Thane Court Frees Man in Decades-Old Murder Mystery

In a stunning verdict, a Thane district court in Maharashtra has acquitted 46-year-old Shambhubhai Manubhai Rawal, accused of murdering a woman 25 years ago, due to insufficient evidence and unreliable witness testimony. The ruling, delivered by Sessions Judge S B Agrawal on July 23, 2025, cleared Rawal of charges under sections 302 (murder), 452 (house trespass), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case dates back to February 17, 2000, when Kunda Rawal was found unconscious near her bathroom and later declared dead from asphyxia, with injuries suggesting foul play. Her husband, Kundan Rawal, previously acquitted, was alleged to have conspired with Shambhubhai and an absconding accomplice, Suresh Nhavi, to orchestrate the killing. A relative, Hansa Govindbhai Rawal, claimed Kundan offered Rs 5,000 for the murder, citing an illicit relationship as the motive. However, the court found her testimony unconvincing and lacking corroboration.

Judge Agrawal emphasized the absence of direct evidence linking Shambhubhai to the crime. Key prosecution witnesses, Rakesh Rawal and Satishkumar Rawal, relatives of the victim, provided only hearsay, with no eyewitness accounts to support the claims. The collapse of the prosecution’s case underscores the challenges in prosecuting decades-old crimes, leaving the murder of Kunda Rawal unresolved.

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