Four men who were accused in a case of rioting and setting fire to a shop during the communal riots in north-east Delhi in 2020 have been acquitted by the Delhi Court.
The bench of Additional Sessions Judge , Karkardooma Courts, Pulastya Pramachala acquitted Mohammad Shahnawaz, Mohammad Shoaib, Shahrukh and Rashid of all charges.
The court said that it observed that the two prosecution witnesses – both police officials – have not mentioned any overt act of the accused person. It also noted that there is a discrepancy in the testimonies regarding the time of the incident and number of persons who had assembled at the spot.
It further said that the sole testimony of the police officials cannot be sufficient to assume the presence of the accused persons and, therefore, in such a situation they deserve the benefit of doubt.
The allegation against the four was that they gutted a shop in Delhi’s Gokulpuri area while the riots were going on. They were arrested by the police on April 25, 2020.
The defence, therefore, said that the police fabricated the whole story and the case was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.