2006 Oxytown murder case: HC acquits two

The Calcutta high court on Thursday acquitted two accused in connection with the Oxytown murder case.

The two accused, Avik Ghosh and Somenath Tanti were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. The case appeared before the division Bench of Justice Ashim Roy and Justice Moloymarut Bandyopadhyay.

Avik Ghosh, the then resident of Thakurpukur got married to Mousumi Dutta in 2006. In September 2010, Mousumi and her maid were found murdered inside her in-laws house. Avik told the police that the dacoits stormed into the house and looted the valuables. When his wife and the maid tried to stop the dacoits, they slashed them with a sharp weapon. The victim's family members also told the police that the woman had been subjected to torture at her in-laws' house.

Though Mausumi's father Sankar Dutta had told the police that his son-in-law had murdered his wife and also committed another crime by killing her maid. On the basis of the complaint lodged by Dutta, police started an investigation.

Police later arrested Avik and four others including Tanti for their alleged involvement in the incident. Alipore Court had acquitted three accused but had given death sentence to Avik and life imprisonment for Somanth. But the decision was challenged at the Calcutta high court.

Avik's lawyers told the court that Avik was not in the city when the incident had taken place and he was not involved in the conspiracy. After going though the details, the division Bench of the Calcutta high court acquitted the two accused.