Harish and Mahesh in the case. However, Suchit and Harish were discharged immediately. Later, in 2008, the sessions court acquitted Mahesh.
When contacted, defence counsel for Shetty, advocate Kaushik Mhatre said, “My client was arrested in 2011, but the prosecution failed to prove the alleged charges, which were levelled against him.”