Court acquits man accused of killing ex-PM Vajpayee's grand nephew

A man accused of killing former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's grand nephew Manish Mishra by throwing him out of a running train in 2004 was on Thursday acquitted by a local court saying the witnesses turned hostile and the prosecution failed to prove the allegations.

Additional District Judge Ramesh Chandra Diwakar exonerated Ram Ji Verma of all the charges, saying that the 34 witnesses, who testified in the case, "either turned hostile or indifferent or showed ignorance". The judge said that even the main eyewitness said "he had only heard and not seen anybody pushing Manish out of the train".

Manish, the grandson of Vajpayee's sister Vimla Mishra, had died of injuries sustained after he was thrown out of the Chhattisgarh Express between the Mathura and Kosi Kalan stations by Verma and some youths following an argument. One of Manish's friend, Rakesh, who was with him had sustained injuries in the clash.

An FIR was filed in this case by Manish's father, Mahendra Kumar Mishra, and another by Rakesh's brother at GRP Kosi Kalan station. The prosecution, however, said it would move the high court against the court's order.