Nanavati murder trial that changed Indian law abolishes jury trials

Indian Navy Commander KM Nanavati has been accused of murdering his wife’s lover Prem Ahuja.

New Delhi:

OJ Simpson, the athlete who once enjoyed great fame on the American football field but was forever overshadowed by a high-profile murder trial, has died aged 76. He is accused of killing his ex-wife and her male friend in suburban Los Angeles. Millions watched on television as the televised police hunt for Simpson and the extraordinary trial that followed included pitches of passion from lawyers and accusations of racism.

His acquittal in October 1995, after nine months in court, sparked disbelief among many Americans who followed every turn of the debate over details, such as whether a pair of gloves would fit the man. Former athlete’s hands.

The KM Nanavati trial in India in 1959 had striking similarities with the OJ Simpson case, which attracted people’s attention. Indian Navy Commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati has been accused of murdering his wife’s lover Prem Ahuja.

1959: Navy Commander Manekshaw Nanavati murders his wife’s lover.A murder that shocked the country pic.twitter.com/67Pak8fpf3

— India History Pictures (@IndiaHistorypic) August 26, 2015

Nanavati’s wife Sylvia confessed her affair with Ahuja to her husband while he was away on a mission. Nanavati then sent his wife and children to a movie and then headed to the naval base. On false pretext he collected the pistol loaded with six bullets and went to Prem Ahuja’s house.

Nanavati asked Ahuja about his intentions and asked him if he planned to marry Sylvia. When Ahuja refused, Nanavati shot him three times, killing him on the spot.

The naval commander immediately went to the police station and confessed to the crime. He also confessed in court and detailed how he planned the murder.

Despite Nanavati’s guilty plea, the jury acquitted him of premeditated murder. The jury’s verdict was later overturned by the Bombay High Court.

On March 11, 1960, the High Court found Nanavati guilty of murdering Ahuja and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Mumbai governor suspended the verdict within hours.

The Supreme Court overturned the order and sent the naval officer to jail. He was paroled on health grounds in 1963 and pardoned a year later by Vijayalakshmi Pandit, the new governor of Bombay and sister of Jawaharlal Nehru.

After being pardoned in the case, KM Nanavati immigrated to Canada along with Sylvia and their three children.

The Nanavati case, like the O.J. Simpson trial, captured the public and media imagination. Its impact has resonated over the years with inspiring books and films, including the 2016 film Rustom starring Akshay Kumar, which delves into the media’s influence on the outcome of the trial.

It was the last jury trial in India, as the government soon abolished jury trials.