PUNE, May 16: Designated court judge S K Shah today acquitted Vasai-Virar legislator Hitendra Thakur and 12 others accused of having committed the murder of a Thane-based builder and land developer Suresh Dubey.

The court also acquitted four police officers who had been accused of shielding the real culprits in the case for providing false information and preparing false records, among other things.

While acquitting all the 17 accused, the court observed that the entire investigation into the case appears to have been done with an oblique motive. The court has also cast aspersions on the ballistic reports.

However, copies of the 150 page judgement have not yet become available.The 17 accused include Narendra Bhalchandra Bhoir, Ulhas Ramchandra Rane, Dnyaneshwar Bhaskar Patil, Patrick Francis Tuskano, Rajaram Maruti Jadhav, Manik Anant Patil, Dilip Shankar Wakchaude, Prashant Rajaram Tandel, Hitendra Vishnu Thakur, Pranlal Mohanlal Vadera, Ananda Shankar Patil, Ashok Sakharam Baeet, Istiaq Khan Mukhtiyar Khan, and the four police officers Madhav Maruti Barge, Malharrao Tatyaba Kukdolkar, Chandramohan Rausaheb Nimbalkar and Dajisaheb Ramchandra Jagtap.

Suresh Dubey, a Thane-based builder and land developer, was murdered in broad daylight on October 9, 1989. Dubey was shot dead at Nalasopara station.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.