Raja Raghuvanshi murder case reaches a deadlock

Indore, Aug 5: When the investigation into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi began, it seemed like the case would be solved in no time. And to some extent, it was. The way the Shilong police connected the dots and arrested the five main accused, including Sonam and Raj, followed by three more suspects, suggested that the case was about to be solved. However, it is far from being solved.

Those three suspects arrested later are out on bail, and two of the accused, who were presented in court by the Shilong police, have now retracted their statements in court. Since then, there has been no major update.

The Indore police stopped giving updates to the media, saying the case was registered in Shillong and the police there would provide updates. Meanwhile, the Shillong police have avoided answering most questions, only stating that they have sufficient evidence and they will present the same in court.

However, when and how this evidence will be presented remains unclear. Even after all this time, there is no clear picture of where the case stands.

In such a scenario, it is important to understand what the law has to say.

According to Kshitij Vyas, a criminal lawyer in the High Court in Indore, the final verdict lies with the court, and no one can predict the outcome. However, we can discuss some important aspects related to this case.

First, in cases like this, there is often a public demand that no lawyer should agree to defend the accused. Sometimes, considering the seriousness of the crime, even lawyers voluntarily choose not to represent certain clients. But it is important to note that even if no lawyer is willing to defend Sonam or the other accused, the court is bound by law to provide them with legal aid. That’s the rule.

The most crucial aspect is that the law requires evidence to convict someone, and the sentence is determined based on the strength of the evidence. If the police fail to present sufficient evidence, the accused will be free and released by the court.

It’s important to understand that evidence generally falls into three categories: documentary evidence, oral testimony and circumstantial evidence. Based on these, courts can pronounce life imprisonment or the death penalty under Sections 103, 61(2), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (earlier IPC Sections 302, 120B, and 201) in murder cases. However, if the evidence is weak, the case may fall flat.

If it is proven in court, with sufficient evidence that Sonam, Raj or any other individuals were involved in planning the crime, then all involved can be given the same punishment.

Generally, such cases may take around 6-12 months to reach a verdict if the accused remains in jail during the trial. If the state government wishes, it can issue a notification to fast-track the case. However, no such step has been taken in this case so far.

In summary, the Raja Raghuvanshi case has now reached a deadlock where no one knows what will happen next. All eyes are on the Shillong police because they were the ones who began connecting the dots, and for now, they are also the ones who will be responsible for bringing the case to a conclusion.