Pune Double Murder: Accused Acquitted After 15 Years in Shocking High Court Verdict

• Mumbai High Court acquitted three accused in the Patki double murder case after 15 years, overturning a lower court's life imprisonment sentence.
• Ambadas Shripad Jadhav, Bunty alias Gaurav Gautam Vadverao, and Pandya alias Pandurang Atul Jadhav were initially convicted for the murders of Smita Patki and Sulabha Pachapurkar.
• The acquittal was based on insufficient evidence and an incomplete chain of evidence, as ruled by Justices Bharati Chandak and Bharati Dongre.
• Defense lawyers highlighted critical flaws: a 5-6 month delay in the identification parade, improper identification of seized ornaments, and the key eyewitness's weak eyesight.
• The court found it impossible for the eyewitness to reliably identify the accused after such a long delay, leading to their release after 15 years in jail.

Why It Matters: High Court overturns 15-year-old double murder conviction due to critical investigative flaws.