24-05-2025
‘The brown coat that spoke theloudest in court'
Lucknow: In a chilling double murder case that initially seemed to lack concrete leads, it was not a weapon or direct confession that broke it open—but a brown coat. Government counsel MK Singh, who led the prosecution, described it as the silent witness that ultimately "spoke the loudest in court".
According to Singh, the turning point came during a police search at the residence of prime accused Raja Kolandar alias Ram Niranjan in Ram Sagar village in Allahabad district. "The accused himself led police to a brown coat hidden in his house," he said. "It belonged to Manoj Singh, one of the victims. That coat became Exhibit-1 and the most crucial link in the chain of evidence."
Singh detailed how the coat bore a tailor's label—Famous Apsara Tailors, Ratapur Crossing, Rae Bareli—and was positively identified by Manoj's family.
"Manoj was last seen wearing that exact coat on January 23, the day he left with the passengers who would later kill him and his associate," Singh said.
Presented in court in a sealed bundle, the coat was matched and authenticated, confirming its origin and ownership. Singh emphasized how the accused stripped the bodies of belongings to hinder identification but made one crucial mistake. "They discarded all other clothes but kept the coat—perhaps thinking it was valuable.
That decision exposed them."
Witnesses corroborated this link. Shiv Shankar and Amarnath Singh identified the coat and confirmed the chain of events. "The coat helped us place the victim, the accused, and the timing together in a narrative that could stand in court,"
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Brother's Day wishes
,
messages
and quotes !
