Guwahati, Aug. 22: Businessman Bhagya Kalita and his driver Md Fatiur Ali were today acquitted in the 22-year-old Karobi-Dubori murder case that had created a sensation in Assam.

Karobi Das, 32, and her 10-year-old daughter, Chandrani Dharitri (Dubori), were shot dead in their rented house in Ambari here around 10pm on July 31, 1995.

The case was initially registered at Latasil police station but the investigation was handed over to the CBI in accordance with a Gauhati High Court order in November 1995.

The CBI, after investigating the case, filed a chargesheet on October 7, 1998 against three persons - Kalita, his driver Ali and an absconding accused, Bhupen Medhi, a surrendered Ulfa member. Medhi disappeared after the twin murders and remains untraced.

The court of additional sessions judge-2, Kamrup (metro), S.K. Dhar, in his order today, said the prosecution had failed to establish and prove charges against the accused persons (Kalita and Ali). "Hence the accused persons are not found guilty and they stand acquitted," the judge said.

Kalita thanked God for his acquittal and said finally justice was done to him.

Karobi's brother, Sourabh Kumar Das, rued that the investigating agency had failed to identify and punish the killers of his sister and niece.

At the time of the incident, Karobi's husband, Ujjal Kumar Das, was in Mumbai. Only four persons were in the house - Karobi, Dubori, Karobi's six-year-old son Angshuman and their domestic help Manju Dey.

Angshuman, when examined by the prosecution, had said two persons shot dead his mother and sister. He said they also shot at him but he saved himself by hiding under the dining table.

When the police recorded his statement under Section 164 CrPC, Angshuman had said one of the assailants was the security guard of "Bhagya mama" (Kalita) but could not name him. However, during his examination by the prosecution, Angshuman said he was unable to recognise any of the assailants. A CBI source said Angshuman could have referred to Medhi, who used to accompany Kalita, as the "assailant security guard".

Manju, in her statements recorded under Section 161 and 164 of the CrPC, had claimed that she had seen Kalita fleeing in his car driven by Ali from the spot. She said both Kalita and Ali were at the place of occurrence and fled from the spot after the crime was committed.

However, later, while giving evidence in court, she said at the time of the incident she was on the roof, where she had gone to fetch clothes, and when she came down she saw the mother-daughter duo lying on the floor in a pool of blood and Angshuman hiding under the table. Manju said she did not see anybody else there.

A CBI source said Manju, a key witness, had turned hostile in court, which had weakened the case of the prosecution. He said the CBI would examine today's court order in detail before taking a decision on whether to challenge it in a higher court.

The source said Kalita had an alleged illicit relationship with Karobi, an LIC agent.