My father is an ill-tempered man with an extremely rude attitude. He has an unusually arrogant way of living. He beat us inhumanely (my mother and three brothers of us) at his whim. He still isn't shy of beating us brothers (all married and above 35 years of age).
My mother suffered the worst due to his attitude and after 35-36 years of marriage, finally succumbed to injuries received from beatings by him. On the face of it, she died in an operation theater, where she was being operate by a practicing doctor. But this is public knowledge that she actually died of injuries. She was beaten badly even a day before the death. A number of people in our colony who used to come to rescue her from my father will testify this in the court of law.
My two brothers and their wives who lived with them never tried to save her from my father (apparently due to their greed of being in good books of my father who had all the money and power). I have lived separately from my family for over two decades. My mother died (was killed) 8 years ago. Hence, I was not around to rescue her. She declined my request to move with me. At the time of death I was not capable to trying to bring my father to justice. But today I am.
My question is - can I bring my father to justice? Do I have a case? My mother did die of injuries, even as at the time of death she was being operated for some illness. Weaknesses in the case are:
(1) I don't have a death certificate / post mortem report.
(2) My father can easily produce the papers from the doctor that she was being operated for some illness. Doctor will easily give him a death certificate of whatever my father wants as my father never accused doctor of negligence in the operation leading to her death.
(3) It's been over 8 years since the death. Is it too long to file a murder/attempt to murder case?
Strong points are:
(1) That my father regularly and inhumanely beat my mother is public knowledge. Easy to get witnesses for this.
(2) Even before a day before the death my mother was beaten badly by my father.
(3) Upon hearing the news of my mother's death instead of mourning and cussing the doctor, my father was seen walking hand-in-shoulder with the doctor.
(4) My father didn't take a death certificate or pressed for post-mortem.
(5) Despite being financially and in every other way capable, he scheduled an operation with a small time local doctor instead of a reputed hospital in a big city.
(6) I have audio recording where people of my family have accused each other for my mother's death. These recordings were made when people were fighting each other and blamed each other for my mother's death. In these recordings, my middle brother blames my father, the wives of the middle brother and the youngest brother both blame my father. My father blames it on my middle brother.
Case is clear that my mother's death was not natural (due to illness) as it was made out to be. Everyone knows she was killed by my father. But the question is --
Am I too late in taking the cause up and have too little to have a valid case? I don't want to drag my father to court unless the case even has a 50-50 chance to reach a conclusion.
Please do advise! Thanks a lot for your suggestions.