The Jharkhand High Court has acquitted all individuals previously convicted in the sensational murder case of notorious criminal Sushil Srivastava and his two associates within the Hazaribagh Civil Court premises. The division bench overturned the life imprisonment sentence earlier awarded by the Hazaribagh Trial Court.
In its judgment, the High Court observed that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court highlighted significant discrepancies in witness testimonies and noted negligence in the police investigation.
The incident dates back to June 2, 2015, when Sushil Srivastava and his associates, Kamran Khan and Gaya Khan, were targeted during a court appearance. Attackers opened fire with AK-47 rifles and lobbed hand grenades within the high-security court complex, resulting in the deaths of all three men.
Following the investigation, Vikas Tiwari, Vishal Singh, Dilip Sao, and Rahul Dev Pandey were named as the primary accused. On September 11, 2020, the Hazaribagh Court had found them guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The convicts subsequently challenged this decision in the High Court, leading to the current acquittal.
