Delhi Court Acquits Six in 2020 Riots Case Amid Prosecution Discrepancies
A Delhi court acquitted six individuals accused of rioting and vandalism during the 2020 North East Delhi riots, citing discrepancies in the prosecution's narrative. Despite FIRs and witness accounts, the court found the evidence insufficient for conviction, highlighting a failure to identify the accused reliably in the alleged crimes.
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The Delhi Court has cleared six individuals previously accused of participating in riots and vandalism during the tumultuous North East Delhi unrest in February 2020. These events unfolded amidst a backdrop of widespread communal violence.
Presided over by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Praveen Singh, the court highlighted significant inconsistencies in the prosecution's account. ASJ Singh acquitted Rajendar Jha, Tejveer Chaudhary, Rajesh Jha, Govind Singh Manral, Peetamber Jha, and Devendar Kumar alias Monu Pandit on charges including rioting and arson. The judge noted, "There are serious discrepancies in the story of the prosecution which had emerged during the prosecution evidence and the prosecution failed to explain them."
The court's ruling, dated July 23, underscored that none of the public witnesses could substantiate the prosecution's claim of the accused's involvement in looting or vandalizing. Additionally, the court found it peculiar that key witnesses, shown incriminating video footage as early as March 2020, did not identify the accused until June 2021. This lack of reliable identification led the court to question the validity of the charges laid against the six accused, culminating in their acquittal.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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