2020 riots: Delhi court acquits six persons accused of rioting, arson, loot

Six individuals who were accused of rioting, arson and loot during the riots in North-East Delhi in 2020 were acquitted by a local court on Saturday. 

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala gave the verdict in a case involving Sahil, Dinesh, Tinku, Sandeep, Vikas Kashyap and Sonu. 

The accused were allegedly part of a violent mob that trespassed and looted a shop in Bhagirathi Vihar on the intervening night of February 24 and 25, 2020. 

The court said that the charges against the accused could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt, leading to their acquittal. The judge cited significant discrepancy in the timing of the incidents between the testimonies of two prosecution witnesses, a constable and an assistant sub-inspector, who claimed to have witnessed the events.

Due to this inconsistency, the found it difficult to rely on their claims and concluded that it remained a matter of circumstantial evidence to establish that both incidents were caused by a mob. 

The court said that the accused were only identified as part of the mob at a certain point in time on the road, which was insufficient evidence considering that separate cases were registered by the police based on specific incidents of riots.

They were also accused of being part of an unlawful assembly that committed arson, trespassing, and theft in a nearby house at around 9 p.m. on February 24.

The court highlighted that one of the complainants mentioned being informed about the incident's timing by a neighbour, but the neighbour was neither located nor examined.

Hence, the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused individuals were part of the mob responsible for the two incidents investigated in this case.