ITANAGAR, 22 Dec: The Court of Sessions Judge, Yupia on Monday discharged accused Taya Chumi and Bijay Biswas @ Dengu in the Techi Meena murder case due to lack of evidence.
The court said that there was no material evidence against these two accused in the case, on the basis of which they can be charged under any of the section charge-sheeted by the police in the case.
The police had filed charge-sheets against the duo and five others accused, including main accused Roni Lishi (accused no 1) in the murder case.
“….this court has not found anything in the entire case record, which indicates involvement of these two accused Taya Chumi and Bijay Biswas @ Dengu or had ever knew or had aided to plan made by the accused No 1 and conspiracy hatched by aforesaid five charged accused to eliminate the deceased. As such, there is no question of participation of these two accused in the planning, conspiracy or elimination of Techi Meena,” the court observed after hearing both parties and said that they are entitled under Sec 227 of CrPC to be discharged from the case.
“Accordingly, it is order that Taya Chumi and Bijay Biswas @ Dengu are hereby discharged from the case. Therefore, they shall be released from the jail, forthwith, if not wanted in any other case,” the court said in an order.
“In view of above order passed today in main case, the IA No 32/2021 and BA No 314/21 stand closed as infructuous,” the order said.
The police had filed charge-sheet against Chumi on the grounds that she had pressurized Lishi Roni, husband of the deceased, to choose, either her or deceased- wife, due to which Roni hatched a conspiracy along with other four co-accused to eliminate Meena.
The second allegation against the accused was that at the direction of Roni, three mobile phones were purchased by another accused Biswas, who handed over the same to her and, subsequently, she handed over the phones to Roni and those mobile phones were used by these accused to hatch the criminal conspiracy and to execute their plan to kill Meena (deceased).
On other hand, the police had filed charge-sheet against Biswas on the ground that he purchased the three mobile handsets and three SIM cards without leaving any documents of such purchase, which has been used in the case by the accused for conspiracy and to eliminate the deceased.
Meanwhile, the court framed charges against the five other accused under various sections of the IPC.
“After hearing the lead counsels for the parties in detail and perusing the material evidence available on record, this court is of the view that there are prima-facie material evidence against the five accused, namely Lishi Roni, Damrit Khoiyang, Datung Suyang, Kapwang Letey Lowang and Taney Khoiyang, on the basis of which, these five accused can be charged under section 120B, 302, 316, 201 read with Sec. 34 of IPC,” the court order said.
Since all the five charged accused pleaded not guilty and claimed for trial, the court will try them and will adduce evidence from next date to prove the case.
The next date for prosecution evidence has been fixed on 2 February, 2022.
Seven-month pregnant Techi Meena was allegedly murdered by hired goons at the behest of her husband, Lishi Roni on 5 November, 2020.