Justice Prevails: Decades-old Conviction Quashed

The Bombay High Court overturned a two-decade-old conviction and sentence of Ramprakash Govind Manohar. The court found insufficient evidence to support claims of cruelty and abetment of suicide of his wife, Rekha, whose death in 1997 was earlier ruled as driven by harassment for money and goods.

The Bombay High Court has overturned the conviction of Ramprakash Govind Manohar, initially sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly abetting his wife's suicide and subjecting her to cruelty over two decades ago. The judgment, rendered by Justice M M Sathaye, found no substantial evidence against Manohar.

In 1998, a sessions court in Pune convicted Manohar under sections 306 and 498-A of the Indian Penal Code. The incident dates back to 1997 when his wife, Rekha, was found dead in a river six months after their marriage. The prosecution claimed that Rekha was harassed for money and a sewing machine, driving her to suicide.

Manohar consistently denied these allegations. Upon reviewing the evidence, the High Court determined there was no material to prove either cruelty or abetment. Testimonies stating that Rekha was unhappy and cried were deemed insufficient to conclude harassment beyond a reasonable doubt.

(With inputs from agencies.)