Kolkata: A quarrel over something as routine as drawing water from a municipal line spiralled into a fatal shooting in Kolkata’s Garden Reach area — a sequence of events that the Calcutta High Court has now found proved beyond doubt, upholding the life sentence of two men.
Dismissing their appeal, a division bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Rai Chattopadhyay affirmed the conviction for the murder of Manoj Shaw, along with life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5000 each, payable to the victim’s family.
The incident dates back to May 18, 2014. What began as an altercation over water escalated near a neighbourhood tea stall. After a brief scuffle, the accused left — only to return moments later, this time armed. One carried a double-barrel shotgun, the other an iron rod. From less than a foot away, the victim was shot. As panic spread, the assailants fired another round in the air to warn off locals before fleeing.
At the heart of the case were six eyewitnesses — including the tea stall owner and local residents — whose accounts remained consistent under cross-examination. The court found their testimony reliable, observing that minor inconsistencies only strengthened their credibility. The bench rejected the defence’s reliance on gaps in the investigation.
The absence of blood at the scene, it said, was consistent with medical evidence showing that shotgun pellet injuries often cause internal bleeding with little external blood loss. It further held that lapses such as incomplete forensic reports or irregular recording of witness statements do not vitiate a case built on strong substantive evidence.
Recovery of weapons through raids, even without strict procedural compliance, was also found acceptable when supported by surrounding circumstances.
Crucially, the court noted that the accused had time to cool off after the initial quarrel but chose to return armed — a clear indication of intent to kill.
With the prosecution proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the court refused to interfere, while clarifying that statutory remedies such as remission remain available in accordance with the law.