2020 Delhi Riots: Four Men Acquitted Of Torching Medical Store

A court here has acquitted nine men in a case of setting a medical store on fire by a mob during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the sole testimony of a witnes♑s was insufficient to assume their presence and that the accused were entitled to the benefit of doubt.

The court was hearing a case against nine men accused of being part of a riotous mob that torched a medical storeꦚ on the main Brijpuri Road in Bhagirathi Vihar on February 🎃25, 2020. 

"I find that charges levelled against all the accused person🃏s are not proved beyond doubt. Hence, the accused are acquitted of all the charges levelled against them in this case," Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said in a recent order. 

The j🍃udge said it was "well established" that an unlawful assembly was 🍌involved in rioting, vandalism and arson --  thereby damaging and burning the shop.

But for the identification of the accused, three public witnesses -- including the complainant -- did not support the😼 prosecution's case and were declared hostile, the court said. 

The identity of the accu🐟sed was not proved by the evidence of two police officials and Constable Vipin remained the only prosecution witness to establish that they were part of the moꦜb.

Despite knowing the names and particulars of the accused, the constable formall🌄y rꦦecorded the information with a delay on March 20, 2020, the court noted. 

"Keeping in view such delay in disclosure of vital information being recorded, I find it desirable to apply the test of consistentಌ testimony of more than one witness in the present case," the judge said. 

He said on the application of the "test", the constable's sole testimony was not sufficient to assume the presen🧸ce of any of the accused in the moওb.

"In such a situation, (♒the) accused persons are given t🃏he benefit of doubt," the judge said. 

A charge෴ sheet was filed by officials at Gokalpuri police station against Mohd Shahnawaz, Mohd Shoaib, Shahrukh, Rashid, Azad, Ashraf Ali, Parvej, Mohd Faisal and Rashid under various provisions, includi✨ng rioting, of the Indian Penal Code.

-With PTI Input