Widow of falsely accused murder suspect plans to sue Scottish authorities

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Widow of falsely accused murder suspect plans to sue Scottish authorities 4 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Paul O'Hare Scotland Sougat Mukherjee Sougat Mukherjee pictured with his wife Sapna in 2014, before he was accused of Tracey Wylde's murder The widow of a businessman who was falsely accused of a 1997 murder has urged the Indian prime minister to back her family's bid to sue the Scottish authorities. Sougat Mukherjee was 44 when he died in Mumbai in 2023 - almost four years after Tracey Wilde's real killer was brought to justice in Glasgow. Sougat's wife Sapna said her husband's life was "irreversibly destroyed" after being labelled a suspect and is seeking compensation and an Indian government inquiry into the circumstances.

Police Scotland said it did not comment on legal proceedings. Scottish prosecutors previously said they gave careful consideration to any reports of alleged criminal conduct which were submitted by police. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said action was taken if there was sufficient evidence of a crime, and that cases were kept under review.

The Details

Widow of falsely accused murder suspect plans to sue Scottish authorities Sapna, 45, said her husband had a successful career when he was told in 2014 that he was a wanted man on the other side of the world. In the weeks that followed, the father-of-three's life imploded as he became involved in a protracted extradition battle. Sougat's name was eventually cleared after a DNA breakthrough but his family say he never recovered from the stigma.

Sapna has now appealed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to back her bid to sue Police Scotland and the COPFS. Sapna told Scotland News her husband suffered from severe clinical depression as a result of being labelled a murder suspect. He died on 17 January 2023 from acute liver cirrhosis.

She said: "The world needs to know that an innocent man's life was completely and irreversibly destroyed, and that his family is still suffering the consequences today. " Who killed Tracey Wilde? Tracey Wilde was 21 when she was choked to death at her flat in Barmulloch, Glasgow, on 24 November 1997.

What Experts Say

The body of the mother-of-one, who had been working as a prostitute, was discovered the following day. At the time Sougat was a 19-year-old student at Glasgow Nautical College, which is is now City of Glasgow College. He had arrived in Scotland in the autumn of 1996.

Three months after Tracey was found dead, he dropped out of college and flew home to India. Sougat married Sapna and started a new university course in Chennai. He went on to work in sales and business development and travelled widely with his work, including to the US, United Arab Emirates and Greece.

Tracey Wylde, 21, was found dead in her home in 1997 That was until October 2014, when local police in India informed Sougat that he was a suspect in an unsolved murder in Glasgow.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.