Nearly nine years after the murder of a 55-year-old businessman in northwest Delhi, a local court has discharged one of the accused due to lack of corroborative evidence.
Background: 2016 Murder of Businessman Vijay Kumar Wadhwa
On the night of June 10, 2016, Vijay Kumar Wadhwa was riding home on his scooter after closing his garment shop when two men on a motorcycle allegedly intercepted him in the Majlis Park area of Adarsh Nagar. The attackers demanded his bag and then opened fire. A bullet struck Wadhwa in the head, killing him instantly.
During the investigation, Delhi Police arrested multiple suspects, including Chanderma Prasad. Another accused, Sagar alias Bheem alias Kallu, was declared a proclaimed offender and was later apprehended from a jail in Azamgarh. A supplementary chargesheet was filed, naming him as part of the alleged conspiracy behind the murder.
Court Finds No Evidence Against Accused Sagar
In a significant development, Delhi’s Rohini court discharged Sagar of all major charges, including murder (Section 302 IPC), attempt to murder (307), robbery (394), criminal conspiracy (120B), and common intention (34).
The court ruled that the prosecution’s case against Sagar relied solely on the disclosure statement of co-accused Prasad, with no supporting evidence such as:
- Call detail records linking Sagar to the crime
- Any Test Identification Parade
- Corroboration from the complainant, who had since moved to Canada and had not supported the case earlier
“Even if the entire supplementary chargesheet is accepted as gospel truth, no case is made out against Sagar for framing of charges,” the court observed. It also stated that the disclosure statement alone was “of no consequence.”
Sagar was represented by Amicus Curiae advocate Shashank Dewan.
Accused to Face Trial for Avoiding Arrest
While discharging Sagar from serious charges, the court directed that he be tried under Section 174A IPC — for failing to appear before the police and being declared a proclaimed offender.
