2020 Delhi riots: Court acquits 4 accused of charges of rioting, torching vehicles

The court was hearing the case against Shahrukh, Ashu, Zuber and Ashwani, who were accused of being a part of a riotous mob that set ablaze tractors and hand carts and ransacked school buses at a parking lot at Kardam Puri here on February 25, 2020.

New Delhi: A court here, while hearing a case related to the communal violence that shook northeast Delhi in 2020, has acquitted four accused of the charges of rioting and vandalism, saying the prosecution was unable to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court was hearing the case against Shahrukh, Ashu, Zuber and Ashwani, who were accused of being a part of a riotous mob that set ablaze tractors and hand carts and ransacked school buses at a parking lot at Kardam Puri here on February 25, 2020.

"Prosecution has not been able to prove its case against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt, which is the touchstone of criminal law. Hence, all four accused persons are acquitted of all the offences," Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat said in a recent order. The court noted that according to the prosecution, two witnesses had identified the accused.

However, in their examination-in-chief, the said witnesses deposed that they had never identified any rioters or told the investigating officer about the identity of the accused, the court pointed out. Both witnesses categorically denied that the four accused were involved in the present case of rioting and instead, said they did not know them, the court said.

Thus, nothing incriminatory had come on record against the accused, it added. The Jyoti Nagar police station had filed a chargesheet against the accused under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including those related to rioting, armed with deadly weapon, unlawful assembly and mischief by fire or explosive substance with an intent to destroy houses etc. (PTI)