26 prosecution high and dry. For instance, the Naksha Panchnama (Ex. P3) dated 29.03.2013 records the names of five witnesses, including PW-2 and PW-8, and states that the witnesses inspected the body of deceased Ajit Pal @ Bobby; that there was a big wound on the right side of the neck of the deceased; that, in the opinion of the panch witnesses, the deceased was murdered by Rajesh Yadav and Raja Yadav by cutting his throat with a knife; that his body was stuffed in a sack; and that the sack was thrown in a well. It then goes on to record the opinion of the Investigating Officer (PW-16) wherein, after noting the factual aspects, he stated that Ajit Pal was murdered by Rajesh Yadav and Raja Yadav by cutting his throat with a knife. Notably, the narrative is not that of the panch witnesses but mostly of PW-16 himself and the panch witnesses merely signed the panchnama. Akin thereto, the Crime Details Form (Ex. P13) notes that the scene of the crime was visited on 29.03.2013 at 15:15 hours and records that, 15 metres from the Khandari Canal, an old well is situated; that there are bushes growing around the well; that there was a body inside a white sack which was floating in the water in the well; that the width of the well was 2 metres 70 cms.; that the well was 6 metres deep; and that there was 1 metre water in the well and 5 metres was empty. Significantly, though the Crime Details Form notes that two panch witnesses were present, there is no narrative by them and they simply signed the form. The same is the position with the Crime Details Form (Ex. P14), relating to the finding of blood on the walls of the washing area and the floor; black plastic slippers; and an empty

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