The Pernem JMFC Court has acquitted two accused, Bhawani Singh and Sameem Abdulla, of allegedly assaulting and grievously injuring a man near Shangrilla Restaurant in Arambol. The trial court held that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt because the investigating authorities neither produced nor examined the victim during the trial. The accused—31-year-old Bhawani Singh, a resident of Rajsamand, Rajasthan, and 40-year-old Sameem Abdulla, a native of Kannur, Kerala, who resides in Arambol—were acquitted of all charges, including voluntarily causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, and causing the disappearance of evidence. According to the prosecution, the incident took place on the night of May 8, 2026, near Shangrilla Restaurant in Arambol. The two accused allegedly acted with a common intention to assault the complainant. Bhawani Singh was accused of striking him with a wooden stick, choking him, and kicking him in the chest. At the same time, Sameem Abdulla allegedly grabbed and twisted the complainant’s scrotum, causing a severe lacerated wound, while threatening to kill him. Following the complaint, Mandrem Police Station registered an FIR, and both accused were arrested on May 9, 2026. The victim was initially treated at the Community Health Centre in Tuem before being referred to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim. The chargesheet was subsequently filed on July 9, 2026. During the trial, the prosecution examined only two witnesses: a panch witness and the investigating officer. It also relied on the scene-of-offence panchanama and the medico-legal certificate. The accused pleaded not guilty and claimed that they had been falsely implicated. The prosecution’s case weakened because the victim was never examined. During cross-examination, the investigating officer admitted that he had been unable to trace the informant or secure his presence, as his whereabouts were unknown. The officer also testified that the complainant had failed to remain present during the preparation of the scene-of-offence panchanama despite being specifically instructed to do so. In its judgment, the court noted that although the registration of the complaint and the panchanama had been established, there was no substantive evidence linking the accused to the alleged assault in the absence of the victim’s testimony. “The informant is the only competent witness who would have been fully capable of explaining the factual situation correctly. For the non-examination of the informant, an adverse inference against the prosecution deserves to be drawn,” the trial court observed. The court concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt and formally acquitted Bhawani Singh and Sameem Abdulla of all charges.