HC releases man who was awarded capital punishment

A sessions court had on May 6,2009 convicted Maingade and awarded him the death penalty.

In a relief to a 31-year-old man,who was sent to the gallows for setting his senior citizen employers ablaze in 2008,the Bombay High Court on Thursday acquitted him after observing that the police has failed to prove its case.

A division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and A M Thipsay acquitted Sandeep Maingade on the grounds that police has not investigated the case properly and has hence not been able to prove the case.

Maingade was arrested on February 18,2008,three days after the charred bodies of Dilip Randheri (72) and his wife Varsha (61) were found by their son Niraj in their residence in Garden Crest building in suburban Santacruz.

Story continues below this ad

Maingade,who was working with the Randheris as domestic servant for over 12 years,was arrested from his residence in Ratnagiri. According to the prosecution,Maingade was furious with Dilip after he was reprimanded for not doing his job properly.

Maingade used a kitchen knife to stab both Dilip and Varsha. He then poured kerosene over the bodies and burnt them, additional public prosecutor Y S Shinde said.

Defence lawyer Wahab Khan however argued that none of the neighbours claimed to have seen smoke come out of Randheri’s residence.

A sessions court had on May 6,2009 convicted Maingade and awarded him the death penalty. He had then approached the High Court challenging the conviction.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram