Actor’s murder: Evidence blown, accused let off

An eight-year-long legal battle in the murder of actress Kritika Chaudhary ended in acquittal on March 29, as the Dindoshi Sessions Court set both accused free.

Despite forensic evidence suggesting a DNA match between the accused and samples found under the deceased’s nails, the prosecution failed to prove their case, with glaring discrepancies in the forensic timeline raising serious doubts.

The accused, who spent nearly a decade behind bars, are set to walk free on a bond of Rs 15,000 and a solvent surety after the court ruled that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the charges.

Key forensic contradictions
The accused’s lawyer, Kalam Shaikh, told mid-day, “The case against my client rested on an eyewitness account, which only stated that he was seen entering the deceased’s house. That alone does not prove he committed murder or robbery.”

The investigation uncovered a murky link to drugs and unpaid debts. File pic

He highlighted the prosecution`s inconsistent forensic evidence, stating, “Two DNA tests were conducted, and both yielded positive results. One test compared my client Shakeel Khan’s blood sample with particles found under the deceased’s nails. The second test analysed compared shoes and a belt my client was wearing with the particles found under the deceased’s nails.”

However, crucial discrepancies in the dates cast doubt on the prosecution’s case. Police and forensic experts testified that Khan’s blood sample was collected on July 11, 2017. Yet, official forensic records state the sample was taken on July 12—without any witness testifying to a collection on that date. “If the sample was taken on July 11, then whose sample does the July 12 report belong to?” Shaikh questioned.

Further inconsistencies emerged with the second DNA test. It was state that the belt was received on July 1 and examined on July 7. However, police records indicate that the accused was arrested on July 10 and that the belt was seized on July 13. This discrepancy raises a critical question: whose belt was tested on July 7? Consequently, the court disregarded the belt’s test report—a decision that favored the accused.

Additionally, the prosecution failed to present concrete evidence—such as photographs or official documentation—to prove that the gold jewellery recovered from the accused actually belonged to the deceased.

The murder case
The decomposed body of actress Kritika Chaudhary was discovered in her Amboli apartment in June 2017. The post-mortem report classified her death as unnatural, revealing multiple head injuries. A murder and robbery case was subsequently registered at Amboli police station.

The investigation uncovered a murky link to drugs and unpaid debts. Police arrested two suspects, including a drug peddler, claiming the murder was over R6000 that Chaudhary owed him.

The accused, identified as Shakeel Khan, 33, and Basudas Das, alias Badshah Makamlal Das, 40, first came under suspicion after being spotted by the building’s watchman.

However, cracking the case proved difficult. CCTV footage yielded no clues, scanning a year`s worth of call data records led nowhere, and questioning over 1000 people failed to produce leads.

Though Khan’s number appeared in Chaudhary’s call records, they showed no contact for over a year. Still, his evasive behaviour during police questioning raised suspicion. A known drug peddler in Malwani and a former police informer, Khan repeatedly moved between Malad, Nalasopara, and Panvel, avoiding law enforcement. He was detained at Panvel.

The building’s watchman later identified Khan as someone who frequently visited Chaudhary’s house, demanding to see her. Police learned that Chaudhary’s previous drug supplier, Asif Khan, had been arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Cell the previous year, after which Khan took over.

“Kritika had bought drugs from him and hadn’t paid. That’s why the watchman repeatedly saw him returning to collect the money,” a police officer had said at the time.

According to the police’s initial report, on June 12, Das pressured Khan to repay a debt, prompting Khan to visit Chaudhary to collect his pending amount. When she refused, an argument escalated. Khan, who allegedly carried a knuckle duster, hit her three times before changing his clothes and leaving.

2017
Year murder was committed