Delhi Court Verdict: Inconclusive Evidence Leads to Acquittal in 2020 Northeast Riots Case

A Delhi court has acquitted 12 men charged with murder in the 2020 northeast riots case, citing insufficient evidence. The acquittal comes as the court found "fragments and pieces" of circumstantial evidence lacking coherence.

However, the ruling wasn't entirely in favor of the accused. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala found Lokesh Solanki guilty under the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity and inciting public mischief. Solanki's conviction stemmed from his involvement in a WhatsApp group, "Kattar Hindu Ekta," where he posted messages intended to instigate violence against Muslims.

The prosecution claimed that the defendants were part of a mob responsible for the murder of Aas Mohammad, whose body was found in Bhagirathi Vihar drain. Despite the gravity of these allegations, the court determined that the chats from the WhatsApp group were inadequate as substantive evidence, only serving as corroborative support. Without establishing the identity of the actual mob involved in the murder, the court ruled out vicarious liability for the accused, except for Tinku Arora, whose identification was deemed unreliable due to contradictions in witness testimony.

(With inputs from agencies.)