All 4 kidnap-murder accused acquitted, court slams probe

Four accused in a kidnapping and murder case were acquitted by a court in Thane, Maharashtra. The judge stated that the investigation was not carried out properly and due to lack of efforts by the investigation officers, the accused had to be acquitted. However, the four were convicted in a separate case. The accused had abducted a 14-year-old boy in 2009 and demanded a ransom. The negotiations failed and the boy was killed. The judge found that the charges could not be proven and the material in the trial was not trustworthy or reliable.